Voluntary Third-Party Certification
Voluntary Third-Party Certification of Individual Tree Farms
Increased interest in forest certification by the global forest products industry, customers, and non-governmental organizations has renewed interest in Tree Farm Certification.
Landowners interested in seeking third-party certification of conformance with AFF’s Standards of Sustainability may now do so. At their March 2006 meeting, the ATFS National Operating Committee (NOC) approved third-party certification of individual properties on a voluntary basis. This policy change now allows landowners to contract with accredited ATFS Lead Auditors to undergo an audit of conformance with the AFF Standards of Sustainability. Until the implementation of the ATFS Group Certification program in 2004, certification of conformance with the AFF Standards of Sustainability have been individual certifications conducted by a volunteer force of professional inspecting foresters. Interested landowners should contact the national office for more information on the application process, applicable fees, and the list of accredited ATFS Lead Auditors. For more information, contact inspectors@treefarmsystem.org.
