What is the Tree Farm System? The American Tree Farm System is a national organization run by volunteers at the state level and a small paid national staff based in Washington DC. The national organization is known as The American Tree Farm System (ATFS) and was founded in 1941. Individual states have chapters or state committees run by volunteers. Currently there are 46 State programs in the United States that help sustainably manage nearly 27.5 millions acres owned by nearly 87,000 individual Tree Farmers. Tree Farmer’s share a unique commitment to protect wildlife habitat and watersheds, to conserve soil and to provide recreation for their communities, while producing wood. Financial support for the program is provided through voluntary membership donations, grants from the American Forest Foundation, and donations from supporting natural resource corporations. The heart of the program is driven by the passion of the professional foresters and other volunteers, as well as, Tree Farmers who are all dedicated to sustaining forests, watersheds and healthy habitats. The goal of the Tree Farm program is to promote the sustainable management of forest lands through member education, recognition, and outreach. This goal is achieved in many different ways. The first way we reach out is by getting qualified landowners to join us. Once a qualified landowner expresses interest in joining the Tree Farm system a volunteer forester meets with the landowner to walk over the property, make management recommendations, and to assist the landowner in writing a management plan for their property. After the initial certification, a volunteer forester will meet with the new Tree Farmer every five years to review the past five years and to provide advice for the upcoming five years. Landowners must continue to assert a commitment to sustainable forest management and have a written plan for the property to remain in the program. The Tennessee Tree Farm committee and inspectors over the past few years have sponsored County Forestry Association dinners, newsletters, and numerous work shops/field days across the state to provide the members with the latest information on land management. We have also been active in cooperation with our state sponsoring agency, the Tennessee Forestry Association, to promote grassroots action on critical issues affecting forestry and land management on the local and state level. On the National level, the American Tree Farm System has a national convention every year where educational programs of interest to Tree Farmers are put together, national contests are held for Tree Farmer of the Year, and a venue is provided where ideas can be exchanged. The members of the National office often are called upon to testify before Congress on legislation and new government programs. A quarterly magazine is also published highlighting current events and profiles of Tree Farmers. What the Tree Farm program represents and does on the land is an important message and it is critical that the on the ground efforts of individual Tree Farmers is recognized. In an effort to gain this recognition the American Tree Farm System has been certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI Inc.) as a program that meets its performance measures for sustainable forest management. Currently, the American Tree Farm System is additionally seeking certification from another group, the PEFC Council (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes). PEFC is the world’s largest certification system for sustainable forestry. When ATFS gets the PEFC endorsement Tree Farmers will not only be recognized nationally, but also internationally as sustainable stewards of the land. As a member of the American Tree Farm System program, you will be responsible for managing your Tree Farm in a sustainable fashion. You will receive national and international recognition, as a responsible forest landowner, which you can proudly proclaim with your green and white diamond shaped Tree Farm sign on you property. You will have access to educational opportunities, free professional forestry advice/assistance, and a great magazine. Finally, you will be part of a group that will provide grassroots action and advocacy at both the local and national levels on forestry and sustainable natural resource issues. The four sides of the diamond shaped Tree Farm sign says it all Water, Wildlife, Recreation, and Wood.
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