Back to Tree Farm Home Page

THE AMERICAN TREE FARM SYSTEM IN VERMONT

FIRST THINGS FIRST

            So you own a piece of Vermont…

            Whether you purchased your forestland, or it passed to you from another member of your family you are now in a select group of individuals in the world who own forest property. But with that ownership comes many new choices and responsibilities. And those choices and responsibilities raise many questions…

            What is the history and health of your forest? How should you manage it? What are your goals? Should trees be cut, thinned or harvested? Are there other products of value in your woods? Can your trees be made more healthy or valuable? Are you looking to go back to a "wilderness"? Should you construct trails for yourself or others to enjoy your woods? How do you do that? How much wildlife do you have? Could that be improved? What about ponds and streams? Where are good sources of information on forestry for the layman? Can your goals and improvements be carried forward through future generations of your family? Who can you talk to, to get educated/started? What is good stewardship? Why is it important? What does ethics have to do with the woods, and why do I have responsibilities?

            The Vermont Tree Farm program can help you with all these aspects of forest ownership. And most importantly, it will help you become a good steward of the forest and understand the environmental consequences of your actions.

The past history of forest use in the United States and Vermont is littered with examples of over-exploitation and poor management. Many in the environmental movement, faced with that history, believe the only alternative today is to lock up the remaining land in federal programs to protect it from fragmentation, over-harvest, and development. The Tree Farm program believes that educated private owners of forestland can be good stewards of the forest, can conduct environmentally acceptable, sustainable harvest operations, and can maintain the concept of the working forest indefinitely. We are here to help you!

[BACK]

WHAT IS IT?

            The American Tree Farm System (ATFS) is the nations oldest certifier of privately owned forestland. Simply put, ATFS is a non-profit organization dedicated to the concept of the working forest and the promotion of excellent forest stewardship on parcels of private land.

            Founded in 1941 the ATFS original purpose was the result of pressure placed on the forest products industry by the Chief of the US Forest Service. These companies had a poor record of sustainably managing their forests, and the hope was for industry to help non-industrial private forestland owners (commonly referred to as NIPF’s), through education and assistance, grow the forests industry would need in the future.

            Today the Tree Farm (TF) Program has changed and matured dramatically to reflect the lessons learned in forestry in the US and to showcase the high standards expected by the public in forest management.

            The new TF program is sponsored by the American Forest Foundation (AFF- the forest products industry trade organization), advised by leading foresters and other environmental specialists, funded through corporate, grass roots, and private donations, managed by Tree Farmers, provides certified wood products through it’s affiliation with the Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI) program, and is locally sponsored and managed by a state Tree Farm Committee (in Vermont, the Committee [VTFC] is part of the Vermont Woodlands Association [VWA]).

            ATFS MISSION STATEMENT:

            “To promote the growing of renewable forest resources on private lands while protecting environmental benefits and increasing public understanding of all benefits of productive forestry”

            The national Tree Farm program is also recognized by the Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) as providing certified wood products. PEFC is the premier international standard for forest certification programs.

            If, after reading this far, you are interested in becoming a Tree Farmer please contact us at one of the following addresses:

Vermont Woodlands Association
19 Spellman Terrace
PO Box 6004
Rutland, VT 05702-6004
Phone: 802-747-7900
Fax: 802-747-7989
Email us

Alan M. Robertson
PO Box 31
1619 Berry Hill Road
Sheffield, VT 05866-0031
(802) 626-3590
e-mail: pfalz@kingcon.com

If you have questions or need more information please contact:

Vermont County Foresters (28.5 KB Word doc.)

Alan M. Robertson

[BACK]

PROGRAM ESSENTIALS

            Before contacting us please insure you have the minimum forest area necessary to be in the program. You must have a minimum of 10 acres (11-12 if your house is on the property) and it must be privately owned.

            Once you have contacted us to be come a Tree Farmer, this is what happens:

            VTFC and VWA believe that the relationship between a forest landowner and the forester is the most important factor of becoming, and remaining a successful Tree Farmer. That individual is your key to education, advice, and assistance in recognizing, developing, and reaching your goals for your forest. VWA undertakes the responsibility to recommend competent foresters (hopefully at least two individuals) to you to begin the process. You must make the effort to contact one of the recommended individuals and arrange first contact.

WHOA! What’s this going to cost? See “A Note on Costs”

            Once you and your forester have agreed on the direction your TF should take, he or she will develop a Forest Management Plan (FMP) for your forest outlining the forest’s present condition, your goals, and how the goals are to be achieved. [Your management plan may also be used to qualify for the Vermont Use Value (Current Use) program if your forest is over 25 contiguous acres (27 if your home is on the same parcel). If you elect to enter this program, and are successful, your property taxes on the forested portion in the program will be significantly reduced, and penalties may be incurred if you attempt to develop that area. See Use Value Program.]

            A Tree Farm is, again, privately owned forest that is managed for wood, water, wildlife, and recreation. The owner determines which aspects are to be emphasized. Additional benefits include improved habitat, watershed protection, outdoor recreation, and aesthetic values. To become a Certified Tree Farm (our “gold standard”) a forest must:

• Contain a minimum of 10 acres and a maximum of 20,000 contiguous acres. In Vermont if your home is on your forest parcel the minimum is generally 11-12 acres.
• Be privately owned.
• Meet AFF Standards (See AFF STANDARDS in Definitions), which includes having an acceptable Forest Management Plan.
• Successfully pass an inspection of forest activity progress, based on the activities outlined in your FMP, every 5 years, or less.

