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Session A: Feb 4th-6th 2025 | Session B: Feb 7th-9th 2025
Betsy-Jeff Penn 4-H Educational Center

The Chainsaw Safety Certification Program, offered by Piedmont Legacy Trails / Piedmont Land Conservancy provides essential safety training to volunteers and trail workers across the region. As the regional leader in trail advocacy, our mission is to promote safety, reduce risks, and equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed to operate chainsaws effectively for trail maintenance and forest management. This annual program not only supports new participants but also ensures those with expired certifications are recertified, fostering ongoing collaboration, stewardship, and sustainability throughout the Piedmont’s trail systems. 

This 2025 course will serve as a pilot testing for an annual chainsaw safety course. 

If you have questions or need to cancel your registration please let adraut@piedmontland.org know ASAP. It is IMPERATIVE that every spot in the course is filled from our waitlist. 

Martha Becton

Our instructor, Martha Becton, will be offering a 3-day course resulting in a field evaluation and certificate of completion of the US Forest Service (USFS) Thinking Sawyer curriculum. 
Martha is the founder of Becton Trails, dedicated to advancing intentional trail management and stewardship. With extensive experience in trailbuilding, Martha has worked closely with land managers, stewardship organizations, and volunteers to address challenges facing trail systems and implement effective, safe, andsustainable solutions.

Betsy-Jeff Penn 4-H Educational Center: Wagoner Room (near the parking lot)

804 C edar Lane, 4 HRd, Reidsville, NC 27320

NOTE: To evenly disperse tree cuttings, supplemental saw sites will require some travel during the class.

We will be offering TWO identical course sessions to get as many people trained as possible in this first round.  Each person will only need to attend 1 complete session.  
  • Dates:  Weekday Session A: Feb 4-6  OR   Weekend Session B: Feb 7-9 
  • Times: 8 AM – 5 PM each day meeting at the Wagoner Room at the 4-H center.
  • Lunch: Please plan to bring lunch each day. There are few options in town. There is a kitchen in our classroom with a sink, microwave, and coffee pot.
This course will follow the US Forest Service Thinking Sawyer Curriculum with field evaluation and certificate of completion up to B Sawyer – Bucking Only (more on this below).  

The Forest Service National Saw Program provides direction on qualification requirements, as well as training, evaluation, and certification standards for Forest Service employees, as well as volunteersvolunteer partner groups and cooperator organizations using saws under an agreement on USFS lands.  Note that only these individuals are eligible to receive a Sawyer Certification Card issued by the USFS, therefore this upcoming class will not be issuing USFS-issued saw cards, per se, since none of the participants meet this criteria.  However, the certificate of completion and field evaluation can open pathways to obtaining a USFS-issued Sawyer Certification Card for those who later meet the criteria above. 

Many state and local land manager agencies, as well as non-profit organizations who manage and maintain trail systems through paid staff and/or volunteers, model their chainsaw safety programs on the Forest Service National Saw Program.  These agencies and organizations often recognize USFS-issued Sawyer Certification cards, or recognize field evaluations and certificates of completion of courses such as this one, to meet their chainsaw safety training criteria.  
 
Of note: For participants interested in pathways to obtaining a USFS-issued Sawyer Certification Card, they are valid for three years from the date of issue and sawyers must recertify within that time-frame to maintain a valid saw card.  The field evaluation and certification of completion issued as part of this course is only valid for three years.        
The Forest Service Saw Program is structured to provide training, evaluation and certification of sawyers at the A, B or C level for bucking only or felling and bucking.  
 

This 3-day course includes classroom instruction, hands-on field instruction, field evaluation (determining skill and knowledge level of safe chainsaw operations at either the A Sawyer – Bucking Only or B Sawyer – Bucking Only level) and a certificate of course completion.  The Forest Service National Saw Program defines these two sawyer levels as:

  • A Sawyer – Bucking Only:  May buck, limb and brush in the least complex situations under the immediate supervision of a B or C level sawyer bucking only (or felling and bucking).
  • B Sawyer – Bucking Only: May independently buck and limb material in moderately complex situations and supervise A level sawyers (bucking only).
Bring the following gear, tools and personal protective equipment (PPE).  Items available to
borrow for class are noted with an asterisk (footwear is not available to borrow).
 
  • PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE):
    • Hard hat*
      • Hard hat must meet ANSI Z89.1 standards
    • Safety glasses* 
      • Must meet ANSI Z87.1 or higher standards
    • Hearing protection*
      • Can be muffs integrated with hard hat or quiet-band style that are easy on/off.
      • Foam ear plugs offer great protection but must be inserted correctly to work.  If using, bring multiple pairs and be prepared to take them in and out during class.
    • Chainsaw chaps*
      • Chaps must meet the requirements of Forest Service 6170-4 or ASTM F-1897 (current version). Chaps must come down to at least the ankle.
    • Gloves*
      • Gloves with dexterity (such as mechanic style gloves) are preferred over heavy and cumbersome thick leather work gloves.
      • Cut resistant chainsaw mitts are welcome but not required.
    • Lace-up boots that fit well and provide ankle support and appropriate traction on sloped hillsides and muddy conditions.
      • No athletic sneakers, hiking sneakers or low-top (sneaker height) boots.
      • Steel-toe or cut-resistant boots are great as long as they meet the description above.
  • CHAINSAW EQUIPMENT:
    • A working chainsaw in good condition* (if available, see participant info sheet).
    • Any tools you use for chainsaw maintenance* (e.g., files, scrench, spark plug tools).
    • Plastic saw wedges and either 3-lb hammer or 3 – 5 lb axe* (no hatchets).
  • Field Essentials:
    • Notebook and pen for taking notes
    • Water bottle and field lunch each day (at least 2L of water for field) 
    • Weather-appropriate clothing for outdoor activities (layers and rain gear)
    • Medications (epi pen if allergic to bees, insulin, etc.)
    • Tick repellent
    • Hair management (if you have long hair, bring something to contain it or tie it up or back so that it is not a risk for getting caught in the saw chain)
    • Personal day pack to carry your gear into the field
*Asterisks indicate equipment that can be provided for the duration of the class if needed.  Ask questions if you are unsure and please bring as the equipment and PPE you have (or have access to through your organization). 
 
Where to buy online: 
 
 
Under the Forest Service National Saw Program (as well as the National Park Service’s saw program), saw cards aren’t valid unless the sawyer has up-to-date first aid and CPR credentials (from a valid source such as American Red Cross, American Heart Association, or a Wilderness First Aid certification).
  • Becton Trails will be issuing a certificate of completion of the USFS Thinking Sawyer curriculum and a field evaluation (not a USFS-issued Sawyer Certification Card), so it would depend on each sawyer’s relevant volunteer agreement or training requirements from their employer (if sawing as part of their paid duties) as to whether or not first aid is required to operate a chainsaw (the norm is that it is required).
  • Participants are not required to have completed first aid training prior to saw class, however, if their volunteer agreement or employer requires it in order for them to operate a chainsaw as part of their duties, then they will need to complete it before operating a chainsaw as part of their duties following class.
  • Piedmont Legacy Trails, Piedmont Land Conservancy, and Becton Trails do not track participants’ first aid credentials.  This falls under the responsibility of their volunteer organization or employer.
 

IMPLEMENTING POLICY

Take a look at some considerations when creating chainsaw policy for your organization.
**This is not a finite list. Please consult the U.S. Forest Service for the full scope of your training. Please consult OSHA for all other employment and volunteer rights. 
 
Considerations
  • If you are cutting on someones else’s land or a property owned by an entity that you are not employed by- you MUST follow their rules. 
    • Create an MOU
    • Ask if they have any additional PPE standards
    • Do they have rules for who can and cannot use chainsaws? (Volunteers VS employees)
    • What are their certification requirements?
    • Ask if they have a waiver you need to sign.
  • You MUST require that chainsaw operators wear the 5 forms of PPE 
    • Chaps, Helmet, Ear Protection, Eye Protection, Gloves.
  • Ensure that proper sawyer equipment, including first aid kits and PPE, are provided to Sawyers. 
  • Questions for you insurance provider to be certain that you are covered. 
    • They need to know if you will have staff and volunteers operating chainsaws.
    • Industry comparison – landscaping?
      • It is NOT logging
      • It is NOT horticulture/ arborist work 
    • Let them know if you be clearing downed trees or felling.
    • What can you do about those that are not certified? 

 

Sawyer Responsibility

It is the responsibility of the sawyers to:

  • 1. Perform all saw work safely and within the scope of their current certification as documented on their National Sawyer Certification Card (FSM 2358.3, ex. 05).
  • 2. Maintain saws, tools, and accessories in good repair, including first aid kits and PPE before starting any sawing assignment, including protecting saws, tools, and accessories from damage during transport or use.
  • 3. Turn down any sawing assignment that they are not comfortable performing or that is beyond their ability to perform.
  • 4. Keep all sawyer certifications current including First Aid/CPR Training.
  • 5. Report all saw accidents and injuries to their supervisor and the unit or organization. 
Piedmont Legacy Trails is the trails collective in the Piedmont Triad whose primary goal is to highlight our natural places, connect trail efforts, and give voice to regional trail interests for the the benefit of our communities. The Piedmont Land Conservancy (PLC) and the Piedmont Triad Regional Council (PTRC) along with representatives from surrounding counties collaborated to establish Piedmont Legacy Trails to brand the Piedmont Triad as a trails destination.

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CONTACT US

EMAIL
info@piedmontland.org

PHONE
336.691.0088