December 2011 Articles

Archives by Months

American Tree Farm System

American Tree Farm System
As your voice in Washington, D.C., the American Tree Farm System advocates for policies that provide Tree Farmers and other family forest owners with the tools to keep your forest healthy and productive, for current and future generations. Below is a summary of the latest happenings on policy issues that impact Tree Farmers and other family forest owners.
2012 Tree Farm Fly-in -- March 13-14, 2012 -- Washington, D.C.
Meet with your Members of Congress in Washington, D.C., and have your voice heard on issues important to Tree Farmers. In 2012, your members of Congress will make decisions that affect your Tree Farm and your family's heritage---they need to hear from you early in the year about the issues that affect Tree Farmers in your state.
Why is 2012 critical? Next year, Congress will be pressed to act on the estate tax, which influences your family's ability to keep your forestland in the family. In 2012, Congress will again make decisions about forest owners' access to management tools and resources in Farm Bill programs.
Please join us Tuesday, March 13-14, 2012 for our American Tree Farm System Capitol Hill Fly-in. Learn background information and get the tools you need to be influential in meetings with your members of Congress. On day two, join Tree Farmers from across the country in a lobby day on Capitol Hill.
Farm Bill Corner, For the past few months AFF ramped up its 2012 Farm Bill effort to influence the Agriculture Committees' proposal to the Super Committee. In light of the Super Committee's failure, the Agriculture Committees' proposal was never released, but from what we've heard, there was both good news & bad news. Although the cuts were disproportionate & disappointing, some great policy changes increased forest owner access to existing Farm Bill tools. We are working to continue to include these policy changes & others in the next stage of Farm Bill discussions. Wood Markets Corner
ATFS continues to fight for fair markets for wood products by encouraging green building policies that recognize the environmental benefits of building with wood products. Strong wood products markets are one vital tool to help more family forest owners keep their forests as forests. The Department of Defense (DOD) is a federal agency that builds a large number of buildings across the country. Unfortunately, DOD's current building policies do not recognize the benefits of wood. DOD has a preferential policy for its buildings to be built to the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED standard, and the LEED system makes it difficult for builders to get recognition when they choose to build with wood. This week, Senator Roger Wicker (MS) introduced an amendment that would require DOD to use green building rating systems based on science and were developed using an accredited consensus-based process. Both requirements would increase the recognition of wood in green building.
Source: Emily Marx, Conservation and Public Affairs Coordinator American Forest Foundation