Forest Online Resource Tool (FOResT)

General Updates:

• Ensure users are not able to put spaces at beginning or end of their name - in Creating AND Editing account
  • The system will automatically remove extra spaces at the beginning or end of a user's name during account creation or if the user edits their account.

Account Set up:

• Add check box for Licensed forester number on create account page
  • To try to help reduce confusion, the box to enter a forester licnese number is hidden until someone checks off "Yes" to the new question "Are you a Maine Licensed Forester?"
    • If they check "Yes", the box displays so a forester can enter their licensed number.


• Update Confirm FOResT User Account email message
  • Added text to emphasis that a user's id number in the body of the email is not their Forest Operation Number (FON).

Mapping:

• Change Upload Activity Message
  • To help make sure users are submitting all the necessary files when uploading shapefiles into FOResT, the third paragraph in the Upload Activities message before uploading a shapefile has been updated to read:
  • Zip file must include, at minimum, the following extensions: shp, dbf, prj, shx. Features uploaded without a .prj file might not be re-projected or placed on the map in your anticipated location.

Activity Details:

• Changed Wording of Land Use Question
  • To provide addtional clarification, wording for Land Use Change question changed from:
    • “Will the land use change from growing forest products within 2 years?”
      to:
      “Will you be converting any of your land to something other than forest within the next 2 years?”

Summary:

• Added a list of "who's left to certify this FON:" on Summary page
  • To help users know who has not certified their involvement on a FON, a list of who is delinquent to certify this FON displays at the top of a Pending Certification FON.
  • In addition to the individual’s name, it displayed their phone number and email.
  • A button is also available next to each delinquent user, that can be click so the system will resend that user the email requesting they certify their involvement on this FON.


• Updated the reminder messages for activities in a LUPC P-FW subdistrict to read:
  • Harvest reminder:
    • You have indicated that you plan to harvest timber in a P-FW protection subdistrict. If you will be working in this subdistrict, a consultation with Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IF&W) is required before you begin your activity. You must submit a signed Section 5 P-FW Supplemental Plan as an amendment to the FON. Harvesting activities in conformity with the Section 5 plan may begin 14 days after the FON is certified/completed and amended in FOResT with the Section 5 Supplement.  If a plan acceptable to IF&W cannot be reached, you must file and have an approved Forest Operations Permit with MFS before commencing activities. Please contact IF&W for more information.
  
  
  • Road Construction reminder:
    • You have indicated that you plan to conduct road construction in a P-FW protection subdistrict. If you will be working in this subdistrict, a consultation with Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IF&W) is required before you begin your activity. You must submit a signed Section 5 P-FW Supplemental Plan as an amendment to the FON. Road construction activities in conformity with the Section 5 plan may begin 14 days after the FON is certified/completed and amended in FOResT with the Section 5 Supplement. If a plan acceptable to IF&W cannot be reached, you must file and have an approved Forest Operations Permit with MFS before commencing activities. Please contact IF&W for more information.
  
  
  • Water Crossing reminder:
    • You have indicated that you plan to construct water crossing(s) in a P-FW protection subdistrict. If you will be working in this subdistrict, a consultation with Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IF&W) is required before you begin your activity. You must submit a signed Section 5 P-FW Supplemental Plan as an amendment to the FON. Water crossing construction activities in conformity with the Section 5 plan may begin 14 days after the FON is certified/completed and amended in FOResT with the Section 5 Supplement. If a plan acceptable to IF&W cannot be reached, you must file and have an approved Forest Operations Permit with MFS before commencing activities. Please contact IF&W for more information.


• Cleaned up zip codes of MFS Staff on Summary page
  • Zip codes of MFS staff now display the leading zero

Acknowledgement and Certify:

• Update certification wording for LO and DA
  • Add a little additional info about when landowner reports are due to the following statement in the certification section of completing a FON.
    • Previous statement:
      • "As the Landowner, I understand that if I named a Designated Agent that I have given them responsibility for all operations described in this notification. I also understand that I am legally responsible for the completion of the year-end landowner reports if harvest activities are included in this Forest Operation."
    
    
    • Updated statement:
      • "As the Landowner, I understand that if I named a Designated Agent that I have given them responsibility for all operations described in this notification. I also understand that I am legally responsible for the completion of the year-end landowner reports (due annually on January 31st) if harvest activities are included in this Forest Operation."

Landowner Reports:

• Added ability to closeout a FON via the Landowner Report if there was no harvest
  • Allow a user to complete a landowner report if there was no harvest without the need to first answer answer “Yes” that there was a harvest.
  • They can now answer "No" there was no harvest and "Yes" the harvest is complete to close out that FON via the Landowner Report.


