South Carolina Tree Farmers Walt & Barbara McPhail Named 2003 Southern Regional Outstanding Tree Farmers of the YearWashington, D.C. — The American Tree Farm System® (ATFS), a program of the American Forest Foundation, named Walt and Barbara McPhail, of Mauldin, S.C., as the 2003 Southern Regional Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year. The McPhails 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. Walt, a veterinarian, and Barbara, a speech/language pathologist, were selected from a long list of Tree Farmers throughout the South. Having been actively involved in promoting Tree Farming in their community for years, the McPhail's Tree Farming history is saturated with activities, organizations, and projects dedicated to advancing the good name of Tree Farming. The McPhails own several tracts of land that together, total 776 acres of Tree Farm land. They have been actively managing their land since their first purchase in 1985 and they've been adding to that ever since. 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 Walt and Barbara, 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." The McPhails manage their timber aggressively and have a myriad of other projects going on around the Tree Farm as well. They have a wetlands restoration project which includes three ducks ponds; they lease their land to hunt clubs; and they host tours around their property to show how active forest management can make a difference in the productivity of the forest.
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.
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