American Tree Farm System®
RELATED TOPICS
CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION
American Tree Farm System®
Please click the following link to view the Registration Certificate as a PDF.
AMERICAN TREE FARMS
The Louisiana Forestry Association is the facilitator for the American Tree Farm System® in the state. Founded in 1941, the American Tree Farm System® is the oldest and largest forest conservation, certification and advocacy program in the United States. The program began in Louisiana in 1950 and the first tree farm was approved for the Urania Lumber Company in 1951. This was appropriate since Urania was considered the “cradle of reforestation” in the South due to Henry Hardtner’s pioneering replanting program.
Bryant Kountz, 2018 Louisiana Tree Farmer of the Year focuses on restoring longleaf pine where he can and providing a healthy environment for wildlife at his Louisiana Land & Water Tree Farm near Kinder. Hanna Gamble, owner of Jack R. Gamble Jr. LLC Tree Farm in DeSoto Parish is a next generation tree farmer who is continuing her father's legacy of land stewardship.
Today there are 1,687 Tree Farms in the state totaling 1.5 million acres. The requirements to enroll your land as a Tree Farm are simple:
-
You must own at least 10 acres of forestland and no more than 20,000 contiguous acres.
-
You must have a qualified written management plan.
-
You must consider air, water and soil quality and conservation of fish, wildlife and biodiversity.
-
You should consider the visual aspects of forestry practices.
-
You should recognize historical, biological, archeological, cultural or geological sites.
-
You should have responsible timber harvests, forest operations and reforestation.
-
New Tree Farms must enroll in the local Tree Farm program by joining the Louisiana Forestry Association. LFA membership is $25 per year or .021 cents per acre, whichever is greater.
Once enrolled, a volunteer forester will make an inspection of your land. You may get a free Tree Farm logo sign to place on the project and you may order a name panel ($20) from the LFA office.
The national program calls for random inspections of tree farms in your state. You will be contacted when your tree farm is chosen for re-inspection.
Certification is more important than ever today as consumers want to ensure that products come from sustainable managed forests. For small private landowners, the American Tree System® is a reputable and affordable way to do so.
Louisiana Tree Farm Information
New sustainability standards have been released by the American Tree Farm System® and are state specific. To find out more about the 2021-2025 Tree Farm Standards, click the following link: American Tree Farm® Sustainability Standards in U.S.
For more information about how you can become a part of the Tree Farm program by contacting Gracee Texada at the LFA office. You can reach her by email at gtexada@laforestry.com or by phone at 318-443-2558
Morehouse family forest initiative
Family forestland owners in Northeast Louisiana have an opportunity to learn about sustainable forestry management through the Morehouse Family Forest Initiative. Landowners can get free consultation through the program offered in partnership with public and private entities. Watch the video of Louisiana Tree Farmer Glen Melton and his journey to forest management by clicking the image to the right, then inquire by contacting Gracee Texada (gtexada@laforestry.com) with the Louisiana Forestry Association.
If you want to find out more about the Louisiana Landscape Management Plan associated with Tree Farms in the state, you can download the plan here: La. Landscape Management Plan
