Family Forest Blog
October 23, 2025
Forestry Organizations Urge Trump Administration to Support Private Landowners in Trade Practices
The American Forest Foundation (AFF), Forest Landowners Association (FLA), and National Alliance of Forest Owners (NAFO) sent a joint letter today to Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent urging the Trump administration to include private forest landowners, family forestry businesses, and timber product manufacturers in efforts to address unfair trade practices.
October 23, 2025
Meet The 2025 Northeast Regional Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year: George and Brenda Kirik
For more than 30 years, George and Brenda Kirik of Union City, Pennsylvania, have been dedicated caretakers of their 245-acre Tree Farm. The 2025 Northeast Regional Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year, they embody the spirit of stewardship—caring not just for their woods, but also for the people around them.
October 21, 2025
Meet The 2025 North Central Outstanding Tree Farmers: Rob and Pat Davis
For Rob and Pat Davis of Harrison County, Ohio, their stewardship ethics are rooted in love—love of trees, wildlife, people, and the chance to make a difference. What began more than two decades ago as an effort to reforest a worn-out strip mine has grown into Reclaimed Tree Farm—a 640-acre property that demonstrates not only what good forestry can achieve, but also how land can be a ministry to others, and has earned them the recognition of this year’s North Central Outstanding Tree Farmers.
October 21, 2025
Statement: Critical Wildfire Legislation Moves to Senate Floor
“AFF applauds the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry for advancing the Fix our Forests Act.
October 21, 2025
Painting the Picture of a West Virginia Forest
Michelle and Wayne Strader purchased a small piece of land in Eden, West Virginia 20 years ago, and over time have grown it into 300 acres. While Michelle works mainly with clay and paint in her art practice, her words also create a beautiful picture of what forest ownership is like.
October 21, 2025
The Value of Your Fields & Forests Project
Curious what the Fields & Forests program really offers? Beyond the $30 per acre payment, there are added cost savings and income opportunities that make enrollment even more valuable. See how it all adds up!
October 17, 2025
Family Forests: the Missing Link to Solving the Wildfire Crisis
Family forest owners steward the majority of U.S. forests near where people live. They border populated communities like towns and cities, making them the first line of defense for millions of people and critical urban infrastructure. This makes family forest owners invaluable partners in the fight against catastrophic wildfire. Many of these landowners have already stepped up to restore their lands and protect their neighbors, and this population is poised to contribute in even greater ways, if given the right tools and support.
October 17, 2025
Beware the Spotted Lanternfly: A Real-Life Forest Fright
When it comes to spooky forest invaders, few creatures give landowners more chills than the spotted lanternfly. With its striking red wings and swarming behavior, this invasive insect might look like something straight out of a Halloween tale, but the damage it leaves behind is all too real.
October 9, 2025
How FFCP Consulting Forester Katie Wilding is Making a Difference for Kentucky Family Forests
Katie Wilding became the first female consulting forester in the state of Kentucky when she decided to join the Association of Consulting Foresters, and she’s been sharing her knowledge and experience with forest owners across the state since 2019.
October 8, 2025
Statement: AFF Applauds Confirmation of USDA Officials
AFF congratulates Under Secretaries Boren, Fordyce, and Hoskins on their confirmation to leadership roles at USDA. These agencies provide critical support to private landowners through technical assistance, financial assistance, grants, and other programming to keep their working forests healthy and productive.
September 18, 2025
Funding Nature: What Needs to Change, and Now
We all know the climate crisis isn’t going away without intentional, ambitious action by stakeholders across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. The science is clear: we’ve got to use every tool we have at our disposal, right now, if we are to avoid climate catastrophe. That includes rethinking how we fund and scale solutions that maximize the climate-fighting power of nature, including natural climate solutions (NCS).
September 17, 2025
Carbon Market Stakeholders Launch Feasibility Study, Advisory Group on New Permanence Framework
The American Forest Foundation announced today the launch of their partnership with carbon insurance specialist Kita to conduct a design and feasibility study for a new system-wide approach to addressing permanence for carbon markets.
September 16, 2025
Forester Spotlight: Keely Dunham
We’re excited to highlight Keely Dunham, a dedicated forester with the Family Forest Carbon Program who brings scientific expertise, on-the-ground experience, and a passion for helping landowners connect with and care for their forests.
September 11, 2025
This Climate Week, Let’s Tackle Nature’s Biggest Challenges
Permanence and leakage continue to be a thorn in the side of those of us making NCS work for people and the planet. Fortunately for us, leaders in conservation and climate have taken these challenges head-on, ready to debunk the idea that NCS are not worth scaling.
September 5, 2025
What is the Permanence Trust? A Look at a New Solution for Nature
The American Forest Foundation has created an innovative new approach that aims to fill all the core functionalities necessary for permanence: The Permanence Trust. This approach frames non-permanence as a risk to be managed, strengthens market-wide definitions and risk management strategies, and provides a framework that allows NCS credits and other carbon credit types (like geologic storage) to be managed together, increasing overall market confidence and credibility.