PA Tree Farm: Introducing Your New Tree Farm Chair

Susan Benedict, past chair and author of the Tree Farm report in Forest Leaves for the past few years, will be continuing to assist ATFS members with making sure annual inspections are conducted. Thank you, Susan, for your service and leadership as our committee chair!

My goal is to continue with Susan's work and keep those in our ATFS program motivated to remain active participants in the program. Please continue with your current management plan goals and objectives, request assistance from PFA with any questions or concerns you may have, and, if you have not had an inspection of your tree farm in the past five years, ask for one! Be proud of what you are doing and make sure ATFS knows that you are doing it!

In March of this year, I attended my second American Forest Foundation national conference in Portland, ME. The theme for this year’s meeting was Discovering Purpose, Organizing for Impact. Participants from 36 states and the District of Columbia were in attendance, representing both tree farmers and state associations.

This conference is very motivating to me to continue the mission of ATFS: “To promote the sustainable management of private forestland, ensuring the health and productivity of forests while protecting environmental benefits and increasing public understanding. This involves fostering the growth of renewable forest resources on private lands and encouraging responsible forest stewardship.”

Thank you to everyone who is participating as a tree farmer, and for those who own 10 acres or more, please consider joining! If you have any questions or concerns that I can assist you with, email me at mjp175@psu.edu or contact the PFA office.

For more information about the PA Tree Farm program, visit their webpage.

Written by Mike Powell, PA Tree Farm Program Chair