ACF Mission, Values and Policy

Mission Statement

The mission of the Association of Consulting Foresters of America is to advance the practice of professional consulting forestry.

Core Values

Professional and ethical excellence
Belief in a strong free enterprise system
Commitment to science-based stewardship of natural resources
Cooperative relationships among ACF foresters

Policy

The Association of Consulting Foresters of America, Inc.:

1. Endorses the free enterprise system, including all rights and privileges inherent to the ownership and management of private property.

2. Believes forest management, timber growing, and natural resource activities are essential private property enterprises that yield public benefits.

3. Promotes use of the best professional, economic, and ethical expertise in management of the world’s forest resources.

4. Believes that subsidized aid and forestry services to the owners of economically viable private forests is contrary to the public interest.

5. Believes that where subsidized aid and forestry services are conducive to economic viability of private forest management, such aid and forestry services are most effectively and economically applied through the private sector.

6. Supports fair and equitable income, estate, and property tax policy that promotes long-term investment in forest management practices necessary to maintain a healthy and productive forestland resource.

7. Supports and encourages unbiased, professional forest research, public information and education, and fire protection as common good activities.

8. Believes that management of public forestlands for multiple-use, yielding both commodity and non-commodity benefits for all segments of society, best serves the public interest.

9. Joins with all others who recognize that healthy and economically viable forestlands, as well as economically healthy forest products industries, provide the greatest good for the nation.

Policy updated November 3, 2010