Position Statements

SAF's national position statements are important components of our advocacy and outreach efforts. They serve as a foundation to guide our actions on particular issues and act as a catalyst to further dialogue and engagement with policymakers, the media, partner organizations, and SAF units.

Promoting Policies Informed by Science and Practice

Forest Management, Carbon, and Climate Change
Roads in Managed Forests
Wildland Fire Management 
Herbicide Use on Forestlands
State Policies Regarding Private Forest Practices
Clearcutting as a Silvicultural Practice
Timber Harvesting on State, Federal, and Other Public Forest Lands
Nonnative Invasive Forest Species
Regulation of Genetically Modified Trees
Forest Sector Research and Development
Use of Prescribed Fire in Forest Management
Advancing Shared Stewardship on Federal, State, Tribal, and Private Lands

Keeping Forests as Forests

Federal, State, and Local Tax Treatment of Private Forestland and Products  
Parcelization, Fragmentation, and the Loss of Private Forestland in the United States
Forest Inventory and Analysis Program

Highlighting the Diverse Benefits of Managed Forests

Biological Diversity in Forest Ecosystems
Forest Offset Projects in a Carbon Trading System
Strengthening Community Forestry and Urban Tree Management for Multiple Benefits
Utilization of Woody Biomass for Energy
Protecting Endangered Species Habitat on Private Land
Forest Water Resources
Recreation and Managed Forestlands
Forest Products Industries and Markets
Sustainability of American Forests

Advancing the Profession

State Programs to Credential Foresters
Professionals in Natural Resource Management

*Position statements are proposed and developed by the SAF Committee on Forest Policy, in consultation with relevant SAF working groups, other subject-matter experts, and the SAF Board of Directors. They are reevaluated at least every five years and then revised and renewed or retired, accordingly. All posted statements have been approved by the SAF Board of Directors. The absence of a statement on a particular issue does not imply lack of interest, expertise, or involvement.