III 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 547 

Recognizing the 75th anniversary of the American Tree Farm System. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 14, 2016 

Mr. BOOZMAN (for himself and Mr. LEAHY) submitted the following 

resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the 75th anniversary of the American Tree 

Farm System. 

Whereas forests, covering one-third of the land in the United 

States, provide clean air and drinking water, abundant 

wildlife habitats, recreation spaces, and renewable resources for buildings, furniture, energy, and paper needs, 

and also serve as an economic driver supporting well-paying jobs across the country; 

Whereas most of the forests of the United States are owned 

by families and individuals who reside in and steward 

rural regions; 

Whereas, in 1941, the American Tree Farm System (in this 

preamble referred to as the ‘‘ATFS’’) was founded to 

help family and individual woodland owners sustain forests and the benefits that the forests provide; 


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•SRES 547 ATS 

Whereas the ATFS is composed of more than 79,000 individuals and families, who together manage more than 

20,500,000 acres of forest; 

Whereas the ATFS remains a strong and essential program 

to conserve and manage the forests of the United States 

and the benefits forests provide, especially in the face of 

challenges like wildfires, invasive insects and diseases, 

and growing development pressures; 

Whereas tree farmers invest time, manpower, and personal 

funds to practice sustainable forest management so that 

people across the United States can enjoy the benefits 

forests provide; 

Whereas the ATFS is made possible by volunteers from local 

small woodlands associations, conservation organizations, 

State forestry agencies, forest products companies, and 

the Cooperative Extension System; 

Whereas, to support family forests, family woodland owners, 

and continued voluntary conservation of working forests, 

it is important to expand the reach of ATFS to additional woodland owners; and 

Whereas 14 States in the United States have approved similar resolutions recognizing the importance of the ATFS: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) recognizes the 75th anniversary of the 

3 American Tree Farm System; 

4 (2) encourages the public to participate in ac5 tivities that celebrate the anniversary and highlight 

6 the importance of this vital program, working famVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:14 Jul 15, 2016 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR547.ATS SR547

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•SRES 547 ATS 

1 ily-owned forests, and the clean water, wildlife habi2 tats, and wood supply that forests provide for all 

3 people in the United States; and 

4 (3) supports conservation and management of 

5 the trees and forests of the United States through 

6 landowner participation in— 

7 (A) the conservation reserve program es8 tablished under subchapter B of chapter 1 of 

9 subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act 

10 of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831 et seq.); 

11 (B) the environmental quality incentives 

12 program established under chapter 4 of subtitle 

13 D of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 

14 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa et seq.); 

15 (C) the conservation stewardship program 

16 established under subchapter B of chapter 2 of 

17 subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act 

18 of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3838d et seq.); 

19 (D) the agricultural conservation easement 

20 program established under subtitle H of title 

21 XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 

22 U.S.C. 3865 et seq.); and 

23 (E) the forest stewardship program estab24 lished under section 5 of the Cooperative ForVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:14 Jul 15, 2016 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR547.ATS SR547

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•SRES 547 ATS 

1 estry Assistance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 

2 2103a). 

Æ 


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