6509.17_10
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FOREST SERVICE HANDBOOK
JUNEAU, ALASKA
FSH 6509.17 – AUTOMATED TIMBER SALE ACCOUNTING HANDBOOK
CHAPTER 10 – STANDARDS FOR TIMBER SALE ACCOUNTING
Supplement No.: 6509.17-2007-1
Effective Date: January 26, 2007
Duration: Effective until superseded or removed
Approved: /s/ Paul K. Brewster (for)
Dennis E. Bschor
Regional Forester
Date Approved: 01/10/2007
Posting Instructions: Supplements are numbered consecutively by Handbook number and
calendar year. Post by document name. Remove entire document and replace with this
supplement. Retain this transmittal as the first page of this document. The last supplement to
this Handbook was R-10 Supplement 6509.17-2004-1 to chapter 10.
New Document(s):
6509.17_10
3 Pages
Superseded Document(s) by
Issuance Number and
Effective Date:
6509.17_10 (6509.17-2004-1, 01/16/2004)
3 Pages
Digest:
11.2 – Establishes Regional month-end closure due dates.
R-10 SUPPLEMENT 6509.17-2007-1
EFFECTIVE DATE: 01/26/2007
DURATION: Effective until superseded or removed
6509.17_10
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FSH 6509.17- AUTOMATED TIMBER SALE ACCOUNTING HANDBOOK
CHAPTER 10 – STANDARDS FOR TIMBER SALE ACCOUNTING
11.2 - Scheduler Request
Regional policy is to promote timely closure that allows Timber Sale Statement of Account
billings to be due within the month issued, but as soon as possible, after all scale and collection
data is available. The system derives the billing due date by adding 15 days to the date of issue,
which is the date following actual closure. For example, closure is scheduled August 12, issue
date is August 13, and billing due date is August 28.
Scheduled processing of TSA actions begins at 6 p.m., Central Time (3 p.m. Alaska Time). Files
must be posted in the Data Collection File (DCF), at Kansas City, by 5:30 p.m. (CST) in order to
be processed on the date requested.
Timber Information Manager (TIM) generated TSA datafiles are transmitted to the DCF at
Kansas City starting at 4 p.m. (CST). This requires TSA actions, generated within TIM, to be
completed by 1:00 p.m. (Alaska time) if they are to be processed in the same day. If the cutoff
times are missed the files will be retained in the DCF for next day processing within TSA.
Annually, the WO-FMS (Financial Management Systems) staff notifies Regional TSA
coordinators of the latest month end closure date they will accept for the upcoming calendar
year. To meet the national standard, yet provide for some “cushion” in case of system failure,
the Regional closure dates will be two working days prior to the WO-FMS date.
The Forests should attempt to close as soon as possible. When setting the scheduler, keep in
mind that if a closure is set on Friday, ATSA will process the issue date as Saturday, and in
accordance with section 12.53, statements must be mailed on the day received. If they are not
mailed timely, the billing issue and due dates must be changed accordingly in order to give the
Purchaser the full 15 days from date of issuance.
If a Forest is unable to close by an established date, they must contact the Regional TSA
Coordinator no later than 1:30 p.m. on the closure date, to discuss the reasons why.
The Regional TSA Coordinator will determine if the concerns are adequate to delay closure. (If
the Regional TSA Coordinator is not available, contact the RO Staff Director for Forest
Management.) Closure will not be delayed for immaterial reasons such as incomplete
projections or bond allocations, or any other reason that has no impact on the month-end
cash/credit balance.
R-10 SUPPLEMENT 6509.17-2007-1
EFFECTIVE DATE: 01/26/2007
DURATION: Effective until superseded or removed
6509.17_10
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FSH 6509.17- AUTOMATED TIMBER SALE ACCOUNTING HANDBOOK
CHAPTER 10 – STANDARDS FOR TIMBER SALE ACCOUNTING
12.53 – Mailing Requirement
Bills for Collection generated during the scheduled closure process are also required to be mailed
to the purchaser no later than the end of the workday following receipt.
13.1 – Requesting Changes
The National ATSA coordinator must receive natural language change requests no later than the
fourth working day prior to the end of the calendar month for which the change applies. For
example, if a change is to affect the May statement, the natural language change request must be
received in the month of May, not June, when the actual May ATSA closure is scheduled.
Natural language change requests must be submitted to the National coordinator by the Regional
ATSA coordinator. In order to allow sufficient time for review and approval, Forests must have
natural language change requests to the Regional coordinator no later than 6-working days prior
to the end of the business month.