2011 Stem the Loss Report

8/6/2019 2011 Stem the Loss Report

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To exist as a Nation,to prosper as a State,

and to live as a people,

President Theodore Roosevelt

we musthave trees.


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The Living Legacy 8

Private Forests,Public Benefits 12

Losing OurForest Heritage 26

Solutions toStem the Loss 38

Contents

Stem the LossWe owe a lot to family forestowners.

Families, not the government, and notbig companies, are the stewards ofmost of Americas forests.

America has a growing reliance on thebenefits family stewardship provides clean air, clean water, recreation,renewable resources that build ourhomes and communities, and good-paying jobs. But as a nation, were toooften making choices that force familyforest owners into an impossibleposition, torn between a desire toembrace their heritage and the need tomake ends meet.

Family forest owners know that thethreats to their land are real and growingevery day. Owning a piece of Americasnatural heritage means they facemassive pressure to sell or parcel outtracts. They struggle to stave off pestsand pathogens, worry about droughtand catastrophic fire. Crunch thenumbers to see if what the market willbear for sustainably harvested wood willmean paying the bill s or not. The treesthey plant today will likely be harvestedby the next generation, or the one afterthat. And, for many forest owners, thenagging question, Will the nextgeneration step up and be here?never goes away.

In the following pages, we tell thestory of family forests. The value theybring to Americas culture, economy,and quality of life. What losing thislegacy would mean for all of us. And,the solutions we need to stem the lossof Americas private forests.

The American Forest Foundationworks on the ground with families,teachers, and elected officials topromote stewardship and protect ournations forest heritage. A commitmentto the next generation is what unitesour nationwide network of forestowners and teachers working to keepour forests healthy and our children well-prepared for the future they will inherit.

We welcome your support in ourefforts to stem the loss of Americasfamily forest legacy.

Tom MartinPresident and CEOAmerican Tree Farm System Certified Tree Farmer


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Johns Tree Farm hasbeen in his family for four generations, but its definitely not a museum piece. A successful working forest,

John grows and sells pine andhardwood trees and productson the proper ty. Its also in a beautiful location, crossed by streams and dotted with hills

where Virginias Piedmont meets the Tidewater region. John grew up on the farm, worked as a corporate lawyer, and then gradually took over managing the TreeFarm after his fathers death in 1990. His father was recognized in1961 as one of the early members of the Virginia Tree Farm System.

John manages the Tree Farm full time now, and its easy tounderstand why.

Its exciting, he said. Im passionate about making sure thisproperty thats been in our family for close to 150 years is managed

well. And I love the hands-on part of it. Its incredibly satisfying to watch a stand of timber as it matures, to walk through it, smell it,touch it.

Experimenting with different kinds of trees and forestry

techniques is also one of Johns keen interests. Experimental forestry is one of six guiding principles John follows and he has more than a dozen experimental projects going throughout Burke Woodlands.

Johns passion for his familys woods makes him even morefocused on the challenges to all family forest owners. The biggest challenge is probably finding the balance between keeping a forest commercially productive, and at the same time being a goodsteward, he said. Mother nature and society throw so many curvesat you.

One of the most pressing issues, he said, is how the current economic conditions have hurt markets for wood and forest products. We need healthy markets to keep our forests healthy.Unengaged landowners who have neglected taking steps to keeptheir forests productive is also a pressing concern.

Weve got to reach out to them to let them know what tools areavailable to keep their forests viable. Doing nothing isnt the right thing to do.

On John Burkes Virginia Tree Farm, Burke Woodlands, you willfind Blenheim House, a historic residence that served as GeneralGrants headquarters after the Union Army occupied the regionduring the Civil War.

General Grant just walked up to the house, knocked on thedoor, and announced that he and the soldiers behind him would betaking over the property, John recalled. Blenheim is right acrossfrom a chapel where General Robert E. Lee and other Confederates

worshipped when they held the same area.

of

our forests.Ame

ricas private landowners are

key stewardsJames Hubbard, Depu ty Chief, State and Private Forestry


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that their investment is more aboutthe next generation than it is aboutthem. As a Senate AgricultureCommittee staffer said at an AmericanForest Foundation briefing in 2010,Family forest owners are the mostconservation-minded people you willmeet. They are selfless. They are inthis for reasons that are bigger thanthemselves.

The families and individuals whoown forests play many roles somesupport their family through tree

farming; others sustainably managetheir woodlands for wildlife andrecreation or watershed protection;others offer their woods as alaboratory for students to learn aboutthe natural world. What manywoodland owners have in common isthe recognition that theirs is not onlya family legacy that needs to beprotected, but a national legacyas well.

Managing a working force for woodproducts, is a business that forcespeople to think in terms ofgenerations, not months or years.If you plant a stand of trees, itsgoing to be anywhere from 15 yearsto 80 years before you can sell the fullgrown trees, said John Burke, anAmerican Tree Farm System (ATFS)certified Tree Farmer in CarolineCounty, Virginia.

Thats one reason nearly one-thirdof family forest acres belong to a

single family for generations. 4 Thelarger the woodland property, themore likely the land has been passeddown. Fifty-four percent of forestowners with 500-999 acres inherited

some of their land, and 62 percent ofthese families owned their land formore than 25 years.

