FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 15, 2015
Contact: Tammie Perreault, Washington Tree Farm Program, 360-515-1340

Washington political and forestry leaders celebrate 75th anniversary of first U.S. tree farm

GRAYS HARBOR – U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer and Tom Martin, President of the American Forest Foundation, will be among the elected officials and other leaders celebrating the 75th Anniversary of America’s first tree farm in Montesano, Wash., on Saturday.

The nation’s first tree farm, founded in the Washington coastal town in 1941, ushered in an era of certified sustainable forestry and family forestry. The Clemons Tree Farm was the first ever certified tree farm, and the U.S now has 80,000 family- owned tree farms, 900 of which are in Washington. Like the Clemons farm, all are certified by the American Tree Farm System (ATFS).

In the last 75 years, small forest landowners have grown into an integral part of forestry in Washington – 40 percent of private forestland (3.2 million acres) in the state is now owned by small landowners. And the Clemons Tree Farm in Montesano was the first forestland in the country ever to be certified for its sustainability.

“So truly, sustainable forestry was started here in Washington 75 years ago,” wrote Elaine Oneil, executive director of the Washington Farm Forestry Association, in an op-ed earlier this year.

The celebration, at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 18 at Montesano High School, 303 Church St. N., will celebrate the Clemons Tree Farm and the power and impact of tree farms around Washington and the country.

The event is sponsored by the Washington Farm Forestry Association, the Washington Tree Farm Program, Society of American Foresters and the City of Montesano.

Highlights of the event:

• Congressman Derek Kilmer, Rep. Brian Blake, Sens. Jim Hargrove and Tim Sheldon will participate in an elected official round robin discussion about forests, small forest landowners and tree farming
• Tom Martin, President of the American Forest Foundation, will speak about the future of tree farming
• State agency round robin discussion with Joe Shramek, Division Manager, Washington Department of Natural Resources, Joe Stohr, Deputy Director of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife; and former Sen. Brian