Forestry Standards for Tree Farmers

To have a woodland certified as a Tree Farm in Massachusetts, and to keep that certification, the owner must demonstrate that the woodland is being managed in a sustainable fashion to grow forest products of some sort.

To be eligible for Tree Farm certification, a landowner must:

  • Have 10 or more acres of woodland managed to grow forest products sustainably under a written management plan. (Land
    under a Chapter 61 or Forest Stewardship plan will easily meet this criteria.)
  • Use any required Massachusetts Best Management Practices to protect wetlands and water quality.
  • Use all forestry chemicals or fertilizers in a manner that meets or exceeds the requirements of the product’s label
    and state law.


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Tree Farmers should also attempt to:

  • Protect or enhance wildlife and fish habitats, if feasible.
  • Protect special sites, such as stonewalls, cellar holes, vernal pools, etc., and unusual species, if known.
  • Minimize unsightly slash where possible.
  • Provide for rapid regeneration of harvested areas either through natural regeneration or planting or seeding.
  • Consider biodiversity issues when developing their management plans.
  • Use appropriate measures to enhance forest aesthetics.
  • Use licensed loggers or other professionals to carry out harvests or other forestry operations and keep them informed of special sites or conditions that require special attention or protection.

The American Tree Farm System has developed the following set of standards and guidelines to ensure that Tree Farms throughout the U.S. meet the same minimum requirements for certification, while allowing for regional variations for sustainable forestry standards and practices.

Standards, Guidelines, and Performance Measures for Tree Farm Certification

Purpose:

Certification of Tree Farms under the oversight of the American Forest Foundation is the oldest and largest voluntary, third party verification process in the United States which recognizes the practice of excellent forestry on private forest lands.

This recognition is intended to raise the visibility of the practitioners in their respective communities and inspire and motivate other surrounding non-managing forest landowners to practice sustainable forestry.

Guidance for Inspectors:

Through the American Tree Farm System, a program sponsored by AFF, volunteer inspectors are trained to visit private landowners interested in having their properties inspected and certified as Tree Farms. It is the purpose of the Standards, Guidelines and Performance Measures to set an absolute minimum for landowners to achieve in order to maintain a sustainable forest and give guidance to the inspectors during the Tree Farm certification/verification process.

Certification in the American Tree Farm System is a voluntary process. Although all the standards and guidelines are considered important, failure to meet any single guideline will generally not prevent forest lands from being certified.

A series of terms used throughout the Guidelines that help define the relative importance of each guideline. The term “must” carries no flexibility. If the landowner does not meet the guidelines that carry the term “must”, the property cannot be certified as part of the American Tree Farm System.

The terms “shall” and “should” demonstrate that the guideline is important, but that some flexibility is afforded to the inspecting forester. The term “encouraged” carries the greatest degree of flexibility. It indicates practices that are considered desirable, but by themselves are not necessarily required to sustain a forest.

Performance measures are provided to give the inspecting forester a set of metrics to carry into the field. As mentioned earlier, failure to meet any single performance measure, except those in which the term “must” is found, will generally not prevent forest lands from being certified. In addition, inspecting foresters will determine when patterns of non-performance dictate that a Tree Farm should be decertified.

It should be noted that inspectors can be expected to exercise substantial discretion when interpreting the guidelines in the field. When in doubt, however, inspectors should lean toward strict, rather than lenient, application of the Standards and Guidelines.

Standards, Guidelines & Performance Measures

It is the intent of the Standards and Guidelines to promote and encourage sustainable forestry on private lands with feasible, sensible and economical forest management practices.

Ensuring Sustainable Forests

Standard & Guideline:

Members of the American Tree Farm System promote the growing of renewable forest resources on their forest land while protecting environmental benefits and are encouraged to strive to increase public understanding of all benefits of productive forestry.

Performance Measure:

To achieve and maintain certification, all members are required to have an active and written forest management plan. This plan must take into consideration maintenance and/or enhancement of wood and fiber production, wildlife habitat, water quality and recreational opportunities.

Water Quality

Standard & Guideline:

Forestry practices must include the application of the state’s EPA-approved forest best management practices (BMPs) or forest practices act as well as any other practices required by local, state or federal regulations.

Performance Measures:

To achieve and maintain certification, members must be in compliance with state Forestry Best Management Practices (BMPs) or forest practices act to assure water quality standards are met.

Prudent Use of Chemicals

Standards & Guideline:

Forest management practices using herbicides, pesticides and/or fertilizers and implemented by the landowner shall be of the type that maintain or enhance the health and productivity of the woodland while protecting soil, water, fish and wildlife resources.

Performance Measures:

To achieve and maintain certification, the use of herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers must meet or exceed all label requirements as well as local, state and federal laws.

Slash Disposal & Utilization

Standards & Guidelines:

Members shall consider harvest contract wording that addresses utilization and slash hazard reduction.

Performance Measures:

To achieve and maintain certification, members shall make a good faith effort to utilize, in an environmentally sound manner, all severed and/or damaged materials on a harvest site.

Protect Special Sites

Standards & Guidelines:

Implemented forest management practices shall, to the extent practicable, recognize and protect recreational, historical, biological, archaeological and geological sites of special interest.

Performance Measures:

To achieve and maintain certification, forest management practices, to the extent practicable, shall demonstrate concern for
special sites.

Reforestation

Standards & Guidelines:

Members must provide for prompt restocking of desired species of trees on harvested areas and idle areas where tree growing is the land-use objective. This may be accomplished by natural seeding, sprouting, direct seeding, or planting with tree seedlings.

Performance Measures:

To achieve and maintain certification, members must achieve satisfactory restocking levels within five years following harvest, or less if specified by state or local ordinance. Acreage not reforested because of change of use shall be deducted from overall Tree Farm acreage.

Biodiversity

Standards & Guidelines:

Acceptable forest management includes the range of even and/or uneven age management practices.

Performance Measures:

To achieve and maintain certification, members shall implement forest management practices that enhance the health and productivity of the woodland, while considering biodiversity on a landscape or watershed scale.

Forestry Contractor Use

Standards & Guidelines:

The Tree Farm program provides information, education and assistance to forest landowners regarding forest management practices that will sustain or enhance forest productivity, wildlife habitat, water quality and outdoor recreation.

Performance Measures:

To achieve and maintain certification, members shall make a good faith effort to ensure that loggers and contractors working on their property are made aware of special requirements. In addition, members are encouraged to contract with loggers and other forest management contractors who have completed recommended training and education programs offered for their
profession in their respective states and that such contractors are insured and comply with all state and federal regulations.

Forest Aesthetics

Standards & Guidelines:

Members shall follow forest practices that consider the aesthetic effects of forest activities.

Performance Measures:

To achieve and maintain certification, members shall, to the extent practicable, follow forest management practices that demonstrate concern for visual impacts.

Wildlife Habitat

Standards & Guidelines:

Members’ forest management plans must address the effects of forest practices on fish and wildlife.

Performance Measures:

To achieve and maintain certification, members shall follow forest practices that, to the extent possible, protect and enhance fish and wildlife habitat, while considering floral and faunal diversity.