The long life cycle of forestry alsoencourages families who boughtforests more recently to try to keepwoodlands in their family as part oftheir heritage. When we were firstmarried, we bought timberland as aninvestment, said Judy Kerns, whowith her husband Jim owns 240 acres

in Iowa. But as we had children, werealized we wanted it to be a legacyfor our children. Thats why weveinvolved all six of them, ever sincethey were little, in working with thetrees and enjoying the woods.

The specific roles woodlands playhave changed over time, of course.But forests today remain critical to oureconomy, the health of ourecosystems, our quality of life, andour national sense of who we are.

From clean air and water, to wildlifehabitat and wood products, toeducation and recreation, Americasforests give abundantly.

Ninety-five percent of Americanssee trees as an important part ofwhere they live and integral to theirquality of life, according to aNovember 2010 poll conducted by TheNature Conservancy. Of therespondents, 77 percent live near awooded area, and chances are, thatwooded area is privately owned.

And yet, few Americans know aboutthe crucial role family forests play inprotecting and sustaining the treesthey love.

If you ask Americans, Who istaking care of our forests? chancesare most will say, The government.After all, arent Americas forestsowned, protected, and managed aspublic land?

No, in fact, families and individualsare responsible for managing moreforest land than the federalgovernment or industrial owners. Ofthe 751 million acres of forest land in

the United States, 56 percent isprivately owned. 1 Of that, 62 percentis owned by families and individuals.These privately owned lands are thelargest area of forest ownership in theUnited States 251 million acres,the size of the Eastern Seaboard fromGeorgia to Maine. They comprise thenations most biologically productiveforest land and play a key role inprotecting water quality, providingforest goods and services, wildlifehabitat and recreation, and protectingagainst floods. According to the U.S.Department of Agriculture ForestService, private forest lands storemore total carbon than nationalforests because private forest landsmake up a much larger total area. 2

For many who own and managewoodlands, forests have given them asense of self-reliance that onlyworking close to the land can give,and a sense of purpose in knowing

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its

a passionofthe earth.

For myself,being connected to

When we speak of legacy, we speak of

our soul and heart into. something that we have over the last 27 years put

Salem Saloom, 2010 National ATFS Certified Tree Farmer of the Year

Our father went into the woods a phrase that had almost the same

emotional power as went into the service or even went to warBette Lynch Husted in Oregon Humanities

I felt that there was someone behind me and I turned around and there

was my grandson stepping in my steps. And that sent chills all over me. It

showed me my responsibility. If I can lead in a good way, he can follow.Brookie Hayden, ATFSCertified Tree Farmer

The Living Legacy

Area of forest land in the United Statesby ownership, 2006 3

Local 1%State 9%

Federal 33%

Family 35%

Other Private 21%


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private forestsfrom

Private Forests,Public Benefits

Tree Farmers are the incredible

men and women across the nation

who love their land, who care for it

with or without accolades, and

who serve as the foundation for

sustaining and stewarding

Americas woodlands.Jane A. Difley, President,Society for the Protection ofNew Hampshire Forests

Private forests play a vital role inprotecting the water we drink, the airwe breathe, and the wildlife we love.

Where you find forests, youll findrivers, streams, lakes, and ponds.Forests protect soil from erosion.They anchor the ground andintercept water from rainfall andsnow, storing it and releasing itslowly. As a result, they protectfarms and population centers fromavalanches and downstreamflooding. 5

Private forests also help millionsof Americans in an absolutelycrucial, but rarely noticed way. AsSecretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsacknoted, When Americans turn on afaucet, most dont realize the vitalrole that our rural lands andespecially our forests play inensuring that clean and abundantwater flows out of that faucet.

Forest land absorbs rain, refillsunderground aquifers, cools andcleanses water, slows storm runoff,and sustains watershed stability andresilience. 6

of Americas fresh water comes

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Protecting WatershedsThe importance of family forests toprotecting watersheds was a centralfocus of the report Private Forests,Public Benefits: Increased Housing Density and Other Pressures onPrivate Forest Contributions ,published by the U.S. Department ofAgriculture in 2009.

According to the USDA ForestService analysis, 57 million acres ofprivate forest land could experience asubstantial increase in housing

density from 2000 to 2030. As notedin the report, With more than half ofthe nations forests in privateownership, the contribution of privateforests to the supply of high-qualitywater in the conterminous UnitedStates is exceptional. 7 More than25 percent of Americans fresh waterflows out of and is filtered by privateforests. 8

Investing in forests to protectwatersheds also makes goodbusiness sense. Every dollar investedin watershed conservation in theCatskills Mountains includingprotecting private forests avoided$6.00 of water treatmentinfrastructure spending for thewater that flows to faucets inNew York City.

Reducing Carbon EmissionsForests are one of the nations mostimportant assets in the campaign toaddress climate change. Around theworld, forests and the soil beneaththem absorb about a quarter of allcarbon emissions. In the UnitedStates, forests and forest products

capture and store 12 percent ofcarbon emissions.

Again family-owned forests arecrucial. Private forest lands not onlystore more total carbon than nationalforests, they also help to reduceemissions by supplying renewableenergy and wood products.

Family forests have the potential toplay a bigger role. The EnvironmentalProtection Agency predicts that byencouraging woodland owners toadopt even better managementpractices, forests could store up to 20percent of all U.S. carbon emissions.Keeping family forests healthy,therefore, offers one of the mostimmediate solutions to addressingclimate change in a cost-effective way.

