FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 23, 2003	Contact:Amanda Rudy 202.463.2442 arudy@forestfoundation.org

Washington, D.C. — The American Tree Farm System^® (ATFS), a program of the American Forest Foundation, named Clark and Rosemarie Granger, of Woolwich, Maine, as the 2003 Northeast Regional Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year. The Grangers received their award during the National Tree Farmer Convention held in Columbus, Ohio, Hardwood Country, The Heart of it All. This annual ATFS award recognizes outstanding sustainable forest management on privately owned forestland.

Clark, a plant pathologist, and Rosemarie, a school teacher, were selected from a long list of Tree Farmers throughout the Northeast. Having been actively involved in promoting Tree Farming in their community for decades, the Granger's Tree Farming history is saturated with activities, organizations, and projects dedicated to advancing the good name of Tree Farming.

The Grangers own several tracts of land that together, total 737 acres. They've been stewards of their land for 34 years and have been certified by the American Tree Farm System for 33 of those years.

Certified Tree Farmers own at least 10 acres of forestland and actively follow a forest management plan developed in partnership with an ATFS volunteer forester. The plan addresses forest sustainability, wildlife habitat, recreation, and water and soil conservation.

"Active management is essential for sustainability," said Bob Simpson, Director of the American Tree Farm System. "Family forest owners, like Clark and Rosemarie, actively manage their forests because they want to be examples of superior stewardship. By passing on the love of their land to their children they are improving America's forest resources for generations to come."

For the Grangers, having a passion for Tree Farming is about promoting interest in trees and Tree Farming. For many years the Granger Tree Farm served as a focal point for school field trips. Clark also led tours to demonstrate his forest management and Christmas tree production techniques.

While outreach and education has been extremely rewarding, the highest priority of the Granger Tree Farm has always been to concentrate on its core mission: to bring the woodland up to its full productive potential, while expanding the Tree Farm's intrinsic recreational, wildlife, and watershed values.

For more information please contact Amanda Rudy, Communications Coordinator, 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 consists of 26 million acres of privately owned forestland and has 61,000 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 6,000 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.