Stumped Summer 2012
Answers to Inspectors’ Most Frequently Asked Questions
Q: One of my clients owns several scattered parcels in a county; can I certify them all as a single Tree Farm?
A: The contiguous, forested parcel serves as the unit of evaluation for ATFS Certification. Contiguous parcels are discrete parcels that share a boundary line and are held in the same legal ownership name. Each contiguous parcel constitutes a unique Tree Farm and should be singly identified in the ATFS system. However, a landowner may own several Tree Farms covered by a single management plan, so long as each parcel is individually identified within the management plan and on the map. Once certified, each Tree Farm is assigned its own record in the ATFS database. This helps to ensure that each acreage category is adequately represented in the ATFS internal monitoring system and in third-party audits. For questions, please contact Sarah Crow at scrow@forestfoundation.org.
