Publications

America is blessed with rich and magnificent forests—and the almost incalculable benefits that those forests bring. We build our homes with timber from Southeastern loblolly pines and western Douglas fir trees. We hunt and hike in the forested valleys of the Great Smokies and the north woods of the Midwest. We drink water that has been cleansed by woodland canopies and roots. American forests also provide more than a million jobs, and harbor thousands of varieties of plants and animals—including many imperiled species.

AFF’s 2012 Farm Bill Progress Report highlights that forest owner demand for Farm Bill conservation programs continues to increase, and greater participation in these programs improves forest health and resilience to impending threats.

The Stem the Loss report tells the story of family forests. The value they bring to America’s culture, economy, and quality of life. What losing this legacy would mean for all of us. And, the solutions we need to stem the loss of America’s private forests.

In the three years since the 2008 Farm Bill was signed into law, federal conservation tools and assistance available from Farm Bill programs to forest owners have significantly expanded. The 2008 Farm Bill made important changes to the USDA conservation programs, better enabling family forest owners to participate.

Forest stewardship has increased on America’s family forests since the 2008 Farm Bill — when for the first time programs to improve forest conservation were included in the legislation. The new study, Forest Conservation in 2009: A Farm Bill Progress Report, highlights this progress.