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

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 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 That the Senate (1) recognizes the 75th anniversary of the American Tree Farm System; (2) encourages the public to participate in activities that celebrate the anniversary and highlight the importance of this vital program, working family-owned forests, and the clean water, wildlife habitats, and wood supply that forests provide for all people in the United States; and (3) supports conservation and management of the trees and forests of the United States through landowner participation in (A) the conservation reserve program established under subchapter B of chapter 1 of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 ( 16 U.S.C. 3831 et seq. (B) the environmental quality incentives program established under chapter 4 of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 ( 16 U.S.C. 3839aa et seq. (C) the conservation stewardship program established under subchapter B of chapter 2 of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 ( 16 U.S.C. 3838d et seq. (D) the agricultural conservation easement program established under subtitle H of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 ( 16 U.S.C. 3865 et seq. (E) the forest stewardship program established under section 5 of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 ( 16 U.S.C. 2103a

Summary: Recognizes the 75th anniversary of the American Tree Farm System. Encourages the public to participate in activities that celebrate the anniversary and highlight the importance of this program, working family-owned forests, and the clean water, wildlife habitats, and wood supply that forests provide for all people in the United States. Supports conservation and management of the nation's trees and forests through landowner participation in the Conservation Reserve Program, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, the Conservation Stewardship Program, the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, and the Forest Stewardship Program.