Family Forest Blog
April 1, 2019
FourTee Acres: Connecting the Generations
Tyrone Williams squinted into the sun as he looked toward the newly planted tract of loblolly pines on his 62-acre property in Enfield, North Carolina. The air was fragrant with the trees’ scent. He thought about his ancestors and how they surely stood in this very same spot.
March 26, 2019
Managing White Oaks During the Bourbon Boom
Bourbon’s popularity is on the rise around the United States. That means an equal rise in demand for white oak. Coopers use large, knot-free logs of this durable hardwood to make the barrels that give the spirit its rich flavors and amber hue.
March 4, 2019
Giving Landowners the Right Resources and Tools to Manage their Forests
Landowners want to do right by their land, but often run into barriers. In the Southern Wildlife at Risk: Family Forest Owners Offer a Solution report - being unsure of what to do, finding the right professionals and programs to assist them, and cost can often stop family forest owners from taking action to improve their property.
October 30, 2018
National Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year 2018: Koral and Randy Clum
Koral and Randy Clum of Ohio have dedicated their professional and personal lives to managing forests for healthy trees, wildlife, and clean water and air. Over the past 25 years, they’ve shaped Hepatica Falls Tree Farm into a showcase of productive, sustainable forestland, all the while helping others manage their woodlands for generations to come.
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.
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 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 23, 2018
Even Wildland Firefighters Need Help to Handle Wildland Fire Risk
When it was time to retire for Roy and Karen Stock and their friends, all their friends headed south to the warmth, but the Stocks made the decision to move north. After years of vacationing in Montana, they wanted a place with mountain views and big open skies. But rather than purchase a small bungalow like other retirees, they decided to take on a much bigger adventure—75 acres of forestland tucked into the Big Belt Mountain Range in Cascade.
March 28, 2018
The Challenges of Burnt-Out Markets
The Defrees family of eastern Oregon are no strangers to the challenges that come along with forest ownership, having owned a 2,000-acre ranch for more than 100 years. In 1986, the Defrees were hit hard when lightning sparked the Huckleberry Forest Fire — a wildfire that would go on to burn 9,600 acres in their area. The wildfire took with it virtually every ponderosa pine, Western larch, Douglas fir, white fir and black pine tree on the 500 acres of their land it swept through.
January 9, 2018
2017 Successes from AFF’s Placed-based Conservation Work
The Zorenskys in Colorado were able to overcome outrageous costs to restoring fire-resilency to their forests; the Smiths of Connecticut have a management plan in place to create wildlife habitat and climate-resilency in their woods; Dorothy of Alabama, a wildlife lover, now understands the benefits of forest management and just conducted her first prescribed burn. There are hundreds of stories like these thanks to the American Forest Foundation’s (AFF) conservation work with partners and family forest owners across the U.S.