Thank you for everything youve done. You give us nice clean oxygen for us

to breathe. You also clean the air pollution. If you didnt do that we would be

trying hard to breathe.Fourth grader, St. Paul Lutheran School, Florida, in a letter thanking theSand Pine tree, as part of a Project Learning Tree Forest Exchange Box

Amelia Wright


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For Amelia Mimi Wright, managing her forest land for wildlife,recreation, timber production, and water quality just makes goodbusiness sense. Mimi, who has been a Tree Farmer in southernDelaware and Maryland since 1972, owns land cer tified by the

American Tree Farm System , and was recognized as Delawares ATFS Certified Tree Farmer of the Year in 2001 for her sustainableforestry practices. For a lot of people, timber land management means a one-time sale. Thats not how I manage, said Mimi.

Wildlife and water quality are high priorities for Mimi, whoseacreage includes sensitive wetlands, streams, and habitat for

abundant wildlife, including the endangered Delmarva fox squirrel. To protect the Chesapeake Bay watershed and the birds, fish, andanimals that call it home, I tr y to use fewer chemicals, and usebackpack sprayers rather than helicopters. Timber harvests areconducted using site-specific best management practices. I tr y not tohave a monoculture forest, which is more susceptible to invasivesand pests like pine bark beetles and phragmites, Mimi said.

These days, though, sustainable forest management isincreasingly challenging for forest owners like Mimi. All but one of the timber companies that in the past provided her with guidance,technical assistance, and timber markets have gone out of business.With them out of business, there are fewer markets for my trees,and thats a problem, she said. If you dont have markets, youre not

going to have sustainable forestry.Policies and private sector standards like the U.S. Green

Building Councils LEED green building rating system that discourages the use of wood products are a source of intensefrustration to Mimi. Heavy bureaucratic requirements and financialcosts to private forest owners, and LEEDs strong emphasis onconcrete and steel use over renewable wood as certified buildingmaterials means Mimi has fewer markets for her wood. She also

worries about the fact that policy makers, who increasingly live inurban areas, simply dont understand forestry. They dont understand the difference between hogs, chickens, and timber as a business investment, she noted. Private landowners need to do a better job of telling the environmental story of our forests.

People werepeople will be here

here before us, andafter us,

Getting the necessary permits to har vest her timber also causesheadaches. Timber harvest is very time sensitive and weather dependent. We cant sit around and wait for a permit, she said. Yet thatsexactly what often happens. One of Mimis recent permit applicationsdisappeared on the wrong desk within the bureaucracy when she hadgood weather and a logger available to do some necessary thinning of her trees. Had I not known the players in the permitting process,I dont know when the permit would have gotten issued, she related.

Yet despite all the challenges and frustrations, Mimi remainscommitted to managing her forest land well. If I have land, I believeit should be managed in the best way possible. When I can no longer do that, I shouldnt own it. I enjoy the fruits of my efforts. If I didnt enjoy it, I wouldnt do it.

and we need to do no harm.

temporary stewards of the land.I was brought up with the concept that were only

Amelia Mimi Wr ight17


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of at-riskdepend on

wildlifeProtecting WildlifeIf you care about wildlife, you needto care about whats happening inAmericas private forests. As aUSDA Forest Service report, Threats to At-Risk Species in Americas Private Forests , points out,Americas private forests harborthousands of species frombutterflies, bears, birds, and bats; tosalmon, snails, and salamanders thatinhabit streams and wetlands; toflowers, trees, and shrubs that feedand protect wildlife and enrichhuman lives. 9

Not only does private forest landprovide core habitat for thousandsof plant and animal species, theselands also provide critical migratorycorridors. Wildlife that need largeareas to roam do not stop at theboundaries of public land andprivate land.

Much like the contribution ofprivate forests to watershed health,private woodlands are central piecesin the habitat puzzle that keepswildlife healthy and it many cases,private forests are critical to keepingwildlife from going extinct.

Overall, 60 percent of all plantsand animals that the EndangeredSpecies Act classifies as at riskof decline or extinction on themainland 48 states need privateforest land thats more than4,600 native animal and plantspecies. 10 The key deer, Louisianablack bear, and red-cockadedwoodpecker are examples ofwildlife that benefit from privateforest land. In some areas, 95percent of forest-associated, at-riskspecies occur only in privateforests. 11

private forests for habitat

19Key deer Red-cockaded

woodpeckerLouisiana black bear


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Like a phoenix rising is how forest owner Nancy Livingstondescribed the 180 acres on her 280-acre Hancock, Wisconsin, TreeFarm bursting with new growth after being completely destroyed by

wildfire in 2005. With incredible support from businesses andindividuals in her community, from local fourth-graders who plantedthe first trees after the fire and from the Plum Creek Timber Company, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Wisconsin

Woodland Owners Association, and even the University of Wisconsin womens basketball team, Nancy and a host of volunteers watched her burned acres slowly being restored. More than 150,000trees have been planted since the fire, and we now have knee- andthigh-high trees growing, she related.

Nancy lives in a farmhouse surrounded by 100-year-old whitepines on land originally purchased by her father as a retirement

property in the 1950s. When I was a teenager, he took me aside to teach me about tree farming. As I understood more andmore about the land, it became more andmore important to me, she said. There ispeace here.

