Statement from AFF President and CEO Tom Martin

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 3, 2018) – The American Forest Foundation (AFF), a leading conservation organization that helps America’s family forest owners care for their land, today applauded Senators Shaheen (D-NH) and Collins (R-ME) for introducing legislation designed to spur markets for low value wood, thus helping landowners afford the good stewardship practices needed to care for their forests.

“One of the biggest obstacles preventing family landowners from caring for their land and providing the many benefits all Americans enjoy such as clean air and water and wildlife habitat, is the cost of forest management,” said Tom Martin, President and CEO of AFF.

“This challenge is not unique to any particular region but felt from the western fire prone landscapes, to our eastern hardwoods, to the southern pines. The loss of markets, particularly for low value material, has heavily affected the cost of management, making it difficult to afford to manage these lands and conduct good stewardship. Today, Senators Shaheen and Collins took an important step to rectify this challenge by introducing the Community Wood Energy Innovation Act.”

More than 21 million families and individuals own and care for the largest portion of U.S. forests, a total of 270 million acres.

The Community Wood Energy Innovation Act (S.2790) supports capital investment in energy and other wood using facilities, to help standup new and improved markets for small diameter and low value wood.

About the American Forest Foundation The American Forest Foundation (AFF), a forest conservation organization, works on the ground with families, partners and elected officials to promote stewardship and protect our nation’s forest heritage. A commitment to the next generation unites our nationwide network of forest owners working to keep our forests healthy and producing the clean water, wildlife habitat and sustainable wood supplies that all Americans count on from forests.