NAFO Forests

Working forests aren’t just beautiful – they’re vital, providing clean air, clean water, wildlife habitat, jobs for millions of Americans, and the renewable products society needs.

America’s private working forests provide 90% of our domestic timber harvest. We appreciate the Administration’s support for U.S. mill infrastructure, which helps keep forests working, strengthens wildfire resilience, and reinforces world-leading sustainable forest management.

Last night, DU & @NAFO_Forests co-hosted an incredible celebration of conservation easements on Capitol Hill. Hundreds of congressional staff, DU staff, & volunteers were in attendance as our partners highlighted the immense value of voluntary conservation easements. #DuckPolicy

Sustainable forest management isn’t guesswork. It’s long-term planning, replanting, soil care, and habitat conservation – and yes, thinking decades ahead so forests stay productive and abundant. #ForestProducts #ModernAmericanForestry

#AmericanForestryJobs #ModernAmericanForestry

Real wildlife conservation depends on collaboration. NAFO’s Wildlife Conservation Initiative brings together government agencies, researchers, and private forest landowners to support threatened and endangered species. It’s a first-of-its-kind partnership model that’s already helping critters nationwide. See the species we’re helping: wildlifeconservationinitiative.org/projects/

Yes, there's probably SFI or FSC logos on the back of those cards.

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Book dinner reservations now. And we’ve got wood pulp to sell, so you should buy five cards instead of one.

Across rural America, pulp and paper mills have been closing or downsizing –removing about 50 million tons of annual wood fiber processing capacity from the system. In an Agri-Pulse op-ed, NAFO President & CEO Dave Tenny explains what happens next: higher disposal costs, tighter margins, pressure on sawmills, and ripple effects that show up in lumber prices and housing affordability. As he puts it, modern forestry doesn’t work if you’re only able to sell the “prime cuts.” Read more here: agri-pulse.com/articles/23818…

Watch the video that got such rave reviews as: “It's almost like an industry that is dependent on trees has a vested interest in trees.” youtube.com/watch?v=fqlsP0…

Private working forests do more for the U.S. economy than most people realize: They support 1.7 million jobs = roughly the population of Phoenix, AZ And contribute $252 billion to the U.S. economy = about the GDP of Greece #AmericanForestryJobs #ModernAmericanForestry

Sustainable forest management leads to climate-smart outcomes in working forests. And when you include carbon-storing wood products, the environmental benefits are even greater. #workingforests

Thank you, @RepRickAllen, for standing with America’s forest supply chain through challenging market conditions. This legislation provides timely, critical help in a period of major transition.

Ever notice how companies always tell you to “trust” their products? What does that even mean? For decades now, modern forestry has been on the forefront of sustainability reporting and certification. As they say in the military: “trust, but verify.” U.S. forest cover has remained stable since the 1950s—even as our population and our towns and cities have grown. That’s not marketing. It’s decades of data from the U.S. Forest Service we can all trust. That, friends, is the difference between a claim and a track record. #ForestProducts #ModernAmericanForestry

It’s halfway through January. Be honest. How are those resolutions coming along? Modern U.S. forestry sticks to plans on 50-100 year timelines – so here’s hoping you can make it past day 16.

Worth reading: wsj.com/opinion/the-eu…

In a new Wall Street Journal op-ed, Carla Keene, Tribal Chairman of the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, explains how the EU’s Deforestation-free Regulation imposes rules on Indigenous forest managers who already meet or exceed global sustainability standards.

The “Brussels effect” – The EU knowingly leveraging the size of their market to de facto impose their regulations on the rest of the world – is often described as global leadership. For some U.S. Tribes sustainably managing their timber, it feels more like regulatory colonialism.

When forest owners are confident there will be a market for their wood when it matures, they are more likely to invest in forest health. That includes treatments that prevent disease and infestation, regular maintenance that reduces wildfire risk, and replanting to grow more trees. Research shows that strong demand for wood products helps keep markets viable which, in turn, protects working forests from conversion to other land uses like development. Keeping forests intact means keeping both their economic and environmental benefits intact.

In the U.S., native trees typically take 25 to 100 years to reach maturity. While harvesting often gets a lot of attention, working forests spend most of their time quietly growing—supporting healthy ecosystems and local economies.

Before the tree nerds start sounding off in the comments: These are general ranges.