When Nancy told the story of the firethat nearly destroyed her home, she wastedno time on self-pity. My stubbornness kept me from giving up, said the retired disability advocate who was once disabled herself. Her circumstances, and a supportive community not willing to give up on this intrepid single

woman whose love for her land is obvious, are an inspiration. For her,

taking on the challenge meant coming out of retirement to take a jobat a local convenience store so she could pay her property taxes. Shealso refinanced her home to pay for the clearing of the burned acresand for the purchase and planting of new trees after the fire.

Nancys restoration plan includes providing habitat for theendangered Karner Blue butterfly and planting jack pines, red pines,and blueberry to attract federally endangered Kirtlands warblers.Once found only in Michigan, the birds now nest just eight milesfrom Nancys home, and she provides housing for the student

volunteer who monitors warbler nests every summer. After winning the ATFS Regional Tree Farmer of the Year award

in 2007, Nancy traveled to every field day held in Wisconsin to helpeducate others about the importance of forests and the dangers of

wildfire. I felt it was my responsibility, she said. She also workedtirelessly to get the Wisconsin legislature to change the ManagedForest Law so that taxes can be rolled back to a pre-disaster rate if fire or wind destroys a Tree Farmers crop. Right now, I pay taxes asif the fire never happened, she explained. Changing the law is not the 70-year-olds only goal. I need to stick around at least another 20 years to see the first thinning of the new trees, Nancy vowed.

Preserving theland is my goal,

integrity of thenot just for

Children today have very little opportunity to beme, but for the youngsters who will come after me.outdoors. If I can encourage just one child

to embrace the land, Ill feel like Ive been a success.

Nancy Livingston

Nancy Livingston


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My Tree Farm is a business, but its much more thanthat. There are few businesses in this country that

provide wildlifeand scenic views

habitat, clean water,like Tree Farms.

Mark E. Nussbaum, 2009 Missouri ATFS Tree Farmer of the Year

The American Tree Farm System (ATFS) is a network of more than 95,000

woodland owners sustainably managing 26 million acres of forest land.

It is the largest and oldest sustainable woodland system in America,

internationally recognized, meeting third-party certification

standards. For more than 70 years, ATFS has enhanced the

quality of Americas woodlands by giving forest owners the

tools they need to keep their forests healthy and productive.

Providing Jobs and IncomeHealthy forests equal healthycommunities especially in ruralAmerica where family forests havebeen economic engines. They producetimber, pulpwood, chips, and woodfuel. These, in turn, are used to makelumber for homes, paper products,and furniture, and provide fuel to helptransition America to more r enewableenergy. Family forests also produce

jobs and promote economic growththrough recreation, tourism spending,and hunting leases.

Forestry and other related industriesemploy 2.9 million people nationwideand every 1,000 acres of privately-owned forest creates eight jobs.

By maintaining and improvinginvestments in woodland stewardship,we can stimulate economic growthand create thousands of new jobs.

Without healthy forests, the huntingand fishing industries would surely beless of an economic force and way oflife than they are today. Hunters andanglers spend $76 billion a yeartraveling to and enjoying their hobbies.Much of their time is spent in forests.

According to the CongressionalSportsmens Foundation, Theaverage hunter spends 18 blissful daysengaged in his passion each year. With12.5 million individuals, thats 220million days spent in the woods, fields,and wetlands each year. 12


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Connecting Children to NatureFamily forest owners also know thatthey can offer their community theoutdoor classroom that so manychildren today need for their ownhealth and well-being. Many familyforest owners are very involved inenvironmental education; helpingchildren learn about nature throughexperiences in the woods. There is anincreasing awareness of the strong,positive effect that experience innature has on childrens ability to learn

and even on their physical and mentalhealth. As noted by Dr. Courtney Crim,Assistant Professor, School ofEducation, Trinity University, Fresh air,exercise, and creative exploration ofthe forest are just a few of thebenefits children can experience whenthey spend time outdoors.Encouraging children to be activewhile outdoors is important for theirphysical, cognitive, and socialdevelopment. By fostering moreopportunities for outdoor learning, we

will help the next generation ofconservation leaders grow anddevelop as they build an appreciationfor nature at an early age.

Getting kids out in nature is moreessential today given that children arespending half as much time outdoorsas they did 20 years ago. Childrenages 8-18 are spending nearly 8 hoursa day using entertainment media andonly 6 percent of children ages 9-13play outside on their own. We are atrisk of losing an entire generations

appreciation for how nature works andwhat it needs to remain healthy andproductive. By keeping children rootedin Americas natural forest heritage,family woodland owners can help thenext generation feel connected to thatheritage and informed on how toprotect it.

And time in the woods is not justgood for children. According to aseminal study from the University ofMichigan, people can better learn afterwalking in the woods than afterwalking on a busy street. 13

Project Learning Tree (PLT), a program of the American Forest Foundation,

uses forests as a window on the world and trains 30,000 educators a year to

use environmental education curriculum that can be integrated into lesson

plans for all grades and subject areas.

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Will the Next GenerationStep Up?The pressure to develop forest landcomes from many places but nonestronger than the comingunprecedented transfer of privateforest land.

People who are 75 years or olderown about 52 million acres 15percent of private forest land. A totalof 170 million acres of private forest(about 60 percent of privately-ownedforest) are owned by people 55 yearsor older. An aging population of forestowners is forcing many families toliquidate property to pay for medicalcare, to pay estate taxes, or to providethe next generation with immediatecapital for other uses.

