Roughly a third of all forestland in the U.S. is owned by private individuals or families. And in most cases, experts say, developing long-term management strategies isn’t a priority for these property owners — a fact that leaves vast expanses of property vulnerable to degradation, fragmentation and development.
It is for that reason the
Sustaining Family Forests Initiative (SFFI) was launched a decade ago. Since 2003 the group — which is coordinated by the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies and the U.S. Forest Service — has provided natural resource professionals across the country with tools to engage these landowners about opportunities for sustainable management and conservation.