• Added Hardwood/Softwood/Mixed wood as species options for Specialty section under the Stumpage page

General Updates:

• Display pop up message on first visit to dashboard with a message about the changes that have occured.
  • A message will display the first time you logged into FOResT to let you know the dashboard layout has changed. See Dashboard below

Dashboard:

Significant Update: Dashboard now displays FONS and Landowner Reports

• The dashboard is now divided into two sections called My Notifications and My Landowner Reports
  • My Notifications section (image below) has tabs that list FONS that are:
  • Drafts: This lists the notifications you have started.
  • Pending: This lists the notifications that require certification from parties on the notification.
  • Active: This lists your active notifications.
  • Expired: This lists all notifications past their operation end date.
  
  
  
  • My Landowner Reports section (image below) has tabs that list Landowner Reports that are:
  • Past Due: This lists the landowner reports that need to be completed immediately.
  • Not Started: This lists the landowner reports not started.
  • Started: This lists the landowner reports started but not completed.
  • Complete: This lists completed landowner reports.
  
  
  

Mapping:

• Remove Search for a Location box on Map
  • The Search box on the map was not returning correct information and was removed from the map page.


• Added streams layer to map
  • The layer will be "on" by default.


• Statewide Standard (SWS) data updated
  • Towns that have recently adopted SWS now display SWS data on the map in those towns.

Summary:

• In the Landowner Report section of the FON Summary Page a "Delete this Landowner Report" button has been added to a started Landowner Report
  • This allows a started landowner report to be deleted so another party (landowner or designated agent) can complete the landowner report.
  • Before deletion this message displays: "You are deleting this landowner report. Are you sure you want to delete this landowner report? (Note: this is NOT deleting this Forest Operations Notification (FON))"


• Emerald Ash Borer information was updated to include new regulated areas
  • Link added to EAB Emergency Order


• Posting sign has been corrected so it is centered.

Landowner Reports:

• Stumpage data - capture and display decimals in price and volume
  • Stumpage volume and prices can now capture and display information to two decimal places.


• "Print this Landowner Report" button added
  • A button was added to print out a completed landowner report on the Summary page for that landowner report.


• Added Warning Message before starting the landowner report
  • Message reads:
    “You are about to start the landowner report. If you continue, you will be the only party (landowner or designated agent) who can complete this report. Will you complete the landowner report?”
    "If you select “No” then you must contact the other party (landowner or designated agent) on the FON to complete the report. This report must be completed by one of you."
  • "Yes" or "No" are possible answers


• Changed the wording of licensed forester question in Landowner Report
  • The question was changed from:
    “Did a Licensed Forester supervise the activity with an active Maine Forester license?“
    To:
    “Did a currently active Maine Licensed forester supervise the activity?”

General Updates:

• Create Account form:
  • Added the following line above the Physical Address section
    • “This is the physical address of where you live NOT the location of the activity.”

Mapping:

Significant Update: Add ability to upload shapefiles

• Landowners with their own GIS can upload their shapefiles instead of drawing activities on the map in FOResT
• Improved readibility of road names
• Latest Statewide Standards data updated on map

Security:

• Updated wording of "Reset Password" link on log in screen
  • Changed wording to "Reset your password?" to help people understand they did not need to reset their password every time they see the login screen.

Contacts:

• Updated "Enter Name" help text in Last Name text boxes to:
  • "Enter Last Name or Company Name" for the Landowner and Harvester/Operator text boxes
  • "Enter Last Name" for Designated Agent and Licensed Forester text boxes

Landowner Reports:

• Added the ability to report sawlog stumpage data in thousand pounds (mlb).

Overview:

Update Overview opening statement

• Added a last sentence in the text above the Overview form that reads:
  

  “The landowner Or the designated agent should create a notification, not both.”

Summary:

Landowner contact info - add note about confidentiality

• When a landowner has an ownership size of either 1- 10 acres, 11-100 acres, or 101 - 1,000 acres, the following message now displays to the right of their contact info:
  

  The contact information for this landowner is designated by law as confidential. [12 M.R.S. §8883-B (8)] If this Forest Operations Notifications is shared with others, the landowner contact information (address, email, phone number) must be redacted to comply with state law.




Update Chapter 25 Harvest Reminder

• The message previously read:
  

  This Operation will be adding wood to a stream consistent with Maine Forest Service Chapter 25 rule. Before beginning harvest operations, you must submit a written Harvest Plan to the Maine Forest Service for approval. Please contact us activity forestinfo@maine.gov or 207-287-2791.

• The message now read:
  

  This Operation will be adding wood to a stream consistent with Maine Forest Service Chapter 25 rule. Before beginning harvest operations, you must submit a written Harvest Plan to the Maine Forest Service for approval. Please contact us about your activity at forestinfo@maine.gov or 207-287-2791.




