Tree Farm National Leadership Conference

Joe Stehling, Hidden Lake, Angel Fire, joined New Mexico Socorro District Forester Doug Boykin, and commercial forester and president of the New Mexico State Tree Farm committee Harry Morrison in attending the American Forest Foundation Tree Farm National Leadership conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, 23 - 25 February, 2010. The purpose of the conference was to bring together state Tree Farm Committee leadership from 41 states to discuss issues that affect sustainable tree farming in the US and exchange ideas to further expand our knowledge of sustainable Tree Farming.

A Tree farm is a privately-owned tract of forest anywhere from 10 acres to several thousand acres. The Tree Farm owner is a member of the American Tree Farm System, which was established in 1941 to encourage private forest landowners to conserve and protect their forests. The Tree Farmer owns 10 or more acres of forested land and has a written management plan by which he improves and enhances his woodlands for forest health, wildlife, water, and recreation. He does this largely "out of his own pocket".

In the United States, National Forests compose less than 10% of the forested land. Private landowners constitute 73% of the forests. There are 175 certified tree farms in New Mexico. The conference covered such topics as certification, audit, and inspection requirements - Tree Farms are now internationally certified to provide wood for "green" construction; - working with state and federal agencies; developing goals and objectives to improving the tree farm system in the various states; succession planning to keep forests connected with families to stem the loss of forestland; and obtaining grants that provide money for forest health enhancement projects on privately owned land.

Submitted by Joe Stehling, 2009 Tree Farmer of the Year, Vice Chairman of the New Mexico State Tree Farm committee, and voting member of the New Mexico Forest Stewardship Committee.