Those beginning the process of becoming a Certified Tree Farm may first be designated a Pioneer Tree Farm, but must graduate to “Certified” status within 5 years (see Pioneer).

Those not graduating or those Certified TF’s that do not successfully complete required inspections in a timely manner fall to a “Member” status until the deficiencies are rectified.

Properties sold, divided, developed, or violating objectives in the FMP are immediately removed from the program.

Once accepted into the program your progress is largely your, and your foresters responsibility, depending on many factors including costs, resources available, weather, timing, market and forest health conditions, your willingness to get involved in the actual work, and the size of the forest. Your forester is required to evaluate your progress every five (5) years. On or about that anniversary your forester will complete an AFF “004” Form with his evaluation. A successful evaluation means continued designation as a Certified TF for the next 5 years.

NOTE: these evaluations, or “inspections”, may occur at intervals less than 5 years; 5 years is the maximum period between inspections.

NOTE: A change in ownership within a family does not necessarily mean a loss of TF status. Many families structure their TF’s to bridge the generations. Please contact your forester or VWA for more information.

Sometimes a little self-help goes a long way in answering questions. And most successful Tree Farmers do not rely on VWA or their forester to answer all their questions or provide all their education. The VTFC and VWA recommend several publications to assist you in your long-term educational needs and help you decide what your forest goals might be. See Resources.

[BACK]

A WORD ON COSTS, DUTIES, MEMBERSHIPS

As in all relationships with professionals, such as doctors, architects, surveyors, and accountants (CPA’s) time is the valuable commodity, so the cost of services is based on time spent with a client. Most private foresters incomes are derived from payments from clients- forestland owners- for time devoted to their forest; typically discussing developing management plans, activities to be accomplished, assessing forest conditions, and managing harvests. Most professional foresters do not provide logging services, and most loggers are not professional foresters, and should not be used to develop management plans.

While the initial contact between a forester and a Tree Farmer is often free, or of nominal cost, time spent advising, educating, developing the management plan, or evaluating plan progress (commonly referred to as “inspecting”) will obviously result in billable services. Some foresters charge by the hour, and some have established fees based on specific services or acreages involved, since a fundamental step in a foresters assessment of your forest involves a “cruise” or a walk through representative areas of your woods to determine tree species, tree conditions and wood volumes. It is best to discuss costs with your forester early in the process to insure both parties understand what is going to happen, what it will cost, and what the limits are. Small parcels, fewer than 25 acres, are easier to evaluate and write management plans for, and are, therefore, less expensive throughout the process.

Finally, the overall cost of participation in the TF program is generally the cost of dealing with your forester plus a $10/year administrative fee, payable to VWA, for:

• Maintaining the state TF database
• Maintaining the state forester database
• Liaison with the national organization
• Providing forester training
• Performing administrative duties

For an optional $15/year we recommend a subscription to Tree Farmer magazine, the ATFS (national organization) quarterly publication. The magazine has good articles about other Tree Farmers, tax issues, regulations, forestry, and equipment. Vermont Woodlands Association, the Vermont sponsoring organization, is your local source of such information, advocacy in state government, and education. The VTFC strongly recommends joining VWA. Costs are dependent on your acreage (see VWA link) and membership includes a quarterly newsletter, plus invitations to various interesting and educational activities, such as workshops, outings, field days, Project Learning Tree, Walk in the Woods, and others. VWA is a member of the Northern Forest Alliance, and supports it’s goals.

[BACK]

IS IT WORTH IT??

            There are benefits to being in the Tree Farm program (See Benefits), but those aside, take a minute to think about the Vermont land you now own. If you have 10 acres or more this may be your biggest family asset. And unlike bank deposits, stocks, and bonds, it’s relatively inflation- proof, has an amazing capacity to grow valuable products forever, provide lots of recreation, keep you in good health with many strenuous activities, and, if properly managed through good stewardship of the land, makes a great contribution to your community. The potential importance, over the very long term, to you and your children’s children, and beyond, cannot be overemphasized. For most Tree Farms, the costs of belonging average considerably less than $100/year, a truly small price to pay for a great investment and your participation in making your world a better place.

THINK ABOUT IT!

[BACK]

BENEFITS OF BEING A CERTIFIED TREE FARMER

• Knowledge that you are managing your forest sustainably, as a good steward of the land
• Becoming educated about forests, one of the world’s most important ecological resources (soil conservation, improvement of air quality, biodiversity, wildlife protection, etc.), so you can help spread the word about the importance of good forest stewardship.
• Stopping or slowing the fragmentation and development of Vermont’s forests.
• Helping protect and promote good forestry operations, the working forest concept, and the ability of forestland owners in Vermont to conduct business and enjoy their land without stifling rules and nuisance regulations.
• Ability to market products from your woodlands as SFI and PEFC certified.
• Access to information at the federal, state, and local level on markets, trends, legislation, tax issues, forest insects, diseases, wildlife issues, and other forest impacts and opportunities, such as ATV’s, eco-tourism, and trails.
• Access to forest experts in the program to assist in managing your forest.
• Access to the annual National Convention, an incredible source of new ideas, information on the practice of forestry in other regions of the US, and lessons learned on problems facing other forest landowners.
• The right to display the Tree Farm sign, and certificate of membership.
• Participation in the state Tree Farmer of the Year event in Vermont.
  

