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A Shared Commitment

The American Tree Farm System is a nationwide community of more than 90,000 individuals and families joined by their desire for excellence in forest stewardship. These landowners share a commitment to protect watersheds and wildlife habitat; to conserve soil and provide recreation for their neighbors; and, at the same time, to produce the wood that America needs for thousands of useful products.

More than 58% of the productive forests in America are owned by ordinary citizens — not government or industry. These 10 million forest owners hold the key to the kind of forests future generations of Americans will enjoy.

Florida currently has more than 1,000 certified Tree Farms, accounting for approximately 1,000,000 acres of land.

To qualify for Tree Farm certification, woodlands must be:

  • between 10 acres and 10,000 acres;
  • under management, with a written and implemented plan that accounts for water quality, wildlife habitat, soil conservation and biodiversity, as well as production of forest products;
  • protected from fire, insects, disease, and destructive grazing; and
  • reforested in a timely manner after harvesting.

Tree Farmers must make good-faith efforts to:

  • protect special sites and consider forest aesthetics;
  • dispose of slash in an environmentally sound manner;
  • use chemicals prudently; and
  • contract with licensed and insured loggers and forest management contractors.

If you would like additional information on Tree Farm certification in Florida, or if you meet the qualifications outlined above and want to have your property inspected, please refer to the Tree Farm Districts map for the appropriate contact person in your area. You may also email us at [email protected].

For more information about the benefits of Tree Farming and the American Tree Farm System, please visit www.TreeFarmSystem.org.

2024 Jon Gould Florida Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year: Floyd Vanzant (Nassau County)

Floyd Vanzant’s property has been in the family since the early 1800’s and has historically been used for timber and livestock production.  Currently, the property is owned by Mr. Vanzant and his wife Mary and is estimated to contain about 400 acres.

Floyd has increasingly become more involved in the timber aspect of the management of his property. Over the past several years he has become interested in silvopasture. His property has been used recently for a silvopasture workshop conducted by the Florida Forest Service and sponsored by the Florida Tree Farm Association.

Recently, his son-in-law, Michael Franklin, has taken an active role in assisting with the management of the property.  His assistance is appreciated by the family.

Over the years, Floyd has contributed to his community and forestry as he has served as a county commissioner, Hilliard Town Council member, Mayor of Hilliard, and as a county Farm Bureau board member since 1997. He is now serving as the Vice President.  In the past, he has also served on the Forestry Committee with the Farm Bureau.

He participates in and is certified in the Florida Forest Service’s Forest Stewardship program. His property is also certified as a Tree Farm.

Active management of his property has led Floyd to take advantage of various cost share programs to assist him in reforesting harvested areas or afforesting additional acres on his property. He is also mindful of water quality, best management practices, and wildlife on his property.

He takes his role as a good steward of his property very seriously and believes that multiple use land management enhances sustainability of timber, livestock, water quality, wildlife, and recreation.

 

2023 Jon Gould Florida Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year: Terry and Howard Putnal (Madison County)

The Florida Tree Farm Program is proud to recognize Mr. Terry Putnal and, his father, Howard Putnal (in memoriam) as the 2023 Jon Gould Florida Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year. The Putnals’ tree farm operation exemplifies The American Tree Farm’s four critical points of light – Wood, Water, Recreation, and Wildlife.

Howard Putnal originally purchased the Madison County property in the early 1980s and it has been a Florida Certified Tree Farm for nearly 40 years. Over 350 of their 493 acres are enrolled in the Florida Tree Farm Program. Howard always aspired to be the Florida Tree Farmer of the Year, but sadly passed away just over a year ago. Terry Putnal is very proud to manage the property in accordance with his father’s vision and honors the management decisions that he and his father developed together. Terry has ensured his father’s legacy will continue by confirming that his nephew is familiar with their forest and wildlife management plans.

One of Howard’s greatest concerns for the property’s future was to preserve the headwaters of the cypress tree-laden Norton Creek. Terry respects this wish and included this preservation in his current management plan. In past years, Terry’s father planted many sawtooth oaks and other mast-producing trees in this wetland zone for wildlife. Terry has continued to follow his father’s lead by removing planted pines that adjoin the creek and is allowing the forest to naturally regenerate.

Terry is a wealth of knowledge to his community regarding the appropriate application of herbicides for successful pine establishment and growth. Terry works in close partnership with his Florida Forest Service county foresters, Zach Butler and Jared Beauchamp, to obtain the best and most recent industry information. In addition to managing his own property, Terry operates a business that provides high-quality site preparation, planting, and vegetation management for other landowners. Although it is his livelihood, whenever a landowner asks Terry for information on proper herbicide application, management decisions, or planting techniques, Terry provides the information free of charge because he wants the landowner to be successful. Terry wants to see the best in forestry and contributes to his growing knowledge by being the first to experiment with techniques such as planting seasons, densities, temperatures, methods (e.g., bare-root vs. containerized), and/or herbicide application rates.

Recreationally, Terry allows hunting on the property, but his main interest is vested in the history of the old Florida Cracker Horse and scrub cows. He maintains breeding herds of both breeds and endorsed having the Cracker Horse become the “State Horse” by joining others in a ride to Tallahassee. Not only does he recognize the cultural history and breed’s function, but he’ll also actively jump on their back to round up stray cattle when moving the herd.

