On Feb. 3, in the Huffington Post, American Forest Foundation (AFF) President and CEO Tom Martin shared the findings of new research conducted by AFF in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the Family Forest Research Center.
The research findings quantify the benefits of America’s working forests – from water and wildlife, to wood supplies and recreation. In addition, the research quantifies several serious threats to working forests and their forest benefits, making family-owned forests a potentially vanishing piece of the forest puzzle.
“[Working forests] protect against climate change; they provide habitat for plants and animals; they help maintain clean, fresh water and provide oxygen to keep us alive; and they aid our economy by supporting jobs and producing materials that we all use every day,” Martin wrote in the article. “The fact is that these precious lands are under tremendous pressure, and their sustainability is severely threatened.”
Following the release of their research findings, AFF announced a campaign titled, “Vanishing Pieces of the Puzzle,” aimed at showcasing the benefits of working forests to water quality, wood products, wildlife habitat, recreation and carbon sequestration.
Read the full article “Family Forests: A Key Piece of Protecting Critical Forestland” at www.huffingtonpost.com >>.
Read the full research report “Research Supporting Stemming the Loss of Family Forests across the United States: Section II” at www.forestfoundation.org >>.