RESOURCES

            VTFC recommends you obtain and read as many of these references as possible. You will be seriously educated, save a lot of time and money not making mistakes, and be well on your way towards enlightenment…

BOOKS:

Beattie, Thompson, and Levine: Working with your Woodland, latest edition, University Press of New England. A forest landowner’s guide

Dobbs and Ober: The Northern Forest, Chelsea Green Publishing Co. Commentary on our Northern Forest, and understanding the working forest concept.

Foster and Aber: Forests in Time, Yale University Press. Environmental consequences of 1000 years of change in New England.

Heinrich: Trees in My Forest, Harper Collins. The hidden life of a forest.

Johnson: Good Woodcutters Guide, Chelsea Green Publishing Co. Chainsaws, portable mills, and woodlots.

McEvoy: Positive Impact Forestry, Island Press. A sustainable approach to managing woodlands.

McEvoy: Legal Aspects of Owning and Managing Woodlands, Island Press. Basics for the layman.

Schama: Landscape and Memory, Knopf. A historic look at the ways people have found myth and meaning in woods, rivers, mountains.

Thorson: Stone by Stone, Walker and Company. Geologic history of New England, and stonewalls.

PERIODICALS:

Northern Logger and Timber Processor : $12/year, Monthly magazine. (315) 369-3078 or npetrie@northernlogger.com; good advice & information on marketing, trends, logging, equipment, politics, laws, regulations, etc; excellent editorials.

Northern Woodlands: $18/year (included as part of VWA membership!!), Quarterly magazine. (800) 290-5232; perhaps the best woodlands periodical ever to be published. Also good book reviews and recommendations.

VERMONT Forest Exchange & Information BULLETIN: Free bi-monthly publication of the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation. Provided as an aid to the wood using industries, and wood producers of the State of Vermont. To place your name on their mailing list please contact Robert De Geus at (802) 241- 3678, FAX (802) 244-1481, or E-mail robert.degeus@state.vt.us.

[BACK]

DEFINITIONS

AFF Standards

American Forest Foundation

Standards of Sustainability for Forest Certification

Preface

Background

In August 2001, national staff developed a process to begin a regular systematic review of AFF’s Standards of Sustainability.  The self-imposed timeline set a completion date of December 2002, with implementation of any modifications to begin January 2004.  The process would follow internationally accepted criteria for standards development including review from an independent third party and allowing for public comment. Following completion of the panel’s work and report to the Trustees, a new review would be instituted every four years, with implementation of any modifications to follow one year later.

Independent Standards Review Panel

An independent third-party would be seated for the duration of the standards review and adjourned following their final report to the Trustees.  The panel would represent a cross-section of forestry community leaders with a stake in AFF’s Tree Farm Program, or a sincere interest in forest sustainability on small private forest ownerships in the US. These stakeholders and other interested parties were to include academia, environmental non-government organizations (ENGOs), forest industry, forest owners, professional logging community, and public forestry agencies serving family forest owners.  Panel members are as follows:

Robert Bonnie                        Environmental Defense
Shorna Broussard, Ph.D.   Purdue University, Forestry and Natural Resources
Norman Brunswig                 Audubon Society
Paul Frey                                  State Forester, Louisiana
George Freeman                    Tree Farmer
Lars Laestadius, Ph.D.         World Resources Institute
Richard Lewis                          Forest Resources Association
Larry Payne                             USDA Forest Service, State & Private
Clifford Schneider                 MeadWestvaco Corporation
Larry Tombaugh, Ph.D.       North Carolina State University

Working Parameters

The panel was convened in August 2001 and familiarized with AFF and its accredited certifier, American Tree Farm System.  The Panel operated under the following parameters:

1. Panel members were representing their respective organizations.
2. Panelists were to review the current standard and determine if it adequately reflected six of the seven criteria set forth in the Montreal Process. (See Definitions) (Criteria Five, regarding carbon sequestration standards and indicators, was deemed inappropriate at this time.)
3. Panelists were encouraged to share the document with their colleagues, but not to allow it outside their organization.
4. Any modifications to the standard must be reached by panel consensus.
5.  Panelists were to keep in mind at all times that any proposed modifications to the standard were both adequate and appropriate for small private forest owners in the US.  (Small ownerships were defined as not exceeding 10,000 contiguous acres with the panel working under the premise that the large majority of forest properties certified by ATFS were under 1000 contiguous acres.)

Review Process
Following consensus of modification to the standard, the document was made available for a sixty-day public comment period.  This was accomplished by mailing over 650 “Invitations to Comment” to a large and diverse array of members of the forestry community.  Individuals invited to comment included, forest industry, ENGOs, ATFS state committee leadership, public forestry agencies (with significant landowner representation), ATFS co-sponsoring organizations, and forest products buyers and distributors and forestry organizations.  Invitees were directed to AFF’s website where they would find the document and all pertinent information for making comments.

Following the public comment period, staff assembled all comments and presented them to the ISRP.  The panel reviewed the comments, adopting many in-part or in-whole.  The document was reviewed and final modifications made on November 14, 2002. The ISRP reached consensus on the new document and approved it for presentation to AFF’s Board of Trustees for ratification and adoption, in-whole or in-part.