Terry’s land management strategy is a great example of how to responsibly use forestry practices “in the right place” to meet economic goals. Guided by his father’s passion for forestry, Terry provides a positive impact to fellow forest owners and is very worthy of this honor.

2022 NATIONAL OUTSTANDING TREE FARMERS OF THE YEAR: Doug and Theresa Moore

Longtime Association members Doug and Teresa Moore of SouthProng Plantation have been recognized as the American Tree Farm System’s 2022 National Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year!  This is a tremendous honor for Doug and Teresa and for the Florida Tree Farm Program as well.

Learn more.

2022 JON GOULD FLORIDA OUTSTANDING TREE FARMER OF THE YEAR: Albert Fuller (Levy County)

The Florida Tree Farm Program is proud to congratulate Mr. Albert Fuller of Levy County as Florida’s 2022 Jon Gould Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year. Mr. Fuller was selected for this award among other certified Tree Farm nominations in Florida, for implementing forest stewardship practices that protect and improve our forest resources and in recognition of his exceptional efforts to promote forest stewardship within his community.

Mr. Fuller is a man of many talents; however, his greatest joy is time spent on his 75-acre property of which 60 of its acres are certified as a Tree Farm. Mr. Fuller’s farm includes planted pines and natural stands of pines and hardwoods, as well as livestock, sugar cane, and other crops.

As a part of his forest management plan, Mr. Fuller manages his property with balanced objectives that include timber production, recreation, wildlife, water resources, and a desire to leave a long-term impact on his community. For example, longleaf pine on the property has been regenerated both naturally and with hand and machine planting. He sustainably harvests his forest for firewood and conducts periodic prescribed burning. Vegetation management is accomplished through the use of prescribed fire, mechanical treatments, and to a lesser extent, herbicides when appropriate. In certain areas of his tract, Mr. Fuller manages for timber and goat production simultaneously though agroforestry practices which prevent the buildup of understory fuels.

Mr. Fuller’s interest in trees and agriculture are rooted in his youth as a member of the New Farmers of America, a vocational agriculture program for African-American men, in the early to mid-1960’s. Inspiration also came from his grandfather and great-grandfather, who both owned considerable acreage in Levy County, and helped develop his appreciation for land conservation. Mr. Fuller spent a 42-year career working in agriculture with 38 of those years with various programs of the University of Florida IFAS Cooperative Extension Service.

Since his retirement from UF/IFAS, Mr. Fuller volunteers his time to deliver educational presentations to mainly minority landowners in Levy, Dixie, and Alachua Counties. His programs focus on building awareness of income-generating opportunities, and available landowner assistance programs provided by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and Florida Forest Service. He also promotes the use of various forest management techniques to reach multiple objectives. “Investment in land is one of the safest investments that can be had” and “it only produces attractive returns if you do something with it”, says Fuller. With this realization, Mr. Fuller actively inspires and educates other forest landowners to manage their property and achieve returns that they may have not thought were possible.

Mr. Fuller is an active volunteer in his community and strives to make an impact with agricultural and forestry outreach. Locally, he shares his expertise to advise a minority farmer cooperative near Monteocha (Alachua County); guides access to cost-share assistance and forest management markets to small female-owned farms (Alachua, Marion, Levy Counties); leads a Community Garden; chairs the City of Otter Creek Planning and Zoning Council; and serves on the board of the Levy County Fair. Internationally, he is involved with leading community development and youth programs in 25 countries, including establishing a 4S (based on 4H) youth organization in Curacao (Netherlands Antilles).

Mr. Fuller is also personally involved with the City of Williston Citizens’ Task Force; Community Resource Organization; political candidate forums; the Community Mental Health Organization; Friends of Cornelius Williams Park; Church Events; a food bank that demonstrated raised bed gardening at 30 food distribution sites in multiple counties; and an elementary school program that facilitates teaching youth how to make positive life skill decisions.

Mr. Fuller is proud that his property serves as home to day-camp programs that introduce basic forest ecology, outdoor skills, and archery to youth along with hosting special programs that instruct women and youth on firearm and ATV safety. Mr. Fuller feels strongly that his property shall continue to provide outdoor recreation opportunities, environmental education programs, remain in his family, and be productively managed.

Across Florida, family forest owners like Mr. Fuller are active in their community and care for the largest portion, more than half, of Florida’s forests. Forest landowner efforts are crucial to the sustainability of our country’s forest resources that provide benefits such as clean water and air, wildlife habitat, carbon storage and a wood supply for the over 5,000 forest products Americans use every day. All from a natural resource that is solar powered, biodegradable, renewable, recyclable, and beautiful.

Florida’s Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year Award honors the memory of Mr. Jon Gould, a respected member of Florida’s Tree Farm Program State Committee and a proud Tree Farmer and advocate for forestry for more than 30 years throughout the southeast. Mr. Gould was selected as the Florida Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year in 2006 and as the Southern Regional Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year in 2018. Mr. Gould passed in 2019. His legacy lives as an ultimate model of the Tree Farm Program for which the Florida award is now renamed beginning in 2020.