Selling family forest land should bea choice, not an economic imperative.But far too often, woodland ownersare forced to give up their land.Eighty-two percent of family forestowners make less than $100,000 ayear. Estate taxes, in particular, pose asignificant threat. For example, if theestate tax level reverts back to 2001levels ($1 million at 55 percent), thenumber of family forest ownerscaught in the estate tax web willincrease by 400 percent.

The pressure to convert woodlandsto other uses is ever-present. Asnoted in the Statewide Forest Resource Assessments and Strategies , the economic incentiveto convert forest lands to non-forestissues must be addressed to have ameaningful effect on the loss of forestlands. 16

Passing their land onto their heirs isthe number one concern of familyforest owners. Today, the successorgeneration is more likely to considerselling the land for development ratherthan managing it to sustain forests.

David A. Watson, a financial advisorand ATFS certified Tree Farmer, seesthis dilemma from both sides. In aletter to Secretary Vilsack, Watsonnoted, The emerging issue of inter-generational transfers is a significantthreat to the well-being of the familiesthemselves, the forest productsindustry, and our nation. The majority

of our timberland is in privateownership. These owners need to beadequately compensated for not onlythe physical fiber and fuel they grow,but also the many societal benefitsthey produce.

Catastrophic FireFire, one of the oldest threats toforests, is still one of the mostdangerous. In fact, in the last halfdecade, family forests have beenunder greater threats from fire thanever before. In 2006, approximately83,000 fires burned nearly 9 millionacres of public and private forest inthe United States the highest totalever recorded. Today, more than 400million acres of private forests are atrisk of wildfires, especially in areaswhere forested boundaries andcommunities meet. 17

The fire threat stems from severalmajor sources. First, changing climatecycles have brought years of droughtand record-setting heat in summer,increasing the chances of fire. Inaddition, lack of proper forestmanagement in many forests hasallowed brush and dead trees to buildup making them full of what fuelswildfires.

And encroaching development

dramatically increases the risks of fire.Carole Walker, the executive directorof Rocky Mountain InsuranceInformation Association, noted thatfire has emerged as more and morea mega-catastrophic risk like we sawwith Katrina. 18

Tara Olver

The Bentz Family


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ferns, barberry, and multiflora rose are hard to control anddetrimental to young trees. Deer dont like to eat those plants, but they really love tree seedlings, Craig noted.

Like so much of what they do, educating others about forests including the need to cut timber for forest health is a family affair for the Olvers. They hold one or two community field days each year,

where invited speakers talk about forest management and the Olversstage demonstrations of sustainable logging methods. Janet cooksdinner for the hundreds of attendees. I like any excuse to cook, shesaid. These events are also a showcase for the Olvers affiliation withthe American Tree Farm System. Were really proud of our twosigns the Tree Farm sign and the 2007 state winner sign, said

Tara. Added Craig, We wear our Tree Farm shir ts. All the equipment has Tree Farm signs on it. We dont take it lightly. It is important to usto grow a healthy productive forest. Its who we are.

To have healthy woods, you harvest trees to give room for other trees to grow and develop.

When you talk to Craig and Janet Olver, or to their 23-year-olddaughter Tara, you quickly learn how managing their Pennsylvania mixed hardwood forest land has sustained and strengthened their family. Trees have been a part of every family milestone, beginningtwo weeks before Craig and Janets wedding, when the coupleplanted 1,700 timber seedlings on the back 22 acres of his parentsproperty.

When they brought newborn Tara home from the hospital in1987, Craig and Janet walked their woods. Before we even went into the house, she was maybe three or four days old, said Craig.

Once I could walk, Dad put me to work, Tara said with a laugh. It was tough at times growing up with so many acres, because there was always stuff to do. I didnt want to wake up at 5:30 in 15-degree weather. But at the end of the day, it was always a good day. We work really well together. We all know our parts, added Tara.

Tara, a full-time nursing student who will graduate in May 2011, worries that not enough young people are getting involved in their

families Tree Farms. If you dont get family involvement, it puts the future in question, shenoted. Tara also worries about how shell be ableto develop the skills she needs to do whats best for the woods. Luckily, Craig is a former county forester and Tara will be able to use what she

learned during her lifetime of working alongsideher father.

Craig and Janet are confident in their daughters abilities and commitment to their land, but concerned that unless legislatorschange the law, inheritance taxes could make theproperty unaffordable for Tara. They also worry about more immediate challenges to their livelihood: insects like the Hemlock wooly adelgid, the Asian longhorned beetle, and theEmerald ash borer have had a devastating impact on Pennsylvania forests. Invasive plants like

We like to think ofconservationists,

ourselves asnot preservationists.

I worry that Tara will face more government regulations that have no relationship with common-sense forestry practices.Craig Olver

The Olvers


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million acres ofU.S. for

ests are at riskfrom insects and disease

Pests, Pathogens, andInvasivesFamily forests are alsothreatened by invasive species nonnative insects and plants, andnatives that migrate to forestsoutside their normal habitat, orhave longer active seasons thanin the past.

Whether it is the Emerald ashborer in the lake states, sudden-oak death in Oregon, Asianlonghorned beetle in thenortheast, the European woodwasp in New York, or cogon grassin the south, every forestedregion is facing more threatsfrom pests that arrive from otherregions or even from overseas.The world has neverbeen smaller andinvasive species nevermore widespread.