Implementation
In December 2002, AFF’s Board of Trustees approved The Standard as presented.  The modified standard will be implemented beginning 2004.  During 2003, certifiers will be familiarized with the Standard and informed on how to administer it in the field.  In addition, ATFS will use this time to introduce the modernizations to current Tree Farmers and the international forestry community.

American Forest Foundation

Standards of Sustainability for Forest Certification
On Private Lands

Standard 1: Ensuring Sustainable Forests
The American Forest Foundation’s (AFF) Standards of Sustainability promote the growing of renewable forest resources on private lands while protecting environmental benefits and increasing public understanding of all benefits of productive forestry.

Performance Measure 1.1
Qualified forest owners must comply with AFF’s Standards of Sustainability.  American Tree Farm System (ATFS)’s volunteer network of accredited, qualified natural resource managers will conduct field verification of landowner conformance.

Indicator 1.1.1
An accredited Tree Farm Inspector must inspect qualified properties to assure conformance with AFF’s standards of sustainability. 

Indicator 1.1.2
Tree Farm inspectors will audit certified properties every five years.  Properties that fail to meet AFF’s standards and guidelines will be decertified.  [Landowners may seek review of decertification decisions through ATFS’s formal dispute resolution process.]

Standard 2: Compliance With Laws
Forest management complies with all relevant federal, state and local regulations and ordinances.

Performance Measure 2.1
Forest owners must comply with all relevant federal, state, county, and municipal laws and regulations.

Indicator 2.1.1
Landowner affirms that he/she complies with all relevant laws and regulations, and that he/she will correct conditions that led to adverse regulatory actions, if any. 

Indicator 2.1.2
Landowner obtains advice from forestry consultants, public agency natural resource managers, or contractors who are trained in, and familiar with, applicable laws, regulations and published Best Management Practices for forestry.

Standard 3:  Commitment to Practicing Sustainable Forestry
Forest owners demonstrate their commitment to sustainability by developing and implementing a long-term forest management plan. 

Performance Measure 3.1
Forest owners must have a written forest management plan consistent with the scale of forestry operations of the property. 

Indicator 3.1.1
Management plans include:  title page; type of ownership (e.g., fee simple, limited partnership, etc.); owners goals appropriate to the management objectives; tract map noting stands and conditions, important features including special sites, and management recommendations that address wood and fiber production, wildlife habitat, owner-designated fish, wildlife and plant species if desired, environmental quality, and, if present and desired by the landowner, recreational opportunities.

Indicator 3.1.2
 Management plan is active, adaptive, and embodies the owners’ current objectives, remains appropriate for the land certified, and reflects the current state of knowledge about forestry and natural resource management.

Performance Measure 3.2
Forest owners assure management activities are conducted in accordance with the management plan.

Indicator 3.2.1
On-site visit, interviews, and records confirm management activities are being conducted in accordance with the plan.

Standard 4: Reforestation
Forest owners provide timely restocking of desirable species of trees, compatible with regional ecosystems on harvested areas and idle areas where tree-growing is the land use objective.

Performance Measure 4.1
Land must be reforested with natural seeding, sprouting, direct seeding, or reforestation with tree seedlings. 

Indicator 4.1.1
Harvested forest land must achieve satisfactory stocking levels reflecting the forest owner’s management objectives, within five years after harvest, or within a time interval as specified by applicable regulation, whichever is shorter.

Standard 5:  Air, Water and Soil Protection
Forestry practices maintain or enhance the environment, including air, water, soil, and site quality.

Performance Measure 5.1
Forest owners must adhere to State Forestry Best Management Practices (BMPs) and comply with all relevant forest practices act(s) and ordinances.

Indicator 5.1.1
Landowner affirms that he/she complies with all relevant laws and regulations, and that he/she will remedy or has remedied any conditions that led to adverse regulatory actions, if any. 

Indicator 5.1.2
Landowner must minimize disturbances within riparian zones.

Indicator 5.1.3
On-site visit confirms that landowner is conducting management activities in accordance with BMPs and all relevant forest practices act[s] and ordinances.

Performance Measure 5.2
Application of forest chemicals must not exceed the levels necessary to achieve specific management objectives.

Indicator 5.2.1
Chemicals are applied only when necessary to meet specific management objectives.

Indicator 5.2.2
Management plans consider integrated pest management as a preferred means of controlling insect pests, pathogens, and vegetative competition.

Indicator 5.2.3
Chemicals are applied in accordance with EPA-approved labels and meet or exceed all human health and environmental safety requirements on the label, and in local, state, and federal law. 

Performance Measure 5.3
Where prescribed fire is used, the forest owner must plan appropriately for its application.  

Indicator 5.3.1
Landowner affirms that if and when prescribed fire is used, it is conducted in accordance with the owner’s management plan and with state and local laws and regulations.

Indicator 5.3.2
On-site visit confirms prescribed fires, if used, were conducted in accordance with the management plan and applicable laws and regulations.

Standard 6: Fish, Wildlife and Biodiversity
Forest management activities contribute to the conservation of biodiversity and maintain or enhance habitat for native fish, wildlife, and plant species, with emphasis on natural plant and animal communities and rare plants and animals.

Performance Measure 6.1
Landowners are encouraged to confer with their local natural resource agencies, state natural resource heritage programs, or other knowledgeable sources about rare species or species of concern that occur on their property.

Indicator 6.1.1
Where practical, management plans consider and address opportunities to protect rare species and special habitat features.