Updated link text to Agriculture change of use

• Below is the updated message if you have a change of use to Agriculture:
  

  You have indicated you will be changing your land use to agriculture.

  Please be sure your activities are conducted in accordance with the following guidance:
  Soil and water conservation guidelines regarding the creation of new agricultural field or the expansion of existing agricultural field in forested areas

  Regulatory issues regarding farm ponds; creating, expanding, or renovating agricultural pasture or crop land fields

Summary:

Corrected messages in Landowner Report table on Summary Page before Landowner Report is completed.

• Messages for future landowner reports in the table only change when the previous year's landowner report is completed
  • Before this update, if a landowner report had been started but not completed AND it indicated the harvest was complete, the messages for the future landowner reports would read that the previous year’s report indicates the harvest is complete.
  • With this update that has been corrected so the messages the future landowner reports only updated when the previous year's landowner report is completed.

Create Account:

Added "(if applicable)" to the end of the Company name label

Contacts:

Entering contact last name is no longer case sensitive

Can now find Landowner or Harvester by company name

Summary:

Highlight certification/acknowledgment statement and check boxes

• Updated certification text for each section be specific for that section:
  • "I certify that the Contacts information is correct."
  • "I certify that the Overview information is correct."
  • "I certify that the Map information is correct."
  • "I certify that the Activity Details information is correct."
  • "I acknowledge the Maine Forest Service Contacts information."
  • "I acknowledge the Important Reminders information."

Updated Gypsy Moth quarantine link in Summary General Reminders section to Spongy Moth

Added Important reminder for Land Use Change to Agriculture

• If a notifier indicates a land use change to Agriculture (third question in Harvest Activities on the Activity Details section), two links display under the Harvest Reminders of the Important Reminders section on the Summary page
  • The links are:
    • SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION GUIDELINES REGARDING THE CREATION OF NEW AGRICULTURAL FIELDS OR THE EXPANSION OF EXISTING AGRICULTURAL FIELDS IN FORESTED AREAS
    • REGULATORY ISSUES REGARDING FARM PONDS, CREATING NEW AND THE EXPANSION OR RENOVATION OF EXISTING AGRICULTURAL PASTURE OR CROP LAND FIELDS

Acknowledgement and Certify:

Significant Update: Send email when FON becomes active

Email all FON parties when FON becomes active

• An email is sent to all parties on a FON letting them know it has become active.
  • This email also contains the FON number.

General Updates:

Significant Update: Mobile Responsive

All activities in FOResT can be completed on a mobile device.

• This includes:
  • Setting up an account
  • Creating a FON
  • Certify participation on a FON
  • Completing a landowner report

Dashboard:

On a mobile device, links to “View” or “Delete” are displayed on the left side of each item

Overview:

Magalloway Plt is now Magalloway Twp

Mapping:

Adding activities to map has changed

1. Individual buttons for mapping each activity (Harvest, Road Construction, Water Crossing) replaced with one “+ Add Activity” button (image below)
   
2. and then prompted to select activity to add (image below)
   
3. Questions about road construction and water crossing display before mapping those activities.

Summary:

Certification Method answer now displays in Summary section if designated agent is a licensed forester.

Acknowledgement and Certify:

Updated Certification Statement:

• Statement for a designated agent to certify has been updated to remove the “and licensed forester” if the designated agent is not a licensed forester on the FON.

Landowner Reports:

Updated imputed price definition

Added mixed wood to biomass species drop down list

Mapping:

Corrected town boundary lines issues:

• Boundary lines not displaying on map
• Notice that mapped activity not within town when it is

Account Set up:

Added instructions to sign up process to check other email inbox folders once you click “Create Account”

• The updated message now reads:

You're almost there! An email has been sent to you from no-reply@timmonsgis.com with a link that you must use to activate your account. 

Please check your email and follow the instructions so you can begin using FOResT.

You should receive this email confirmation in just a few minutes.  If you do not see it in your inbox:


• Make sure your email is not blocking message from no-reply@timmonsgis.com.
• Also check your "spam", junk", or other folders.

Mapping:

Put the label "Map Layers" above map layers button

Contacts:

Removed asterisks from optional Confirm contact fields

• The asterisks were removed from the two optional FONS contacts (Designated Agent and Licensed Foresters)

Summary:

Significant Update: Print FONS Summary Page

• There is now a second button on the Summary page that said "Print Summary " to allow users to print the Summary Page.
• View How to Video

Added statement above certification check box for map on Summary Page

• Additional statement reads:
  

  This map is ADVISORY, for planning purposes only. Actual ground conditions, water body locations, and current regulations determine where and how MFS timber harvesting rules apply. Contact a MFS Forester for additional information/assistance.