Nationwide, at least 58million acres of U.S. forests areat risk of tree mortality frominsects and disease. 19 Of thisamount, more than 27 millionacres of state, county, andprivate forests are at risk. 20

The spread of invasives wasidentified as one of the primarythreats to Americas forests inthe 2010 Statewide Forest Resources Assessments and Strategies , noting that as globaltrade increases and people andgoods travel more widely andmore frequently, invasive speciesare arriving at an increasingrate. 21

Exacerbating the damagingimpacts of pests is a changingclimate. As the National ForestRestoration Collaborativeobserved, Climate change hasalso been predicted to affect thedynamics of forest insects anddiseases, and these effects arebecoming apparent. 22 The reportnoted that all aspects of insectoutbreak behavior will intensifyas the climate warms. 23


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1,500 acres spread across plots of varying size. Many of the parcelshad been neglected by previous owners, so Jim, Scott, and Robbiedevoted significant time, skill, and resources to rehabilitating,restoring, and sustaining their forest land.

In the last two decades, they also worked hard to make FunForest a resource not only for their families, but also for the localcommunity and schools. We have pretty much an open policy whenit comes to our neighbors hunting and fishing on our land, saidScott. Just call us first, is a ll I ask them.

We work with students from pre-school to college, said Jim.

Younger kids come out to the farm to dig fossil c lams and snails.Elementary and high school students do forestry study. In fact, Jim,Scott, and Robbie worked closely with the local high school tosupport the forestry club and to restart a forestry class after it wascanceled.

In addition to making their forest land available to the school,they help with fundraising and donations. And a few years ago, they started a scholarship program. It provides financial aid to kids whoare going to study forestry in college, said Jim.

While Fun Farm is now well established, Jim and Scott are very aware of the challenges to the future of family forests. They areheavily involved in their county and state forest associations, wheremarket challenges are a major concern.

We have a big advantage because of our expertise in harvestingand marketing logs, Scott said. So were constantly monitoringmarkets and adjusting. Other family forests are much more at themarkets mercy.

For Scott and Jim, without a doubt generational transfer is Fun Forestsbiggest challenge. That challenge wasbrought home in an all too tragic way whenRobbie died at an early age in 2010. Scott and I are constantly talking about how wecan keep the Tree Farm whole after weregone, Jim said. We dont want to havebuilt it up, only to see it torn apart.

Scott Melcher

Were constantlymarkets

monitoringand adjusting.

Other family forests are much more at the markets mercy.Scott Melcher

In 1980 a young man named Jim Cota got a job with MelcherLogging, a family-owned forest products company founded in

western Oregon in 1952. Working his way up in the company, Jimformed close friendships with Scott Melcher and Robbie Melcher,grandsons of the firms founder. For 20 years, Jim, Scott, and Robbie

worked together establishing a group of successful forestry contracting companies, serving private and government forestslarge and small.

As they worked together, the three men realized they shared a common goal to have a forest of their own so they could create a legacy that would benefit their children and later generations of their families.

In 1999 they achieved this goal when the three men purchased a 320-acre parcel of timberland and started Fun Forest Tree Farm.Fun Forest has grown steadily during the years, and now consists of


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Bridge the Knowledge GapAmericans are passionate abouttheir love of forests, but the fact isthey only vaguely grasp all thebenefits forests provide. And mosthave no idea that family forestowners are the ones makingdecisions that impact the quality of

life we all enjoy.

In the second decade of the twenty-

first century, family forests are

themselves a kind of endangered

species. They face a range of

serious challenges that, if not

confronted, could threaten their

future, putting at risk the manybenefits woodlands provide to

every American. There is no single

solution to stemming the loss of

Americas private forests. The

myriad of challenges facing family

forest owners must be met with a

variety of actions. Individuals,

county and state leaders, and

industry and federal policy makers

need to acknowledge the value and

necessity of private forests and help:

Bridge the knowledge gap

Strengthen markets Focus on forest health

Provide tax policy solutions

Support forests in the Farm Bill

Support environmentaleducation

Solutions toStem the Loss

ment policiesmake it easier

GovernmustSecretary Tom Vilsack, Americas Great Outdoors Listening Session, Concord, NH, 2010

for landowners to

continue to maintain their forests as forests.


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The forest community must take onthe woodlands knowledge gap thatgreat divide between the recognitionof the many critical benefits familyforests provide to all Americans andthe publics limited awareness of whoowns and manages most of Americasforests.

Another part of the knowledge gapis what is happening on the ground.Far too many woodland ownersbelieve that the right thing to do ontheir land is to do nothing. With the

multitude of threats facing forests,letting nature take its course is nolonger a viable option.

And millions of woodland ownerswho do harvest or remove trees fromtheir land do not seek out professionalguidance to make the best decisions.Only 4 percent of Americas 11 millionfamily forest owners have a forestmanagement plan, despite the factthat 46 percent of these owners(owning 69 percent of the total familyforest land) have harvested orremoved trees. 26 This leaves millionsof acres without strategies to ensurehealthy and productive woodlands.Forest owners need more and betteraccess to information that will set

them on the track toward betterstewardship.

Strengthen Markets for ForestProductsThe demand for green buildings andenergy efficient construction willcontinue to rise.

