Saw certifications

Michael Arndt earns B-level chainsaw felling certification; Photo credit: Steve Roholt
Click for details of Forest Service saw certification process.
Click for current list of FOSM members certified for chainsaw and crosscut saw operations.

From Mike Madden:

The FOSM Sawyer Certs Chart has been revised, dated today 9-16-24. See attached.
Are you current? If not? Why not?
Remember the Visine slogan: “Get the red out!”

September completions since the previous 8-23-24 version are the following:
Bob Lowder, Byron Garner, Rav Nicholson, and Sam Beard got their crosscut recert.
Dennis Crowther and Sam Beard got First Aid and CPR/AED.
Sim Cook and Ken Wilson got BBP through the Red Cross online course.

Special Note: Sally Lowder has offered to take over the FOSM Sawyer Certs Program from me, so going forward, she will be your contact, and announcements and updates will come from her. Thanks Sally!

From Mike Madden:

The FOSM Sawyer Certs Chart has been revised, dated 8-23-24. See above. Are you current? If not? Why not? Remember the Visine slogan: “Get the red out!” Please notify me of any changes.

Med Class completions since the previous 7-31-24 version are the following:

  • Rav Nicholson, Scott Dietrich and Michael Arndt took Shannon’s Aug 15 in-person First Aid Class.
  • Eight of us took Shannon’s Aug 22 online BBP Class.

(Shannon, we still have 11 folks in need of BBP. Are you able to offer BBP again before year end?)

Congrats to Tim Kirkpatrick who completed his initial Crosscut Saw Cert on Aug 14 with instructor Tom Triscik.

Tom will be holding a crosscut saw recert outing on Sept 13. Sign up! There are 5 of you that need it!


Congratulations to FOSM members Sim Cook, Jamey Browning, Ken Wilson, and Tim Kirkpatrick for successfully completing the rigourous Forest Service chainsaw certification process. The level of certification for all FOSM sawyers can be found in the table above.


Congratulations to FOSM members Michael Arndt, Byron Gardner, Mike Madden, Steve Roholt, Scott Dietrich, Dave Gabel, Sim Cook, and Eric Russell for successfully completing the rigorous Forest Service saw-certification process.

Ever wonder who gets to be one of the people having fun handling chainsaws or crosscut saws in photos in the weekly project leader reports? You can buy or rent a chainsaw and remove a tree from your backyard without so much as a minute of training. Contrarily, gaining Forest Service authorization to do so is a very rigorous process.

After successfully completing classes in saw basics as well as courses in first aid, CPR, AED usage, and blood-borne pathogens, candidates must demonstrate proficiency in the field. There are three levels of certification: A-level sawyers are authorized to buck and limb trees already on the ground under the watchful eyes of a more experienced sawyer. B-level sawyers first demonstrate proficiency at bucking and limbing trees already on the ground before being tested and certified for felling trees—an especially challenging level of skill. Highly experienced Forest Service sawyers certified at the C level administer the A- and B-level certification tests.

Sawyers must be re-certified by testing in the field every three years to maintain their certification.