Effective management includes producing continuous crops of trees to supply our nation's wood products needs, and simultaneously maintaining the forest to be aesthetically pleasing and beneficial to wildlife.
Tree farmers play a critical role in our nation's economy.
Fully 58 percent of all timber harvested in the United States comes from the nonindustrial private woodlands, that is, land owned by individuals, not the government or timber companies. Tree farmers generally own a minimum of 10 acres of forest land. To qualify, they must have their land inspected by one of the 10,000 foresters who donate time to the Tree Farm system. Lands are reinspected at least every five years to assure that they are being properly managed. The American Tree Farm System is run on the state level by state Tree Farm committees.