This green trend should be a boostfor family forest owners looking fornew markets. After all, wood productsare one of the most energy-efficientand environmentally-friendly building

materials available. Unfortunately,family forests have not benefited asmuch as they could from Americagoing green.

Congress, state legislators, andlocal governments should support theuse of wood products in governmentbuildings and government-fundedbuildings, especially buildings certifiedas green. When compared to othermaterials, such as steel and concrete,using wood in construction results insignificantly lower emissions (70

percent to 88 percent lower comparedto steel and concrete), reducedenergy use, and less air and waterpollution.

Trees, brush, and other materialsgrown in well-managed, family-ownedwoodlands are also sources ofrenewable energy that can reduce ournations dependence on foreignsources of oil and reduce our carbonemissions, especially when used inplace of fossil fuels.

Congress must fix existingrenewable energy policies that do littleto encourage the use of materialsfrom well-managed family forests.

In addition to strengthening marketsfor green building and renewable

energy supplies, focus must bedirected toward developing

environmental markets to rewardwoodland owners for the publicbenefits they provide. These includeother ecosystem services such asclean water, wildlife habitat andcarbon storage. Adequatelycompensating forest owners for allthe goods and services generatedfrom sound management will helpgive woodland owners resources theyneed to manage their land sustainably.

As Dave Murphy, 2010 Missouri Outstanding ATFS Certified Tree Farmer said it,

Imagine the huge benefits of bringing best management practices to more

of our forests. Imagine the increased food and cover for wildlife. Imagine the

enhanced protection of watersheds and water supplies. Imagine the benefits

of protection from invasive plants, animals, disease, and insects. These are

just a few of my reasons for bringing our forest under management.


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Provide Tax Policy SolutionsForcing families to sell off their forestland piece by piece is one of thegravest threats to forest land andthe current tax structure actuallyencourages it, because most familyforest owners are land rich and cashpoor. In particular, the nations estatetax laws have forced many forestowners to sell parts of their TreeFarms to get the cash they need topay the taxes they owe.

Congresss 2010 passage of a short-term fix to the estate tax raisingthe exemption level to $5 million andlowering the tax rate to 35 percent will keep most family forest ownersfrom being forced to sell their land topay an estate tax bill. But thesechanges are temporary and could beundone in 2012.

To ensure woodlands continue tobe a resource for all Americans,Congress should find a permanentsolution to the estate tax burden onAmericas family forests. For example,legislation that exempts family forestowners from estate taxes if they keeplands forested and in the family is apromising solution. In addition to theestate tax, Congress needs toaddress issues such as income taxrates on timber investments, tax rateson forests that have been hit bydisasters, tax incentives for goodforest management, and continueincentives for conservationeasements.

Overall, tax policy can either serveas a major incentive or a majordeterrent to family forest owners whowant to keep their land in the familyand manage their forests sustainablyfrom generation to generation. Forestland is a long-term investment andunless tax policy acknowledges thisreality, the result will be prematuretimber harvesting, low reforestationrates, and more conversion of foreststo non-forest uses.

Focus on Forest HealthWe can expect more drought, moresevere wildfires, more insect anddisease outbreaks, and overall toughconditions for keeping forests healthy.

Congress should support programsthat will address forest health issuessuch as invasives, pests, andpathogens. Strategies on the groundto improve forest resiliency areneeded to ensure forests stay healthyand continue to provide publicbenefits. 27

Focus on Forests in the Farm BillThe Farm Bill is the largest pr ivatelands conservation bill that comesbefore Congress, and it must bereauthorized every five years. The2008 Farm Bill improved conservation,forestry, and energy programs withinthe USDA. For family woodlandowners, it provided more access toeducational, technical, and financialassistance to strengthen forestmanagement and conservation.

Still, federal spending on forests islow compared with federal funding forother uses of agr icultural land. Forexample, only six percent of theEnvironmental Quality IncentivesProgram (EQIP), the largest cost-shareprogram in the Farm Bill, is devoted toforest management.

When Congress takes up the FarmBill again lawmakers should ensurethat Farm Bill programs provide

sufficient resources to support thehealthy management of Americasfamily forests that provide amultitude of public benefits. Evenin extremely tight budget years,Congress should fund theconservation, forestry, and energyprograms so important work underway can continue. House andSenate leaders should ensureforest owners have access to theforestry technical assistance andconservation programs they need.

The 2012 Farm Bill is also anopportunity to provide incentivesfor producing sustainable forestbiomass for energy and otherwood products, and to strengthenforest education, outreach,extension, and research andinventory capabilities.

Support EnvironmentalEducationAll across the countr y, family forestowners have worked closely withschools and colleges to givestudents the opportunity towitness the wonder of the naturalworld. Whether it be a group offourth graders or a college studentresearching an endangeredwarbler, family forest owners haveoffered their woods as a livingclassroom because theyunderstand that part of preparingchildren for the future must includelearning about the environment.For more than 35 years, ProjectLearning Tree , a program of theAmerican Forest Foundation, hastrained tens of thousands ofteachers each year to includeenvironmental education in theirclassroom.

Studies show that environmentaleducation improves studentachievement in core subject areasand also makes students moreinterested in learning overall.

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Furthermore, getting kids outside andactive promotes a healthy lifestyle thatis essential to fighting obesity andreducing symptoms associated withattention deficit disorder, depression,and stress.