On the summary page at the bottom, updated the statement “to reopen a section, uncheck the Certified box.”

Significant Update: Ability to upload files/amendments to"Active" FONS

• The upload feature is at the bottom of the Summary page
• Upon successful upload the FON status will change to "Active - Amended"
• View How to Video

Landowner Reports:

Significant Update: Landowner Reports can be entered at anytime

• Removed the requirement that landowner reports can only be entered beginning December 1st.
• Landowner or Designated Agent on a FON can enter their landowner reports any time during the calendar year.

Account Set up:

On Create Account Page

• Spaces at the beginning or end of a name will not be saved
• Updated password requirement line reads:
  • Password requires 1 of the following special character (!@*_).

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"Reset Password" button removed from email confirmation pop up message after clicking "Create Account" button

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Confirm User Account email message has changed

• The "Activate Account" link in Confirm User Account email is before the FOResT User ID.
• The text size for the "Activate Account" link is also a little larger than the rest of the text in the email.

Overview:

Significant Update: Designated Agent-Licensed Forester signing for landowner

• A Licensed Forester who identifies themselves as Designated Agent can certify a FON without a Landowner’s signature only in certain situations.

Activity Details:

Harvest Activities

Important Harvest Reminder for clearcuts >20 acres

• If the FON indicates they are creating a clearcut >20 acres (question in Activity Details>Harvest Activities section), the following message should display in the Harvest Reminders section on the Summary Page:
  • “You have indicated you will be creating a clearcut >20 acres. In accordance with Chapter 20 Rule, Forest Regeneration and Clearcutting Standards, unless an exemption applies, a site specific harvest plan must be prepared and kept on file by the landowner and be made available to the MFS upon request.”

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Update Harvest Reminder for clearcuts >75 acres

• Harvest Reminder message updated for a FON that indicates they will be creating a clearcuts greater than 75 acres (question in Activity Details>Harvest Activities section) to:
  • “You have indicated you will be creating a clearcut >75 acres. In accordance with Chapter 26 Rule, Forest Operations Notification Standards and Chapter 20 Rule, Forest Regeneration and Clearcutting Standards, unless an exemption applies, the FON for a Category 3 clearcut (greater than 75 acres) must be submitted to Maine Forest Service along with a harvest plan, 60 days prior to the harvest. FONs for all Category 3 clearcuts require prior MFS approval.”

Road Construction Activities

Display Road Construction Questions for activities only within LUPC towns

• The Road Construction Activity questions are only required for activities that fall within a LUPC town.

General Updates:

• Create Account and Summary pages are mobile friendly
• Increased the font size of the asterisk (*) next to required information

Security:

• Reduced password reset for a newly created account from 7 days to one day

Dashboard:

• Ability to delete a draft FON
• Users can remove draft notifications from their Pending FONS on their Dashboard.

Overview:

• Additional message about creating accounts
• A message displays that says:
  

  "All parties on this notification need to have FOResT User accounts before you can finish this notification.

  You will need their FOResT User ID number and the last name or company name they entered for their account so you can add them to this notification.

  Only the landowner or their designated agent can create a notification."

Activity Details:

• Update harvesting near water question
• The "new" question reads:
  "Will any harvesting be within a 250-foot wide regulated area adjacent to a great pond, river or regulated wetland, and/or within a 75-foot wide regulated area adjacent to a stream (including unmapped streams)"

• Changes to Altered area question in Road Construction Activity section
• Question now reads:
  "If the proposed land management road passes through a P-WL1 or P-WL2 wetland subdistrict, how much of these subdistricts will be altered (in sq. ft.)? (43,560 sq. ft. = 1 acre)"

Contacts:

• Changed text on buttons to Find the...Landowner, Designated Agent, Harvester/Operator, or Forester on Contacts page
• The buttons now say:
• Confirm Landowner
• Confirm Designated Agent
• Confirm Harvester/Operator
• Confirm Licensed Forester

Summary:

• Update wording of wetland road construction statement.
• The statement now reads:
  "Harvesting WILL/WILL NOT be within a 250-foot wide regulated area adjacent to a great pond, river or regulated wetland, and/or within a 75-foot wide regulated area adjacent to a stream (including unmapped streams)"

• Reworded text associated with check box for Maine Forest Service Contacts
• The check box reads:
  "I acknowledge this information."
• Checked box text changed to:
  'Acknowledged'

Acknowledgement and Certify:

• Add warning before clicking "Acknowledge and Certify" button
• A warning displays above “Cancel” and “Acknowledge and Certify” buttons that now says:
  
  “Warning: once you have selected “Acknowledge and Certify this information” you might not be able to make further changes."