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2026 AFF National Leadership Conference

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2026 AFF National Leadership Conference

REGISTRATION WILL OPEN IN JANUARY!

Registration Link: tbd

The American Forest Foundation's National Leadership Conference is an opportunity for leaders, family forest landowners, and advocates for family forest owners to connect directly in ways that empower them to strengthen and grow conservation impact on family forest lands. We hope participants will walk away from the event with new connections and ideas to implement on their own family forest land or with family forest landowners. Landowners of all levels of forest management experience will find something new to take back to their family while leaders will anew a sense of purpose and empowerment.  
  
New for 2026! We have modified the traditional National Leadership Conference format to better accommodate families that may only be able to join for part of the event. Thursday March 19th in the afternoon will open the conference with framing for the purpose of the event and end the day with a welcome reception to get to know fellow attendees in a warm, casual environment. Friday March 20th will consist of a day of concurrent sessions designed around our intended participants. Family forest landowners will learn about the Family Forest Carbon Program, what carbon markets are and mean to them, and other opportunities that exist in forest management that allows the land to work for them. Leaders will focus on capacity and skill building for individuals and organizations who have or want to have a role in influencing the trajectory of conservation on family forest lands beyond those for which they might have direct management responsibilities. Those involved in or curious about Forest Certification including the American Tree Farm System will cover technical topics related to third-party certification implementation for certificate holders, certification bodies, and certification managers/administrators. Saturday March 21st will find participants walking in the woods with natural resource professionals on family forest landowner tours or learning in a classroom workshop session.  
  

Schedule at a Glance: 

Thursday March 19 

  • Morning: Optional Tours on your own, explore Chattanooga 

  • 2-5 pm: Opening & General Sessions  

  • Evening: Welcome Reception  

  

Friday March 20 

  • Breakfast (included) 

  • Concurrent Sessions with 3 tracks to choose from: Forest Management for Landowners, Leadership, and Certification 

  • Keynote Address and Awards Luncheon (included) 

  • Concurrent Sessions continued  

  • Closing session 

  • Dinner on your own 

  

Saturday March 21 

  • Breakfast (included) 

  • Tours and workshops with box lunch (included) 

  

Lodging Information 

  • Location:   

  • Room rate:   

  • Reservation cut-off date:  

  • Booking information: 

  

Transportation 

  • Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA) is the closest major airport 

  • Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) MAY provide more cost/schedule flexibility - approx 2 hour drive to/from Chattanooga 

  • There is NO shuttle from CHA airport to the hotel. 

  • Taxi or rideshare (Uber, Lyft, etc.) is the most direct option 

  

Scholarship Opportunitites Available 
  
If you or your ATFS state program* seek financial assistance to attend the event, please use this link to complete a short application for funding. Please complete the application no later than January 15. Applications will be reviewed and awarded applicants notified promptly after this date to complete travel plans. Funding will be released after the event has concluded and participation has been confirmed. 
*ATFS State Programs must complete the application form to be considered for financial assistance. This process replaces the former reimbursement program. Please complete one application per program. You may denote multiple attendees on the application.