Certification of sustainable forest management is based on internationally agreed upon a criterion that includes forest regeneration – either through natural seed dispersal or by planting, soil and water protection, encouragement of native plant ecosystems, and protection of ownership rights. Although there are more than 45 Certification Systems in effect worldwide, only 3 that are active in New York State have standards that are internationally recognized as meeting or exceeding the minimum: The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), The American Tree Farm System (ATFS – a program of the American Forest Foundation), and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Some properties are certified under more than one system. The total acres of privately owned certified forest in New York State are less than the total of 1,756,074 Acres listed because of this. The actual acres of certified private forests in NYS is somewhere between 1.2 and 1.4 million acres. In addition to these privately owned forest lands, 770,000 acres of New York State Reforestation and Multiple Use areas are certified to both SFI and FSC standards.  
 

NOTE: Some properties are certified under more than one system. The total acres of privately owned certified forest in New York State are less than the total of 1,756,074 Acres listed because of this. The actual acres of certified private forests in NYS is somewhere between 1.2 and 1.4 million acres.