About Florida Tree Farm Program

The Florida Tree Farm Program is a 501c(3) non-profit organization and is the state affiliate of the American Tree Farm System (ATFS), a national program that promotes the sustainable management of forests through education and outreach to private forest landowners.

In Florida there are approximately 1,200 certified Tree Farms.

Benefits of Florida's Forests, Certification, and the Tree Farm Program

According to the Economic Contributions of the Forest Industry and Forest-based Recreation in Florida (Hodges et al, 2017), there are 17.16 million acres of forestland in Florida, about half of the state’s land area. About two-thirds (66%) of Florida’s forestlands are privately owned by industry, corporations, families, or individuals. Seventeen percent is state owned, 16 percent is federal, and 3 percent is owned by county and municipal government. The total economic contribution of the forest industry in Florida is 45.2 billion dollars. This includes 124,104 full-time and part-time jobs. Over 5,000 products are derived from wood or derivatives of wood fiber processing.  The Florida Tree Farm Program is critical in the state of Florida for providing certified wood for fiber using business and providing other benefits to society. 

Forest Certification

Forest certification is a mechanism for forest monitoring, tracing and labeling timber, wood and pulp products and non-timber forest products, where the quality of forest management is judged against a series of agreed standards.

The American Tree Farm System (ATFS) Standards of Sustainability serve as the basis for the ATFS program, which is internationally recognized by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC™), the world’s largest forest-certification system.  Landowners who follow these Standards are recognized around the world as ambassadors for sustainable woodland stewardship. Participation in the ATFS program and management to the ATFS Standards is voluntary. Ultimately, it is your responsibility as a woodland owner to ensure that your management plan and on-the-ground activities enhance the long-term sustainability of your woodlands. 

The Florida Tree Farm Program

The Florida Tree Farm Program was established in 1946 to demonstrate that Florida forest landowners were practicing sustainable forestry.  The program grew in the 1980s and there were approximately 3,000 Tree Farms in Florida in the early 1990s.  The program lost momentum in the 1990s due to economic and volunteer constraints; however, in the mid-2000s the program gained momentum again with the help of the Florida Forest Service, a few forest industry leaders, and other dedicated volunteers.   

Today, the program has been revitalized by strong leadership, robust landowner outreach partnerships, and increasing industry demand for certified wood. The Florida Tree Farm Program became incorporated as a non-profit organization in 2016, and is managed by volunteers from state and private agencies and organizations. The program continues to demonstrate that forest landowners practice excellent stewardship.  With the help of numerous inspecting foresters, Florida Forestry Association, Florida Forest Service, University of Florida, dedicated landowners, and forest industry the program is thriving.  Currently, there are about 1,200 Certified Florida Tree Farms comprising over 969,000 acres.  In addition, the organization is becoming more diversified with landowners, forestry consultants, and university extension representatives. Two successful initiatives of the program include the Annual Jon Gould Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year and the Glen Harris Tree Farm Inspector of the Year Awards. A landowner tour on the selected Outstanding Tree Farm of the Year attracts many landowners and offers an excellent networking and educational opportunity to participants. Tree Farm tours are also an opportunity to recognize the many sponsors and donors that contribute to the Program.

To learn more, reach out to your state committee. Find their contact information in the latest Districts Map