American Forestry Association
Encyclopedia
The American Forestry Association (AFA) was formed in Chicago
, Illinois
in September 1875 by John Aston Warder
. The current headquarters are in Washington, D.C.
. The organization acts as a clearinghouse for environmental organizations working to preserve world tree
growth. The "National Register of Big Trees" keeps track of tree growth and potential damage from environmental pollution
. Recently, the organization has been active in assessing damage within Germany
's Black Forest
where acid rain
has devastated much of the old growth forest
.
The Association publishes the magazine, American Forests and Forest Life, and members include the executive director of the Boy Scouts of America
, railroad officials, the president of the American Federation of Labor
, officers of farmers' organizations, deans of forestry schools, governors, the presidents of the American Federation of Women's Clubs and of the League of Women Voters
, the chief forester of the National Forest Service.
The American Forestry Association changed its name to American Forests
in 1992 to better reflect its environmental efforts. American Forests is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to "grow a healthier world" .
American Forests is composed of three separate program areas; Forest Policy, Urban Ecosystem Analysis, and Global ReLeaf tree planting.
American Forests has a goal of 100 million planted trees by 2020. They are attempting to achieve this via their Global ReLeaf tree planting program center which plants one tree for every $1 donated. Approximately 90% of all their tree plantings occur in the United States each year .
To date, American Forests has planted more than 25 million trees worldwide .
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
in September 1875 by John Aston Warder
John Aston Warder
John Aston Warder was a physician, influential leader in the fields of horticulture and forestry, and founder of the American Forestry Association. He was among the first to propose the planting of belts of trees on the great western plains.-External resources: *. Peeling Back the Bark, the...
. The current headquarters are in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. The organization acts as a clearinghouse for environmental organizations working to preserve world tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
growth. The "National Register of Big Trees" keeps track of tree growth and potential damage from environmental pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
. Recently, the organization has been active in assessing damage within Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
's Black Forest
Black Forest
The Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres ....
where acid rain
Acid rain
Acid rain is a rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, meaning that it possesses elevated levels of hydrogen ions . It can have harmful effects on plants, aquatic animals, and infrastructure. Acid rain is caused by emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen...
has devastated much of the old growth forest
Old growth forest
An old-growth forest is a forest that has attained great age , and thereby exhibits unique ecological features. An old growth forest has also usually reached a climax community...
.
The Association publishes the magazine, American Forests and Forest Life, and members include the executive director of the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
, railroad officials, the president of the American Federation of Labor
American Federation of Labor
The American Federation of Labor was one of the first federations of labor unions in the United States. It was founded in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions disaffected from the Knights of Labor, a national labor association. Samuel Gompers was elected president of the Federation at its...
, officers of farmers' organizations, deans of forestry schools, governors, the presidents of the American Federation of Women's Clubs and of the League of Women Voters
League of Women Voters
The League of Women Voters is an American political organization founded in 1920 by Carrie Chapman Catt during the last meeting of the National American Woman Suffrage Association approximately six months before the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution gave women the right to vote...
, the chief forester of the National Forest Service.
See also
- Old growth forestOld growth forestAn old-growth forest is a forest that has attained great age , and thereby exhibits unique ecological features. An old growth forest has also usually reached a climax community...
- SustainabilitySustainabilitySustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
- BiodiversityBiodiversityBiodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
- EcologyEcologyEcology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
- EcosystemEcosystemAn ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
- Earth ScienceEarth scienceEarth science is an all-embracing term for the sciences related to the planet Earth. It is arguably a special case in planetary science, the Earth being the only known life-bearing planet. There are both reductionist and holistic approaches to Earth sciences...
- Natural environmentNatural environmentThe natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
- NatureNatureNature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
- Conservation MovementConservation movementThe conservation movement, also known as nature conservation, is a political, environmental and a social movement that seeks to protect natural resources including animal, fungus and plant species as well as their habitat for the future....
The American Forestry Association changed its name to American Forests
American Forests
American Forests is a 501 non-profit conservation organization dedicated to protecting and restoring healthy forest ecosystems. Their stated mission is to "grow a healthier world with trees". The organization was established in 1875 as the American Forestry Association by physician and...
in 1992 to better reflect its environmental efforts. American Forests is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to "grow a healthier world" .
American Forests is composed of three separate program areas; Forest Policy, Urban Ecosystem Analysis, and Global ReLeaf tree planting.
American Forests has a goal of 100 million planted trees by 2020. They are attempting to achieve this via their Global ReLeaf tree planting program center which plants one tree for every $1 donated. Approximately 90% of all their tree plantings occur in the United States each year .
To date, American Forests has planted more than 25 million trees worldwide .
External links
- Policy statement of the AFA
- American Forests magazine
- American Forests - Official website
- Inventory of the American Forestry Association Records, 1875 - 1997, in the Forest History SocietyForest History SocietyThe Forest History Society is an American non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of forest and conservation history. The society was established in 1946 and incorporated in 1955....
Library and Archives, Durham, NC