Family Forest Blog
October 30, 2018
Ohio Tree Farmers Named National Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year
Tree Farmers celebrate the impact of quality forest management and share their experiences to educate others in the community. This year’s honorees are Randy and Koral Clum of east central Ohio.
October 9, 2018
American Forest Foundation Receives Dutch Sustainability Recognition for Family Forest Owners
ATFS Certification first forest management standard approved for Dutch biomass sustainability verification.
September 20, 2018
New Landscape Management Plan Increasing Tree Farm Enrollment
The Landscape Management Plan (LMP) is being piloted and tested in two key landscapes – across 22 counties in Northern Alabama and 16 counties of the panhandle of Florida. In each landscape, a LMP was created in partnership with state forestry agencies, and partners like conservation groups and universities. In these small, but distinct landscapes, the LMP has exploded enrollment to ATFS and helped to overcome key challenges for foresters assisting landowners.
August 10, 2018
ATFS By the Numbers - Highlights Volunteer Passion and Commitment
The American Tree Farm System, a 78-year-old program that helps family forest owners to care for their land and keep it productive for clean water, wildlife habitat, sustainable wood supplies, recreation and more - releases its 2018 numbers. This includes number of Tree Farmers in the program and highlights from the ATFS state committee's volunteer work on the ground.
July 24, 2018
Regional Outstanding Tree Farmers Amazing Examples of Long-term Commitment to Stewardship
Recently, we announced this year’s four American Tree Farm System (ATFS) Regional Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year: Jon and Carol Gould of Vernon, Florida; Russell Black of Wilton, Maine; Randy and Koral Clum of Dover, Ohio; and Dan Kingsbury of Olalla, Washington. As you read about their accomplishments, you will notice a common thread throughout each of their stories: a long-term commitment to stewardship of their forests.
July 19, 2018
Notes From the Field: Positive Responses, Early Results Show Promise for Landscape Management Plan
Last year, the American Forest Foundation (AFF) along with Enviva, the Nature Conservancy, the Florida Forest Service, The University of Florida Extension and the Florida Tree Farm Committee, all organizations that have a stake in the forests of the region, launched a partnership to help landowners in the panhandle of Florida improve wildlife habitat and certify their forests are sustainably managed.
July 11, 2018
Forest Owners in FL, ME, OH and WA Awarded Regional Outstanding Tree Farmers
American Tree Farm System provides top honors to exceptional Tree Farmers.
April 16, 2018
Inspector Highlight: The 2018 National Inspector of the Year, Mississippi’s Michael Hughey
The American Tree Farm System’s (ATFS) vast network of volunteers, inspectors, state committee members and Tree Farmers truly are the glue that holds the program together. They are passion, have incredible expertise, and most importantly, voluntarily dedicate their time, to the program, the people, and to forest stewardship. One example of this is Mississippi’s Michael Hughey, a service forester for the Mississippi Forestry Commission, who has been awarded the 2018 Inspector of the Year award from ATFS.
April 16, 2018
Leader Highlight: The 2018 National Leadership Award of the Year Honoree, SC’s George Kessler
The American Tree Farm System’s (ATFS) dedicated community of volunteers is the backbone that has supported Tree Farm for more than 75 years. Dr. George Kessler of South Carolina is one of many exceptional volunteers in the American Tree Farm System. That is why he has been awarded the 2018 National Leader of the Year award.
April 3, 2018
Helping Audubon Vermont Spread Their Wings to Reach More Family Woodland Owners
Vermont’s forests are home to some of the highest diversity of breeding birds in the United States—making this region globally important habitat for migratory birds and many other wildlife species. Jim Shallow knows this all too well. As the managing director of the Audubon Vermont's Forest Bird Initiative, he has been working for two decades to conserve and improve the forests across New England so that they continue to support migratory birds.
March 1, 2018
AFF and Enviva Announce Collaboration to Test Streamlined ATFS Streamlined Certification
Today, the American Forest Foundation (AFF) and Enviva Holdings, LP (Enviva) announced a collaboration to pilot a new approach to certify family and small forest holdings through American Tree Farm System (ATFS) forest certification. This pilot is intended to reduce barriers to landowner participation in forest certification while ensuring rigorous sustainability standards are met, and long-term engagement of family woodland owners that leads to improved forest stewardship.
February 14, 2018
Bringing Our Impact Into Focus: A Recap of the 2018 NLC
Each year, the American Tree Farm System hosts more than 250 individuals from the Tree Farm network including inspectors, Tree Farmers, state committee leaders and policy supporters to its three-day National Leadership Conference. This year, the event’s focus was on strategies and opportunities to grow, strengthen and increase the impact of the program.
January 30, 2018
Growing ATFS Certification: Adding a New Approach; A New $1 Million Commitment for AFF
Our nation’s forests give us an incredible bounty of riches. They filter our drinking water, they clean our air, provide habitat for wildlife, support 1 million good-paying rural jobs and help produce renewable products we rely on. In the U.S., the biggest portion of our forests are owned by families and individuals not by the government. These 21 million Americans are key to the long-term sustainability of our forests.