The Michigan Tree Farm Committee is the state representative of the American Tree Farm System® (ATFS) which is a national program sponsored by the American Forest Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization promoting the sustainable management of forests through education and outreach to private forest landowners. Founded in 1941, ATFS is the oldest and largest forest conservation, certification a
nd advocacy program in the United States. America’s Tree Farmers are committed to excellence in forest stewardship. For more information, visit ATFS at www.treefarmsystem.org or the Michigan Tree Farm at www.treefarmsystem.org/michigan. Participation in the American Tree Farm System indicates that you are actively managing your forest according to Tree Farm’s eight “Standards of Sustainability.” The first standard requires having a forest management plan and a Forest Stewardship Plan and others meet this standard. To become certified, your forest must be inspected by a Tree Farm Inspecting Forester and this initial inspection is free. Be aware that Christmas tree plantations do not qualify. Rather, Tree Farms are natural forests or planted forests that are sustainably managed for wood, water, recreation, and wildlife. Tree Farm Requirements:
1. Own a minimum of 10 contiguous acres and not more than 10,000 acres.
2. Non-industrial private forest land with manageable forest species growing and capable of producing timber crops.
3. Property must be inspected and certified by a Tree Farm Inspector (professional foresters including industry foresters, Conservation District foresters, and consulting foresters). Your Forest Stewardship Plan Writer may also be a Tree Farm Inspector, but please contact me for a list of Inspecting Foresters in your area. A Tree Farm Inspector will then visit with you on your property to see if you, your plan, your activities, and your forest meet the eight Standards of Sustainability (www.treefarmsystem.org/standards-for-tree-farm-certification). They will fill out an inspection report form that indicates whether or not your land qualifies as a certified Tree Farm.
4. Must have a current written forest management plan that meets the ATFS standards. Please bring your Forest Stewardship Plan with you to show the Inspecting Forester during your Tree Farm Inspection.
5. Once approved, you will receive a certificate, a Tree Farm sign that you can display (note that the sign always remains the property of the American Tree Farm System), and one free issue of the Tree Farm magazine. You are always welcome and invited to attend Tree Farm meetings and workshops held throughout Michigan.
6. The property will be re-inspected periodically to ensure conformance to the ATFS standards. This usually occurs every five years, but may occur more frequently if your forest is randomly selected for inspection. Tree Farm Advantages:
• The biggest advantage of participation in the Tree Farm program is the sustainable management of your forest. Your investment in a Forest Stewardship Plan will pay for itself with the reward and self-satisfaction of being a knowledgeable and responsible manager of your property.
• There is increasing societal concern that logs, pulpwood, fuelwood and other forest products should be obtained from sustainably managed forests. Tree Farms are recognized by the forest products industry as certified forest land and therefore meet their requirements for certified wood.
• Participation in Tree Farm demonstrates that you are actively managing your property and may be eligible for certain income tax deductions – please consult with your income tax professional. Participation in Tree Farm does not provide a discount on your property taxes, but the State of Michigan does offer the Qualified Forest program (www.michigan.gov/qfp) and the Commercial Forest program (www.michigan.gov/commercialforest) to reduce your property taxes when you manage your forest according to an approved forest management plan.
