Standards & Guidelines for Forest Landowners
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Performance Measures for Certification
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Ensuring
Sustainable Forests
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.
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Ensuring
Sustainable Forests
Performance Measures:
To achieve and maintain certification all members are required to have
an written and active 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
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Reforestation
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 reforestation with tree seedlings.
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Reforestation
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.
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Water
Quality
Forestry practices must *include the application of the
state's EPA-approved forestry best management practices (BMPs) or forest
practices act as well as any other practices required by local, state or
federal regulations.
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Water
Quality
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.
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Wildlife
Habitat
Members' forest management plans must address the effects
of forest practices on fish and wildlife.
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Wildlife
Habitat
Performance Measures:
To achieve and maintain certification, members shall follow forest
practices, that to the extent practicable, protect and enhance fish and
wildlife habitat, while considering floral and faunal diversity.
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Forest
Aesthetics
Members shall follow forest practices that consider the
aesthetic effects of forest activities.
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Forest
Aesthetics
Performance Measures:
To achieve and maintain certification, members shall, to the extent
practicable, follow forest management practices that demonstrate concern
for visual impacts.
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Protect
Special Sites
Implemented forest management practices shall to the
extent practicable, recognize and protect recreational, historical,
biological, archaeological and geological sites of special interest.
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Protect
Special Sites
Performance Measures:
To achieve and maintain certification, forest management practices, to the
extent practicable, shall demonstrate concern for special sites.
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Biodiversity
Acceptable forest management includes the range of even
and/or uneven age management practices.
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Biodiversity
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.
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Slash
Disposal and Utilization
Members shall consider harvest contract wording that
addresses utilization and slash hazard reduction.
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Slash
Disposal and Utilization
Performance Measures
To achieve and maintain certification, members shall make a good faith
effort to utilize, in an environmentally and/or economically sound manner,
all severed and/or damaged materials on a harvest site.
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Prudent
Use of Chemicals
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.
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Prudent
Use of Chemicals
Performance Measures:
To achieve and maintain certification the use of herbicides,
pesticides and/or fertilizers must meet or exceed all applicable label
requirements as well as all local, state and federal laws.
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Forestry
Contractor Use
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.
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Forestry
Contractor Use
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.
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