American Tree Farm System Group Certifies American Forest Management:: 215,000 Acres CertifiedWashington, D.C. — The American Tree Farm System (ATFS), a program of the American Forest Foundation, announced that approximately 215,000 acres of forestlands in three southern states, owned by clients of American Forest Management (AFM), have been group certified as being managed in an environmentally-responsible and sustainable manner. American Forest Management, Inc., with corporate offices in Sumter, S.C., and Charlotte, N.C., is a forest resource consulting firm. The initial certification of the AFM group involves approximately 73 landowners owning approximately 215,000 acres of forestlands in Georgia, South Carolina, and Virginia. Participation involves a joint commitment by AFM and the landowner to manage their forests according to the American Forest Foundation's (AFF) Standards of Sustainability. Under the ATFS group certification process, group organizations and the forestlands they manage, are evaluated by third-party auditors. Auditors determine if the group organization is operating in conformance with ATFS group certification criterion and whether group members are managing their forest lands in conformance with AFF’s Standards of Sustainability. AFF Standards call for participants to have forest management plans, reforest their lands after harvest, comply with state Best Management Practices (BMPs), protect special places, enhance wildlife habitat, use approved forest contractors, and otherwise be good managers of their forests. Upon successful completion of the review, forest owners are grouped under a single certificate which is awarded to the group organization. Groups eligible for ATFS's group certification include a wide variety of forest management organizations such as forestry cooperatives, landowner assistance programs, consulting forester clientele, state Forest Stewardship Programs and other landowner organizations that apply a consistent management program to its members. “AFM foresters have gained valuable knowledge and expertise as they guided and assisted their clients through the ATFS audit and certification process,” Ken Hill, AFM Director of Environmental Management said. “Information gained by participation in this program will facilitate better management on all of our clients' properties.” Group certification allows individual forest landowners to benefit from the "economies of scale" of being certified as part of a larger group. The advantages of group certification include sharing information and the mutual support offered by a group, as well as efficiencies in implementing the standard and achieving certification by an independent third-party auditor. “As the certification movement grows, ATFS is taking steps to develop credible methods for family forest owners to have economic access to certification,” said Bob Simpson, ATFS Director. "With group certification we now have a means to outreach to larger numbers of forest owners, certify their forest management and continue to regularly provide them with timely information regarding the practice of sustainable forestry." For more information please contact Amanda Rudy, Communications Manager, 202.463.2442, Email arudy@forestfoundation.org or visit ATFS at www.treefarmsystem.org.
The American Tree Farm System? (ATFS) is a national program that promotes the sustainable management of forests through education and outreach to private forest landowners. Founded in 1941, ATFS has 33 million acres of privately owned forestland and 51,000 family forest owners who are committed to excellence in forest stewardship. Tree Farmers manage their forestlands for wood, water, wildlife, and recreation with assistance from 4,000 volunteer foresters. ATFS is a program of the American Forest Foundation, a nonprofit organization that works for healthy forests, quality environmental education, and informed decision-making about our communities and our world. # # #
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