Congress can do much more toensure the next generation is wellprepared for the future they will inheritby supporting reauthorization and fullfunding for the National EnvironmentalEducation Act and passing the NoChild Left Inside Act.

For the Love of TreesHealthy forests are the cornerstone ofAmericas economic and

environmental health. They providerest, recreation, and rejuvenation,while inspiring artists, poets, writers,and people from all walks of life.

Family forest owners play a uniqueand largely under-acknowledged rolein ensuring that this essential nationalresource sur vives and thrives. Today,family forests are at risk. But thechallenges they face can also beopportunities for all of us to stepforward to help protect Americasforest legacy. After all, who amongus is willing to give up all the benefitsthese forests provide us every day,all day long?

Who among us would not agree with this fourth grader fromthe Cold Springs Environmental Magnet School in Indianapolis,

Indiana, who wrote:

I love you tree, I love you treeYou are the thing we needYou give me air, you give me food

I couldnt live without you.

CreditsSpecial thanks to:Rob Amberg, PhotographerBarb Raab Sgouros, DesignerJeff Porro and Kathy Westra, Writers

Rob Amberg photographs: inside front cover,and pages 1, 5, 6 , 7, 10, 11,14,17, 20, 21, 28, 30,31, 35, 36, 37, 39Front Cover: iStockphoto,www.istockphoto.comPages 2-3: iStockphoto, www.istockphoto.comPage 4: Flickr: Eric in SFPages 8-9:Photos courtesy of the ForestHistory Society, Durham, NCPage 12: iStockphoto, www.istockphoto.comPage 13: Shutterstock Images,www.shutterstock.comPage 15: iStockphoto, www.istockphoto.comPage 18: iStockphoto, www.istockphoto.com;George PaynePage 19: Judd Patterson;iStockphoto, www.istockphoto.comPage 22: Flickr: Joel Trick, USFWS MidwestPage 23: American Forest FoundationPage 24: iStockphoto, www.istockphoto.comPage 25: iStockphoto, www.istockphoto.comPage 27: Shutterstock Images,www.shutterstock.comPage 29: American Forest FoundationPage 32: Chris Schnepf, University of Idaho,Bugwood.org; Whitney Cranshaw, ColoradoState University, Bugwood.orgPage 33: Franois Lieutier, University ofOrlans, Bugwood.org; Gerald J. Lenhard,Louisiana State University, Bugwood.orgPage 38: iStockphoto, www.istockphoto.comPage 39: iStockphoto, www.istockphoto.comPage 40:American Forest FoundationPage 42: iStockphoto, www.istockphoto.comPage 43: American Forest FoundationPage 44: American Forest FoundationBack Cover: American Forest Foundation

1 USDA, May 2008, Who Owns Americas Forests? 2 October 12, 2010, USDA Forest Service, Forest Carbon Briefing Paper.See http://www.fs.fed.us/rmrs/docs/forest-carbon/fact-sheet.pdf.3 B. Butler, 2008, Family Forest Owners of the United States, 2006 ,page 7.4 GfK Roper Public Affairs, Family Forest Owners: An In-Depth Profile ,May 2006.5 See http://www.peopleandplanet.net/?lid=26708&section= 41&topic=26.6 J. Sedell, M. Sharpe, D. Dravnieks Apple, M. Copenhagen, M. Furniss,Water & The Forest Service.7 S. Stein, M. Carr, R. McRoberts, L. Mahal, M. Carr, R. Alig, S. Comas,D. Theobald, A. Cundiff, December 2009, Private Forests, Public

Benefits: Increased Housing Density and Other Pressures on Private Forest Contributions , USDA, Forest Service, page 16.8 Ibid.9 S. Stein, M. Carr, R. McRoberts, L. Mahal, S. Comas, October 2010.Threats to At-Risk Species in Americas Private Forests: A Forests onthe Edge Report , USDA Forest Service, page 1.10 Ibid, page 5.11 Ibid, page 2.12 Congressional Sportsmens Foundation, Hunting and Fishing: Bright Stars of the American Economy .13 The New York Times , page A1, August 16, 2010.14 See http://www.internationalpaper.com/apps/gopaper/benefits.html.15 USFS, Threats to At-Risk Species in Americas Private Forests ,page 7.16 Statewide Forest Resource Assessments and Strategies ,2010, page 2.17 See http://www.internationalpaper.com/apps/gopaper/benefits.html.18 J. McKinley, K. Johnson, June 26, 2007, The New York Times .On Fringe of Forests, Homes and Fires Meet.19 USFS notes that this is 2006 data and does not include some newerinvasive pests that have not yet been modeled, such as the Emeraldash borer, Asian long-horned beetle, and thousand cankers disease.20

See http://www.wflccenter.org/ts_dynamic/edu_outreach/35_file.pdf.21 Statewide Forest Resource Assessments and Strategies , 2010,page 1.22 R. Brown, 2008, The Implications of Climate Change , page 11.23 Ibid.24 USFS, Forest Service Roadmap for Responding to Climate Change ,July 2010, page 6.25 Based on calculations from the American Forest and PaperAssociation, using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.26 Brett J. Butler, Family Forest Owners of the United States , 2006,page 21.27 Summary and Analysis of Statewide Forest Resource Assessments and Strategies 2010, page 2.

We growstewardship

every day.


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Documents

2011 Stem the Loss Report