Tree Farmer Bulletin - Spring 2013 - (Page 3)

on the ground © lEEna roBinSon/SHuttErStock.com 2013 NATIONAL AssEssMENT The American Tree Farm System® (ATFS) is the oldest sustainable woodlands system in the country. We recognize and validate the hard work of more than 89,000 Tree Farmers in 44 states, all of whom share a commitment to stewardship and sustainability. Certified Tree Farmers have had their property inspected by a qualified ATFS inspecting professional forester, and are managing their woodland in accordance with the American Forest Foundation (AFF) Standards of Sustainability. Each year, 8 to 10 states are selected to participate in the national assessment process. In the assessment, the ATFS national office partners with the state Tree Farm programs to arrange visits to Tree Farms by independent third-party assessors. These assessors visit with Tree Farmers, as well as the state committees, to ensure that management activities are consistent with the AFF standards and program requirements. The assessment is a rare opportunity for Tree Farmers to show off their well-managed woodlands and demonstrate their commitment to managing their woodlands sustainably for their families and the future. It’s also an opportunity to be recognized for excellent work. During the 2012 assessment, one of the assessors was so impressed with an Illinois Tree Farm that he recommended the landowner for consideration as an outstanding Tree Farmer in the state. The Illinois Tree Farmer not only showed the assessor his actively managed woodlands, but he invited the assessor into his home to show off the wood floors, beams and furniture, all milled and handcrafted from his woodlot. In addition to reinforcing the outstanding work of certified Tree Farmers, the assessment process demonstrates to organizations such as the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and the Program for Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) that wood and fiber from ATFS-certified Tree Farms have a place in the international certified forest products marketplace. SFI and PEFC recognition allow wood from ATFS forests to enter into this exclusive and in-demand marketplace. Planning for the 2013 assessment is now under way. States slated for visits include Colorado, Kentucky, New Mexico, Maine, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. We look forward to seeing the faces and the forests of the Tree Farms in these states and beyond. MArKETs Green Building Practices: LEEDing in the Right Direction? It’s hard to imagine a building material “greener” than wood: it’s renewable, cleans the air and requires less energy to produce than other materials. But wood products, including products made with timber from American Tree Farm System® (ATFS)-certified forests, have been left behind as green building policies emerge across the country. Often, these policies—at the local, state and federal levels—are based on the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system. Under LEED, builders accumulate points for choosing green construction materials and for building practices. Unfortunately, the points for wood do not add up in the current LEED system, offering few incentives for builders to choose wood instead of other building products, such as concrete and steel. ATFS has been working to change LEED and its dominance over government policies so that wood has at least a level playing field in green building markets. The U.S. Green Building Council has been working on a new version of their rating system, LEED v4. While some initial drafts of LEED v4 have been more favorable for wood, the latest draft took a significant step backward. In fact, some requirements in the latest draft may ultimately serve to devalue— and discourage—some sustainability practices. sO, WhAT Is IN LEED v4 fOr WOOD? • LEED v4 CONTINUEs TO DIsCrIMINATE AgAINsT ATfs-CErTIfIED fIBEr. LEED v4 continues to solely reference the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) when it refers to forest certification standards. While LEED v4 leaves some flexibility for recognition of other forest certification systems, like ATFS or the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, there is no guarantee that ATFS wood will receive recognition. • LEED v4 BEgINs TO UsE NEW TOOLs TO DETErMINE ENvIrONMENTAL IMPACTs. Under LEED v4, builders would be able to accumulate points based on their building’s Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)—how a building impacts the environment during its entire life span. While this doesn’t necessarily give builders direct points for using wood, most builders will find that incorporating more wood in their building should improve their LCA. LEED v4 also incorporates Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), the environmental equivalent of a nutrition label. But the latest draft of LEED v4 makes the EPD requirements practically unattainable. ATFS is working to change this, and to encourage the development and use of EPDs, which help to demonstrate the environmental benefits of wood products. • LEED v4 TAKEs A sTEP BACK IN rECOgNIZINg LOCAL WOOD PrODUCTs. Previously, local wood products have received recognition in LEED regardless of forest certification. LEED v4 buried the incentives for locally produced wood products within other credits, including the complex EPD credit and the credit option for forest certification. This significantly decreases the incentives for builders to use local wood products in buildings. a passionate belief in forests as places of healing for wounded warriors, coupled with a commitment to restoring 1,000 acres of maine forestland, have earned tree Farmer John Sferazo an award as one of Field and Stream magazine’s “Heroes of conservation” for 2012. a former ironworker who lives in new York, Sferazo served as a volunteer first responder at the World trade center site in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. the experience left him with both physical and psychological trauma. But instead of dwelling on his troubles, Sferazo has spent his time working on his land in maine, restoring what was once an asphalt plant to a thriving, american tree Farm System® (atFS)-certified woodland that provides opportunities for other wounded warriors to find peace and enjoy outdoor recreation. With the help of more than 30 partner organizations, Sferazo has transformed the formerly barren land into a native forest habitat with thriving populations of mammals and waterfowl. With assistance from partner groups, Sferazo and his nonprofit organization, american greenlands restoration, inc., are planting trees to re-create a forest like those that might have been found when the first white settlers arrived in maine. “We just finished planting between 200 and 250 american chestnut trees, close to 150 swamp white oak and almost as many white oak,” he reports. “We discovered 150 heirloom apple trees on the property that we’re in the process of ‘daylighting’ so they have enough light and space to grow.” Ever since his childhood years spent in the woods of maine and the adirondacks, forests have been a place of solace for Sferazo. today, as he restores his land, Sferazo is slowly healing the scars of his 9/11 experiences—and helping hundreds of other veterans and first responders heal their scars. His tree Farm, known as owen’s marsh memorial Forest, offers respite to the wounded heroes of battle and trauma. they come to stay at a lodge on the property, where they can be at peace in the woods; help restore the land; enjoy hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation and participate in a certified outdoor adventure therapy program designed for soldiers and first responders. “Working on the land and being outside have given me an outlet for my trauma, and i wanted to give others the same,” Sferazo says. courtESY JoHn SFErazo ATFS will continue to urge the U.S. Green Building Council to do more to recognize the benefits of wood in LEED v4. Strong wood markets mean that family forest owners have the means to continue to reinvest in their woodlands—to continue to keep them healthy and strong for the next generation. © patrick Foto/SHuttErStock.com © ViolEtkaipa/SHuttErStock.com TrEE fArMEr hONOrED As “hErO Of CONsErvATION” WOOD Is gOOD Wood is a much “greener” building material than steel or concrete because it: • requires less energy to produce • Stores greenhouse gases • removes pollutants from the air • produces less waste in manufacturing Spring 2013 Spring 2013 3 3 

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Tree Farmer Bulletin - Spring 2013

Tree Farmer Bulletin - Spring 2013
Contents
On the Ground
Tools
For the Future
Tree Farmer Profile

Tree Farmer Bulletin - Spring 2013

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