B. The Tropical Forest Foundation: History, reduced-impact logging, and sustainable forestry
Channel: ISTF-Global
Date: 2023-05-09

B. The Tropical Forest Foundation: History, reduced-impact logging, and prospects for sustainable forestry. Narrator: Keister Evans, founding TFF Executive Director 1990-2010, President 2007-2010

Recorded at the “River Farm” (once a part of George Washington’s “River Farm”), headquarters of the American Horticultural Society in Alexandria, VA. Keister Evans was also Executive Director of the AHS 1970-1976.

The Tropical Forest Foundation (TFF) was formed in 1990 as the result of a Tropical Forestry Workshop held at the Smithsonian Institution in October 1989. The workshop was sponsored by the International Wood Products Assn (IWPA) in response to severe criticism by international publications and NGOs as having major responsibility for the rapidly diminishing tropical forests. The workshop was suggested by and chaired by Dr. Thomas Lovejoy, an official at the Smithsonian (who also served as the first Chairman of TFF), and involved authorities in tropical forestry and related disciplines from major tropical timber regions and the U.S. The workshop concluded that the tropical forest can be used and retained if given economic value and sustainable harvesting methods are practiced. TFF then set forth to established offices and demonstration projects in Africa, Indonesia, Brazil and Guyana, South America. A concept known as Reduced Impact Logging (RIL), was introduced by TFF, and demonstrated and taught at the forestry training camps. Thousands of individuals have received TFF RIL training and vast areas of tropical forests have been affected. These initial efforts and the concept of Reduced Impact Logging have been widely accepted and continue to be practiced in the tropical timber trades.

Keister Evans, Former Executive Director/President, Tropical Forest Foundation; President/Owner, International Woods, Inc. of Virginia; President/CEO Forest Carbon Offsets, LCC. USA
Keister Evans was co-founder of the Tropical Forest Foundation (TFF) in 1990 and served as TFF Executive Director (1990-2010) and President/Executive Director (2009-2010). Keister received his BS and MS from Virginia Tech and his early work experience included being a VA Tech County Agricultural Extension Agent in Virginia. He has served as the Executive Director of the American Rose Society, the American Horticultural Society, and the International Wood Products Association. He currently is President/Owner of International Woods, Inc. of Virginia (1982- ), and President/CEO of Forest Carbon Offsets, LCC (2009- ).