Performance Measure 6.2
Forest management activities must maintain or enhance habitat for owner’s designated fish, wildlife, and plant species as identified in the management plan

Indicator 6.2.1
Forest management activities must maintain or improve habitat for owner’s target game and non-game fish and wildlife species.

Standard 7: Forest Aesthetics
Forest management practices minimize negative visual impacts of forest activities.

Performance Measure 7.1
Landowners must manage their forest with concern for visual impacts, in a manner consistent with size and scale of their forestry operations.

Indicator 7.1.1
On tracts of significant visual exposure, management plans and forest operations may include: roadside buffers, access entry “dog-legs,” limited harvests in certain areas, and adaptation of other visual management techniques.

Standard 8: Protect Special Sites
Special sites are managed in a way that recognizes their unique characteristics.

Performance Measure 8.1
Forest management practices must recognize historical, biological, archaeological, cultural, and geological sites of special interest.

Indicator 8.1.1
Management plan and forest operations identify and manage for special sites in a manner consistent with forest owner’s objectives, the unique features of the site, and the size and scale of the property.

Standard 9: Wood Fiber Harvest and Other Operations
Wood fiber harvests and other forest operations are conducted in accordance with the management plan and with sensitivity to other forest values (e.g., water quality, regeneration, wildlife habitat, biodiversity, special sites, etc.).

Performance Measure 9.1
Landowners must comply with the management plan described in Standard Three (3).

Performance Measure 9.2
Landowners must adhere to all national, state, and local laws and regulations applicable to forest management when conducting forest operations.

Indicator 9.2.1
In selecting contractors, landowners seek loggers, foresters, and other forest management contractors who have completed recommended training and education programs offered in their respective states.

Indicator 9.2.2
Loggers and contractors conducting wood fiber harvests and other forest management operations carry required Workers Compensation and general liability insurance.

American Forest Foundation

Standards of Sustainability for Forest Certification

Glossary of Terms for the AFF Standards:

Accreditation:  A procedure by which an authoritative body gives formal recognition that a body or person is competent to carry out specific tasks (EN45020)

Accreditation body:  A body that conducts and administers an accreditation system and grants accreditation (EN45020)

Accredited natural resource manager: A natural resource professional who has completed ATFS’s required training for certifying forested properties and is eligible to inspect properties on behalf of ATFS.

Adaptive management:   A dynamic approach to forest management in which the effects of treatments and decisions are continually monitored and used to modify management on a continuing basis to ensure that objectives are being met (SAF)

Adverse regulatory actions: Warnings or citations issued by law enforcement or regulatory bodies.

Best management practice(s) (BMP):  A practice or usually a combination of practices that are determined by a state or a designated planning agency to be the most effective and practicable means (including technological, economic, and institutional considerations) of controlling point and nonpoint source pollutants at levels compatible with environmental quality goals (SAF)

Biodiversity:  The variety and abundance of life forms, processes, functions, and structures of plants, animals, and other living organisms, including the relative complexity of species, communities, gene pools, and ecosystems at spatial scales that range from local through regional to global (SAF)

Desirable species: Those species of trees designated in the landowners’ management plan and not known to cause negative impacts on the local environment

Indicator:  A qualitative or quantitative parameter, which can be assessed in relation to a performance measure  

Integrated pest management:  The maintenance of destructive agents, including insects at tolerable levels, by planned use of a variety of preventative, suppressive, or regulatory tactics and strategies that are ecologically and economically efficient and socially acceptable (SAF)

Management plan:  A working instrument that guides actions and that changes in response to feedback and changed conditions, goals, objectives, and policies (SAF)

Performance measure:  Requirement against which conformity assessment is made

Qualified forest owner:  An individual, business, or other legal entity owning ten contiguous acres or more of forestland not associated in any manner with a forest products manufacturing facility

Qualified property:  A forested property of 10 or more contiguous acres and not associated in any manner with a forest products manufacturing facility                                                                                                                

Qualified natural resource manager:  A natural resource professional with at least a Bachelor of Science degree in forestry or a related resource management curriculum from a program accredited by the Society of American Foresters (SAF), or a 2-year forestry technician degree from an SAF-recognized program, or anyone professionally practicing forestry and meeting minimum educational requirements set by ATFS.

Rare species:  A plant or animal or community that is very vulnerable to extinction or elimination

Special sites:  Those areas offering unique archaeological, cultural, ecological, or historical value

Standard:  A document established by consensus and approved by a recognized body, that provides, for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines, or characteristics for activities or their results, aimed at the achievement of the optimum degree of order in a given context (EN45020)

Sustainability:  The capacity of forests, ranging from stands to ecoregions, to maintain their health, productivity, diversity, and overall integrity, in the long run, in the context of human activity (SAF)

Sustainable forest management:  The practice of meeting the forest resource needs and values of the present without compromising the similar capability of future generations (SAF)  note – AFF’s Standards of Sustainability reflect criteria of sustainability based on the Montreal Process, 1993

Target species:  Designated species of plants and animals specially managed for by the landowner

Forest Management Plan:

The forest management plan is integral to the Tree Farm certification process.  Inspecting foresters who conduct initial certifications and five-year reinspections are responsible for making sure an up-to-date plan is in place that adequately describes the land and the recommended management activities that will take place over time.  The quality and completeness of the plan go a long way in providing useful documentation that the landowner indeed meets the requirements necessary for Tree Farm certification.

