diff --git a/atst/forms/application.py b/atst/forms/application.py
index ea71d1e3..de6294cd 100644
--- a/atst/forms/application.py
+++ b/atst/forms/application.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-from .forms import BaseForm
+from .forms import BaseForm, remove_empty_string
 from wtforms.fields import StringField, TextAreaField, FieldList
 from wtforms.validators import Required, Optional
 from atst.forms.validators import ListItemRequired, ListItemsUnique
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ class EditEnvironmentForm(BaseForm):
     name = StringField(
         label=translate("forms.environments.name_label"),
         validators=[Required()],
-        filters=[BaseForm.remove_empty_string],
+        filters=[remove_empty_string],
     )
 
 
@@ -17,12 +17,12 @@ class NameAndDescriptionForm(BaseForm):
     name = StringField(
         label=translate("forms.application.name_label"),
         validators=[Required()],
-        filters=[BaseForm.remove_empty_string],
+        filters=[remove_empty_string],
     )
     description = TextAreaField(
         label=translate("forms.application.description_label"),
         validators=[Optional()],
-        filters=[BaseForm.remove_empty_string],
+        filters=[remove_empty_string],
     )
 
 
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class EnvironmentsForm(BaseForm):
     environment_names = FieldList(
         StringField(
             label=translate("forms.application.environment_names_label"),
-            filters=[BaseForm.remove_empty_string],
+            filters=[remove_empty_string],
         ),
         validators=[
             ListItemRequired(
diff --git a/atst/forms/forms.py b/atst/forms/forms.py
index 36bb7994..cd63b278 100644
--- a/atst/forms/forms.py
+++ b/atst/forms/forms.py
@@ -7,6 +7,14 @@ from atst.utils.flash import formatted_flash as flash
 EMPTY_LIST_FIELD = ["", None]
 
 
+def remove_empty_string(value):
+    # only return strings that contain non whitespace characters
+    if value and re.search(r"\S", value):
+        return value.strip()
+    else:
+        return None
+
+
 class BaseForm(FlaskForm):
     def __init__(self, formdata=None, **kwargs):
         # initialize the form with data from the cache
@@ -36,11 +44,3 @@ class BaseForm(FlaskForm):
         if not valid and flash_invalid:
             flash("form_errors")
         return valid
-
-    @classmethod
-    def remove_empty_string(cls, value):
-        # only return strings that contain non whitespace characters
-        if value and re.search(r"\S", value):
-            return value.strip()
-        else:
-            return None
diff --git a/atst/forms/portfolio.py b/atst/forms/portfolio.py
index d9991471..307f463a 100644
--- a/atst/forms/portfolio.py
+++ b/atst/forms/portfolio.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ from wtforms.fields import (
 from wtforms.validators import Length, Optional
 from wtforms.widgets import ListWidget, CheckboxInput
 
-from .forms import BaseForm
+from .forms import BaseForm, remove_empty_string
 from atst.utils.localization import translate
 
 from .data import (
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ class PortfolioCreationForm(BaseForm):
         translate("forms.task_order.defense_component_label"),
         choices=SERVICE_BRANCHES,
         default="",
-        filters=[BaseForm.remove_empty_string],
+        filters=[remove_empty_string],
     )
 
     description = TextAreaField(
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ class PortfolioCreationForm(BaseForm):
     complexity_other = StringField(
         translate("forms.task_order.complexity_other_label"),
         default=None,
-        filters=[BaseForm.remove_empty_string],
+        filters=[remove_empty_string],
     )
 
     dev_team = SelectMultipleField(
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ class PortfolioCreationForm(BaseForm):
     dev_team_other = StringField(
         translate("forms.task_order.dev_team_other_label"),
         default=None,
-        filters=[BaseForm.remove_empty_string],
+        filters=[remove_empty_string],
     )
 
     team_experience = RadioField(
diff --git a/tests/forms/test_base_form.py b/tests/forms/test_base_form.py
index 5587649b..8f0c000e 100644
--- a/tests/forms/test_base_form.py
+++ b/tests/forms/test_base_form.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import pytest
 from wtforms.fields import RadioField, FieldList, StringField
 from werkzeug.datastructures import ImmutableMultiDict
 
-from atst.forms.forms import BaseForm
+from atst.forms.forms import BaseForm, remove_empty_string
 
 
 class FormWithChoices(BaseForm):
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ class FormWithChoices(BaseForm):
 
 
 class FormWithList(BaseForm):
-    list = FieldList(
-        StringField("a very fancy list", filters=[BaseForm.remove_empty_string])
+    fancy_list = FieldList(
+        StringField("a very fancy list", filters=[remove_empty_string])
     )
 
 
@@ -46,11 +46,11 @@ class TestBaseForm:
         [["testing", "", "QA"], ["testing", "    ", "QA"], ["testing", None, "QA"]],
     )
     def test_blank_list_items_removed(self, form_data):
-        form = FormWithList(list=form_data)
+        form = FormWithList(fancy_list=form_data)
         assert form.validate(flash_invalid=False)
         assert not form.data == ["testing", "QA"]
 
     def test_remove_empty_string_clips_whitespace(self):
-        form = FormWithList(list=[" QA", "  testing   "])
+        form = FormWithList(fancy_list=[" QA", "  testing   "])
         assert form.validate(flash_invalid=False)
-        assert form.list.data == ["QA", "testing"]
+        assert form.fancy_list.data == ["QA", "testing"]