The American Tree Farm System recognized six UNH Cooperative Extension educators for their significant contributions toward sustainable forestry on private lands.

Extension Educator Phil Auger received the Tree Farm Silver Hard Hat award for his certification of 50 new Tree Farms.

Receiving the Tree Farm Bronze Hard Hat award for certification of 25 new Tree Farms were Extension Educators Jon Nute, Sam Stoddard and Nory Parr, and Extension Specialists Matt Tarr and Karen Bennett.

Private landowners now own 57 percent of this nation’s forests. In New Hampshire, 75 percent of our landscape is privately owned. Nationally, the 80,000 private landowners who are certified in the American Tree Farm System are managing their forestlands for wood, water, wildlife and recreation. New Hampshire has 1,600 Tree Farmers managing more than 800,000 acres.

These Tree Farmers are contributing every day to the timber production we need to help meet the increasing demand for forest products, and doing so while caring for our wildlife, water and recreational resources. Learn more about the New Hampshire Tree Farm Program.

Congratulations to these staff who help make this program such a success in New Hampshire!