Toward that end, the American Tree Farm System has developed a template that can be used in the development of new forest management plans.  The template is intended as a helpful guide and is not a requirement in itself.  It contains all of the major sections required in Tree Farm management plans according to the AFF Standards of Sustainability for Forest Certification.  It is available electronically so that it can be tailored to forester preferences and individual Tree Farm differences.

It is important to note that simple completion of this outline may not provide adequate documentation for certification, depending on the individual circumstances of each Tree Farm and whether various portions of the Standard apply.  For example, the template does not specifically contain an integrated pest management (IPM) section, but if chemical use is planned for pest control then the plan should be expanded accordingly; upon reinspection, the Inspecting Forester will review the chemical use and will be checking to see if IPM was addressed in the plan.  Same goes for prescribed burning – the Standard calls for adequate planning which should be documented in the plan.  Again, there is not a specific section for prescribed burning, so the template would need to be expanded accordingly on a case-by-case basis.

Management plans vary considerably from region to region, from state to state, from forester to forester – and they also vary in length and depth with the size and scale of the property.   There are variations in the way forest management plans are written to comply with state guidelines as well as to meet requirements of other programs.  This template may not ideally match state and other program criteria.  It may not fit a particular forester’s style.  It simply provides an outline that fairly well encompasses the elements required in a certified Tree Farmer’s management plan.  Available electronically, the template can be modified accordingly to better-fit geographic and personal preferences.

Forest management plans developed without the use of this template are perfectly acceptable if they contain the required elements listed in the AFF Standard and adequate documentation of management activities encompassed by the AFF Standard.  Foresters are encouraged to thoroughly review the AFF Standard and to keep it in mind when writing or revising their clients’ management plans. 

Foresters who want to use the template can access an electronic version on the ATFS website:  www.treefarmsystem.org.

Download:  American Tree Farm System®Management Plan Template
(169 KB Word doc. )

Land ethic: 

The following is taken from the text of Aldo Leopold’s Sand County Almanac, and is considered by many as the land ethic definition:

            “ Quit thinking about decent land-use as solely an economic problem. Examine each question in terms of what is ethically and esthetically right, as well as what is economically expedient. A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.”

Montreal Process:

The Montreal Process began as an initiative of the Government of Canada, which hosted a meeting in Montreal (under the aegis of the Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe) in September 1993. The goal of the Montreal meeting was to develop a scientifically rigorous set of criteria and indicators (C&I) that could be used to measure forest management. In order to ensure effective follow-up, Canada hosted a small meeting at its embassy in Washington, DC, in December 1993. At the time, both Canada and the US were interested in bringing the European (Helsinki) and the post-Montreal C&I processes together, but were surprised when representatives from the Governments of France, Germany and the UK expressed their preference to remain primarily within the Helsinki Process. From that point forward the Montreal and Helsinki Processes developed in parallel, but with observers invited from governments in each group to attend each other's meetings. After several months of informal meetings (Kuala Lumpur in May 1994, Geneva in June 1994, and New Delhi in July 1994), the process was formalized and renamed the Working Group on Criteria and Indicators for the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Temperate and Boreal Forests. Work to further develop the draft Montreal C&I continued during these meetings, which involved a core group of government representatives from Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, the Russian Federation and the United States.

The first open meeting in the process took place in September 1994, when the US hosted a meeting in Olympia, Washington. The meeting was attended by more than 70 representatives from the core countries and observers from European and tropical countries, intergovernmental organizations, industry and NGOs, who continued work on the C&I. The small core group met once again at a one-day meeting in Ottawa in October 1994, and the larger group reconvened at a meeting in Tokyo on 17-18 November 1994, to develop a nearly final draft of the C&I.

FINAL MEETING OF THE WORKING GROUP ON CRITERIA AND INDICATORS FOR THE CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF TEMPERATE AND BOREAL FORESTS: The final meeting of the Working Group took place in Santiago, Chile, from 2-3 February 1995. Participants produced two documents: the Santiago Declaration (also available in Spanish and French) and the final version of the seven criteria and associated quantitative and qualitative indicators. A set of rationales for five of the indicators are still being developed and will be added to the final set of documents. The Statement, formally titled "Statement on Criteria and Indicators for the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Temperate and Boreal Forests" endorses the Working Group's legally non-binding criteria and indicators, recommends that other countries also adopt the criteria and indicators, notes that changes in scientific understanding will require review and revision of the criteria and indicators, and submits the endorsement to the FAO/COFO and CSD meetings.

Pioneer Tree Farm:

The Pioneer Tree Farm category allows interested landowners, who may not quite meet the AFF Standard, to participate in the American Tree Farm System.  The goal of using Pioneer Tree Farm is to establish communications with non-managing landowners to motivate them to work toward Tree Farm Certification by implementing excellent forestry on their property.  Pioneer status is an introductory level of participation in the program, however, is not a mandatory starting point for Tree Farmers meeting all requirements of ATFS Certification.  Landowners meeting the AFF Standard should be considered for ATFS Certification.

Requirements of Pioneer Tree Farm:

1. Minimum of 10 and Maximum of 20,000 contiguous forested acres.
   
2. Non-Industrial Private forestland.
   
3. Pioneer Tree Farms may have a written forest management plan, but the plan is not required prior to initial inspection and designation as a Pioneer Tree Farm.  In order to achieve ATFS Certification, a Pioneer Tree Farmer must begin following a written plan that meets the AFF Standard before graduation to Certified status can occur.
   
