Family Forest Blog
January 27, 2021
American Forest Foundation Applauds Administration on Prioritizing Forests for Climate
The American Forest Foundation (AFF), a national conservation organization that works to deliver meaningful conservation impact through the empowerment of family forest owners, responds to President Biden’s Executive Order on Climate.
December 16, 2020
AFF's 2020 Policy Accomplishments
Though the COVID-19 pandemic, catastrophic wildfires and damaging hurricanes, have put a strain on family landowners and rural communities, state and federal lawmakers have amplified the importance of our nation’s forests in fighting these natural disasters and recovering from pandemic induced economic damage. This work could not have been done without your outreach and advocacy. Your work has helped ensure our family forests will stay healthy and sustainable.
December 15, 2020
Overcoming the Capacity Challenge in the Western U.S.
To meet the need for more professional foresters to assist landowners in western states, AFF has partnered with the Natural Resources Conservation Service to build forester capacity across priority landscapes, with several successes and lessons in the program’s first year.
December 14, 2020
Planting Seeds for the Future of Family Forestry
Pride of ownership. That’s the driving force for Lois Kaufman and Dave McNamara as they steward their 53-acre property in Oak Run, California, about 30 miles northeast of Redding. They’ve both enjoyed long careers as foresters and mentored countless Tree Farmers.
November 30, 2020
How the 2020 Election will affect Climate Policy and America’s Family-Owned Forests
The 2020 Presidential election was one of the most unique in our history for a number of reasons. Now that the election is over, it is time to start considering the implications of a Biden Presidency on key issues, and for the American Forest Foundation, one of the most important issues to consider is climate change.
October 27, 2020
Mary LaHood and Bob Burns, 2020 National Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year Finalist
Meet Mary LaHood and Bob Burns, finalists for the 2020 National Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year from South Dakota.
October 21, 2020
Climate Change, Wildfires and Sustainable Forest Management
The Western United States is experiencing one of the worst wildfire years on record. In California alone, more than 4 million acres have burned. As global emissions continue to rise and the risks associated with climate change continue to intensify, the answer to reducing forest fires and the other negative environmental impacts from climate change could in fact lie within the forests themselves.
October 7, 2020
Bruce Townsend and Heidi Bundy, 2020 National Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year Finalist
Bruce Townsend and his daughter Heidi Bundy own and operate Tomapo Farm in Lebanon, New Hampshire, on land that has been in their family for 250 years. Each generation has found ways to improve the property and enhance its productivity, while also supporting wildlife and enhancing recreation opportunities for their community.
October 7, 2020
Dwayne Wilson, 2020 National Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year Finalist
Dr. Dwayne Wilson personally manages Slippery Hills Farm, in Wildersville, Tennessee, with the knowledge of a forester and the harvesting skills of a logger. The farm, totaling 405 acres (170 are ATFS certified), has been in his family since 1849, when Uriah Leonard bought the land from the state.
October 7, 2020
Allene and Foots Parnell, 2020 National Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year Finalist
Allene and Leighton “Foots” Parnell are passionate stewards of their 648-acre Foothills Farm, which has been in the Parnell family for more than 175 years. That long history drives home the importance of protecting and improving our natural resources for future generations. Foothills Farm is a perfect example of how to achieve that.
October 7, 2020
Don Newell, 2020 National Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year Finalist
Don and Patricia Newell acquired their 250-acre property in Thorndike, Maine, in 1978, selling the lots with prime soils to farmers and keeping the forestland for their family. As a real estate broker and a descendent of Maine farmers and loggers, Don understands his obligation to leave the land better than he found it for future generations.
October 7, 2020
Clifton Taylor, 2020 National Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year Finalist
Clifton Taylor’s tree farm, Elk Cave Farms, in Gravel Switch, Kentucky, has grown from 287 acres in 1959 to 1,076 acres of certified hardwood forestland. That first tract launched the family’s mission of establishing new forests, tending young timber stands, and harvesting sustainable forest products from mature trees. Today, three generations of Taylors actively manage the land and generously share their knowledge with other landowners.
October 7, 2020
Paul and Joanne Mechling, 2020 National Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year Finalist
Paul and Joanne Mechling moved to Ashtabula County, Ohio, in 1974 to launch a veterinary practice. Although they knew very little about forest management at the time, they knew they wanted to own woodlands. The couple soon purchased their first parcel, 30 acres of reverting agriculture and clear-cut, and enrolled it in the Ohio Tree Farm program in 1978.
October 7, 2020
Gordon and Gail Culbertson, 2020 National Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year Finalist
Gail and Gordon Culbertson formed Whitewater Forests in 2001 with their first 43 acres in Douglas County, Oregon, eventually adding two more parcels for a total of 151 acres, 111 of which are ATFS certified. They sustainably produce premium sawmill and veneer logs from Douglas fir, Western red cedar, and white fir, while promoting healthy habitats and recreational opportunities.
August 27, 2020
American Forest Foundation Pledges 84 Million Trees to 1T.org
Today, the American Forest Foundation (AFF), a national conservation organization that focuses on empowering family and private forest owners to protect and improve their forests, joined 26 other conservation leaders in committing to the 1t.org U.S. chapter as part of the global trillion trees effort.