Background
The American Tree Farm System (ATFS) is the oldest voluntary, third-party forest management certification system in the United States and has been endorsed by PEFC. ATFS takes a three-step approach to promoting sustainable forest management–outreach, education and certification.
ATFS focuses on certifying the forestry practices of non-industrial private landowners in the U.S. Non-industrial private forest landowners are defined as those who own between 10 and 20,000 contiguous acres of forestland not associated with a forest products manufacturing facility.
Governance
The American Forest Foundation (AFF) has oversight for the ATFS. The AFF is a nonprofit education and conservation organization that was established in 1982. The AFF is made up of three centers; the Center for Family Forests, the Center for Conservation Solutions and the Center for Environmental Learning. ATFS is housed within the Center for Family Forests (CFF) and is governed by the CFF Operating Committee. All three centers coordinate to ensure that AFF's mission to ensure the sustainability of America's family forests for present and future generations is being forwarded by all of our programs. AFF staff currently numbers 27, 6 of whom work on ATFS activities.
Standards
The AFF establishes the standards of the ATFS. The ATFS implemented new standards and guidelines in 2004, which consist of nine standards, 15 performance measures, and 21 indicators. The standards address commitments to AFF’s Standards of Sustainability, legal compliance, long- term management planning, environmental, aesthetic, and special sites issues.
Accreditation
ATFS groups and State Tree Farm Committees are audited on a 5 year cycle by ANAB accredited certification bodies as part of the third party auditing requirements under PEFC. The 5 year cycle includes a certification audit, and annual surveillance audits.
Certification
The property is audited for conformance to the ATFS standards and guidelines by a volunteer tree farm inspector. A landowner's property is re-inspected every five years to maintain Tree Farm certification status. There is no charge to the landowner for the inspection.
Product and Tracking Labeling
ATFS is endorsed by PEFC
ATFS on the Ground
American Tree Farm System
1111 19th Street, NW, Suite 780
Washington, DC 20036
USA
Phone: 1-202-463-2462
Fax: 1-202-463-2461
Web site: www.treefarmsystem.org