4. Pioneer Tree Farms must meet the AFF Standard within five years or be removed from the program.  Graduation to Certified status may take place sooner than five years, but Pioneer status cannot be retained longer than five years.
   
5. There is no official recognition of Pioneer Tree Farms.  Pioneer Tree Farms do not receive the Tree Farm Sign or Certificate.  If Certified at a later date, Tree Farm Sign and Certificate are provided.

Steward of the Land: (as in Good Steward, Stewardship)

            A steward is commonly defined as a person entrusted with the management of an estate or household. An old Scottish definition, closer to our meaning, is an officer appointed by the king over special lands belonging to the crown. In medieval times in England only the king could own land; today, in New England, the laws governing land ownership still contain vestiges of those old English laws. Our common law allows the purchase of land and enjoyment of certain rights, but there are “catches”…Ownership is not an absolute; just try not paying your property taxes for a while…

Your ownership only lasts as long as you meet certain responsibilities, and only lasts your lifetime. But the forest lives on…

Your forest ownership might better be defined as a stewardship. And as a good steward you have a responsibility to maintain and protect the forest, always to leave it in better condition than you found it.

Sustainable Forest Management:
Management in which the volume of wood removed is equal to or less than growth within the total forest, where the long-term health of forest ecosystems is maintained over time.

Use Value Program:
Chapter 124 of Title 32, VSA, provides for a program which taxes farm and forest property according to its use value. The purpose of the chapter is to keep agricultural and forestland in production, and to slow development of these lands. (See the Vermont State web site http://Vermont.gov and go to Dept of Taxes, Property Valuation and Review, Current Use Program, or “Use Value Appraisal of Agricultural, Forest Conservation, and farm Buildings Property”, or call (802) 828-5861) Basic Rules:

• Applications available at your Town Clerks Office.
• Completed applications are due by 1 September for enrollment the following tax year.
• At least 25 contiguous acres of forest land managed according to state standards and an approved forest management plan.
• 25 acres cannot include your house site
• Once land is enrolled it is subject to a lien. If this land is ever developed (includes not following the forest management plan) the owner at the time of development must pay the land use change tax. That tax is usually 10-20% of the fair market value of the developed portion prorated on the basis of acreage divided by the common level of appraisal (CLA).
• Very poor quality land for growing trees (bodies of water, marsh, etc) cannot exceed 20% of the total eligible land appraised at use value.
• Transfer of ownership within current use allowed. See web site.
• Detailed map required, along with specific forest stand details, acreages, map drafter, etc. See website.
• Talk to your county forester, or your private forester about the management plan, and recent changes.

Working Forest:
First a definition of forest use: A wooded area, whether managed or unmanaged, that may include conservation of wildlife habitat, provision of outdoor recreation, production of timber and forest crops, protection of water quality, regulation of water flows, conservation of soil, carbon sequestration and/or protection of aesthetic qualities.

A working forest is a forest that welcomes all the above uses and the people that are involvedin performing activities associated with those uses.

“Wilderness” is not a working forest. National and state parks are not working forests.

[BACK]

A WORD ON FOREST CERTIFICATION SYSTEMS

             You may have heard of forest or wood certification systems with such abbreviations as SFI and FSC being used. What’s it all about?

            First a definition of forest certification:

“Forest certification means that forests are managed in a sustainable manner and that trees are harvested with environmentally sound practices. These management practices are certified by objective (disinterested) third parties. Landowner participation is voluntary”.

            As an example, if you and a friend are in a bar arguing over who drinks a certain amount of beer the quickest, you might ask someone neither of you know to observe (judge) the contest and select the winner. That someone is a “third party”, and the credibility of the contest rests on the rules, and the fairness of the third party. In forestry the “rules”, or “standards” are defined in the “Montreal Process” (see Montreal Process in the definitions above). The judge, or third party, is a certification party recognized by an international protocol as unbiased and trained to weigh compliance with the standard.

Why did certification happen? In a nutshell, in the past the forestry industry lost much of its public credibility through exposure of their questionable methods by environmental organizations. To clean up their act, and demonstrate their commitment to changing their ways, they had to go to a third party system because that was the only system the public would believe.

            In the United States today there are four organizations or “certification systems” that offer verification that forests are being managed sustainably: the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), the American Tree Farm System (ATFS), the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and Green Tag. SFI and FSC are recognized as “third party certified” and through their organizations, or affiliations, are international standards (SFI through the international organization, Program for the Endorsement of Forestry Certification- PEFC). At this time ATFS is recognized as “certified” by the SFI, although not truly third party certified. This is in the process of changing as ATFS is instituting a statistical, third party inspection system to comply with their recent acceptance into the PEFC family. Green Tag certification is available through the National Woodland Owners Association.

            In Vermont FSC is sponsored by Vermont Family Forests and Smartwood. Vermont Woodlands Association sponsors the ATFS, supported by SFI. Green Tag Forestry may be also be adopted by VWA members subscribing to the NWOA organization.

            Which is the better system? All the systems are good systems, and the practical answer may be that the important point is to be in one of the four systems. Not being in any system is to signal to the public the possibility that you may not care about the health and sustainability of your forest, even if you do. It should be noted the systems are competitive, and each has claimed certain advantages over the others. VWA believes the ATFS system is as good as or better than the others, is more practical, and, through their affiliation with SFI and PEFC, guarantees the forestland owner access to any market throughout the world requiring third party certified forest products.

