Frequently Asked Questions

I am a manufacturer and I would like to count wood harvested from American Tree Farm System certified lands as part of my certified wood basket. How can I verify that the wood I am purchasing is coming from certified lands?

- The American Tree Farm System has developed a tool called the Online Verification Database to help manufactures, wood dealers, and other entities verify that the wood they have purchased came from land certified under the American Tree Farm System. Please visit the ATFS Online Verification Database for more information.

Who is eligible to be certified under the American Tree Farm System?

- Private, non-industrial landowners may be elgible to participate in the American Tree Farm System. We certify contiguous properties from 10 – 20,000 acres that meet the American Forest Foundation’s Standards of Sustainability for Forest Management. Please review the American Tree Farm System's Eligibility Requirements for ATFS Certification to see if your property is eligible for certification.

Is there an American Tree Farm System label I can put on my wood?

- The American Tree Farm System does not provide an on-product label for wood or paper products. Our system certifies on-the-ground management of the land only, however as part of our PEFC endorsement, wood harvested from American Tree Farm System certified lands processed into products is eligible to carry the PEFC and/or the SFI product labels. Manufacturing companies and processing entities must obtain a Chain-of-Custody certification from either of those two groups in order to use their labels. Please visit www.sfiprogram.org to view SFI’s Chain-of-Custody requirements, and www.pefc.org to view PEFC’s Chain of Custody requirements.

The American Tree Farm System does provide opportunities for landowners to receive a Certified Family Forest sign to place on their property. Please contact your State Tree Farm Committee for more information.

Does the American Tree Farm System have a chain-of-custody system?

- The American Tree Farm System adopted the PEFC chain of custody system. All wood harvested from lands certified by the American Tree Farm System may be included in the PEFC chain of custody system. As SFI, Inc. is also a PEFC endorsed system, wood harvested from lands certified by the American Tree Farm System may also be counted under the SFI, Inc. chain of custody system.

How can lands certified under the American Tree Farm System become involved in carbon markets and other ecosystem services markets?

- Land certified by the American Tree Farm System has been approved by the Chicago Climate Exchange to participate in tradeable carbon sequestration projects. Not all ATFS certified properties will be a good fit for carbon trading. We advise Tree Farmers to research various options and ensure that they understand the full scope of their commitment before becoming involved with carbon trading. Please visit our resources page for more information on carbon trading.

Who can certify landowners under the American Tree Farm System program?

- Certification bodies accredited by the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB) complete the certification audits of state programs, independently managed group programs, and individual certificate holders and issue certification to those groups. This is the uppermost level of certification, and certification issued at the regional (state program) or group letter will cover each of the landowners enrolled in those programs.

Volunteer inspecting foresters visit landowners interested in being certified through the state programs. Landowners brought into the state programs once the regional certification audits have been issued will be covered by those certificates and will be considered third-party certified.

How do I become a certified Tree Farmer?

- First, check out the American Forest Foundation’s Standards of Sustainability for Forest Certification to see if you are interested in certifying your property to our standards.

If your property is 10 -10,000 acres, please contact your State Tree Farm Committee for more information. Properties of this size are also eligible to join an Independently Managed Group (IMG) program. Please view the list of IMG programs to see if there is one in your area.

If your property is 10,000 – 20,000 acres you can be certified through an Independently Managed Group (IMG) program, or by obtaining an individual third-party issued certificate. Please visit our certification homepage for a better look at these two options.

What is group certification?

- Group certification is the certification of a number of different properties owned by separate individuals or families under one single certificate of conformance to the American Forest Foundation’s Standards of Sustainability.

Independently Managed Group (IMG) programs will obtain one certification issued by an ANAB accredited certification body to cover all land enrolled in their program.

State Tree Farm programs will be group certified by region; Northeast, Northcentral, South, and West. All of the landowners enrolled in the state programs will be third party certified under one of the four regional certificates issued by an ANAB accredited third-party certificate.

I’m a Tree Farmer and I would like to trade carbon credits. How can I start?

- Please visit our Carbon and Other Ecosystem Services page to learn more about the American Tree Farm System and trading carbon.