How We Work

Nearly 60 percent of forestland in the U.S. is owned by private citizens. Reaching family forest owners is a unique role played by AFF's Center for Conservation Solutions (CCS). Through local, regional and national initiatives with conservation partners, private organizations and public agencies, CCS develops sustainable forestry conservation strategies for species-at-risk and then educates and motivates family forest owners to adopt them.

Few families can afford to sustain a forested property for long without generating some income from their land. Even if the land is fully paid for, annual tax and upkeep expenses can make forestland a liability, not an asset. Unless these expenditures can be offset by occasional income, more forestland will likely be lost to urban sprawl and development. One of the most challenging natural resource issues today is the continued fragmentation of forests and watersheds. For these reasons, CCS integrates conservation priorities and economic realities to promote ecosystem management that improves habitat for imperiled species and at the same time generates income, thereby ensuring long-term economic as well as ecological sustainability.

The CCS conservation approach is voluntary, pro-active, and cost-effective. Often the greatest challenge lies in making landowners fully aware of how they can contribute to conservation efforts and that assistance is available to make it happen. Landowners are receptive to ideas that are presented as suggestions. They like to hear about what they could do rather than what they should not do. CCS outreach and education raises awareness and spurs landowners to action using landowner hosted field workshops, family forest owner handbooks, conservation trails, and landowner signs.

Partnerships are the Power of CCS
CCS works with partners on a local, regional, and national level to maximize the program’s impact. Each partner plays a unique role that adds a critical element to an initiative. CCS coordinates initiatives so that the strength and efforts of each partner result in a greater conservation benefit than any one partner could achieve alone. Partners like American Bird Conservancy recruit support from specific conservation communities. Groups like Environmental Defense provide experience with regulatory issues and creative solutions. Partners like the Longleaf Alliance provide technical expertise. Partners like the Mississippi Fish & Wildlife Foundation help deliver cost-share funding to landowners. State forest agencies and associations link initiatives to the broader forestry community. Federal partners like the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and USDA Forest Service provide technical expertise and guidance. In 2002, the CCS predecessor program, Forests for Watersheds and Wildlife (F2W2) received recognition for its Maine Atlantic salmon initiative from the Natural Resources Council of America “Partnership Award” thanks to a successful regional partnership with Trout Unlimited, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Maine Forest Service, and Downeast Salmon Federation.