             How important is certification in Vermont? At this time, few markets for forestry products in Vermont are demanding certified wood. Further, it is unlikely that forestland owners will ever receive a premium (increase in price) for providing certified wood. But it is likely that, as time progresses, most markets in the United States, and the world, will demand forest certification if they are to buy forest products from that source. This has happened in selected paper markets today in the United States, notably Maine and Wisconsin. VWA believes the ATFS has made the right decision, and, besides being the “right thing to do” at this time, will ultimately be a requirement for all wishing to sell their forest products in any market here or abroad.

[BACK]

2006 CHANGES TO THE VERMONT TREE FARM PROGRAM:

There have been dramatic changes to both the national and local Tree Farm programs in 2006. These changes have been driven by similar problems at both levels:

1. The forest products industry is in the midst of a long period of hard times and downsizing. Their response, besides selling off a lot of their land and selling or closing facilities, has been to curtail support to the AFF, their trade organization (and sponsor of the Tree Farm Program), and to eliminate a lot of company foresters. That loss of financing has affected the Tree Farm Program’s ability to operate and grow the program. Similarly, the loss of industrial foresters, especially in New England, meant fewer foresters able to donate time to Tree Farmers. 
2. The Tree Farm Program has tightened up its standards, along with the industry, in response to the publics demand for responsible forest management. This has added a significant amount of time consuming “administration” (read paperwork, training, and education) to the program, thereby alienating much of the voluntary assistance we had been receiving from members and foresters.
3. Because most of the foresters in Vermont are now private or consulting foresters who have incomes that are directly supported by private landowner clients, asking those foresters to take on Tree Farmer clients for free has been poorly received.

To counter these trends and rebuild the program the national and local organizations have initiated new fund raising schemes, and re-examined their forester-landowner relationships, to cover lost revenues streams, grow the program, hire administration and restore forester interest in the program. 

New National (ATFS) Initiatives:
The ATFS sent letters out this fall to all active Tree Farmers assessing voluntary dues, minimum assessment being $50. $10 is automatically to be sent back to the Tree Farmers state committee. The continued voluntary nature of the assessment will depend on the response and the success the national has in maintaining the quality of the program, and growing the numbers of Tree Farmers.

            The ATFS also received a one-time grant of $150 million in October from the settlement of the Canadian Softwood Lumber Tariff dispute. ATFS has already indicated this is to be used as an endowment to support program growth and outreach, and will not cover the identified needs that resulted in the assessment of dues.

New Local Initiatives:
VWA has received permission from the ATFS to make three program changes to the Vermont Tree Farm Program:

1. VWA will be allowed to charge active Tree Farmers $10/ year to administer the Tree Farm Program.
2. VWA will be allowed to strongly encourage all state Tree Farmers to join VWA to improve communication, education, and outreach. Tree Farmers electing not to join will continue to be actively supported by VWA in the administration of their Tree Farm, assuming the $10 administration fee is paid.
3. Most importantly, participating Vermont foresters will now be allowed to charge for all the services they render to Tree Farmers, including charges for “inspections”. Many Vermont Tree Farmers who are in the Vermont Use Value Appraisal (Current Use) program, and have a private forester, may not notice much of a difference because they are probably already paying for the services of their forester. Those Tree Farmers who were below the 25-acre Current Use threshold, or who were last inspected by a county forester doing a Tree Farm inspection are probably affected by this change. County foresters now rarely have the time to perform the new, more comprehensive Tree Farm inspections and are more appropriately dedicated to educating forestland owners to enter the Tree Farm Program.

Those Tree Farmers having less than 25 acres, and those with more that don’t have a “family” forester (like a “family doctor, etc), should contact VWA for assistance in locating a trained Tree Farm forester. A list of qualified foresters may be found below:

VERMONT FORESTERS:
TRAINED AND CERTIFIED AS TREE FARM FORESTERS AND INSPECTORS (PDF)
TRAINED AND CERTIFIED AS TREE FARM FORESTERS AND INSPECTORS (HTML)


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs):          

1. Q: Are Town Forests eligible for the Tree Farm Program?
   A: Yes! Contact VWA for details on registration.
   
2. Q: What if the forester I’m now using is not a trained, certified Tree Farm forester?
   A: Assuming the forester meets the required educational standards VWA will make every effort to train your forester. The required training takes no more that 1 day, and depending on past training, may take as little as 3 hours.

LINKS:

            Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes Website

            Sustainable Forestry Initiative Website

            Vermont Woodlands Association website

            Vermont Dept. of Forests, Parks, & Recreation Website

Vermont County Foresters   (29.0 KB Word doc.)

List of Private Consulting Foresters who are VWA members (33 KB PDF file)

VERMONT TREE FARM EVENT PHOTOS:

Vermont Woodlands Association is the proud sponsor of the Tree Farm Program in Vermont. For more information on how you can become a certified Tree Farmer, contact: Alan M. Robertson, P.O. Box 31, 1619 Berry Hill Road, Sheffield, VT 05866-0031. 802/626-3590. e-mail:pfalz@kingcon.com

BACK TO TREE FARM HOME PAGE

Home | Programs | News | Links
Board | Membership | Media | Contact Us

All content ©2003-2008 Vermont Woodlands Association
Last updated: July 25, 2008