Forest Certification

MFL Group Forest Certification

Tree Farm Logo
Wisconsin MFL Tree Farm Group Record #007
Certificate #NSF-ISR 1Y544-T1
Lists of MFL - Tree Farm Certified Group Members

FSC Logo
FSC Certificate # SW-FM-COC-Pending
Lists of MFL Certified Group Members

Governor Doyle Accepts Certification for the Wisconsin MFL Group in 2005.

The Department of Natural Resources manages a Group Certification program for non-industrial forestland enrolled in the Managed Forest Law (MFL). MFL Group Certification focuses on DNR's administration of the group and quality of management on member land. Third-party auditors determine if the MFL Group conforms to ATFS and FSC principles and performance measures.

American Tree Farm System® (ATFS) accredited auditors from NSF-International Strategic Registrations verified full conformance with ATFS Standards for Sustainability in May 2005. Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification has been offered by SmartWood-Rain Forest Alliance and is expected to be awarded by late October 2008 following closure of three preconditions.

ATFS and FSC recognition of MFL creates the largest group certification program for private landowners in North America. Membership includes over 42,000 MFL orders of designation on 2 million acres. The MFL Certified Group Program is free and entirely voluntary for landowners with 10 to 2,470 total acres under MFL. Individual MFL participants may elect to deactivate affiliation with the Certified Group without dropping out of MFL. Lists of active MFL Certified Group Members can be found below. Large industrial-owned tracts in MFL are not included in the MFL Certified Group, but many are certified on their own.

Benefits from membership in the MFL Certified Group include:

The ability to sell timber in the certified marketplace. Many wood-using industries here and around the world are buying certified wood as evidence to consumers that forested lands are well managed and that their raw materials come from legal sources.
Ability to participate in carbon markets. Landowners can receive payments through carbon sequestration markets for growing and maintaining forests. Carbon credit payments are relatively new but are predicted to become more common as U.S. efforts to control air pollution and climate change evolve. Current carbon markets require forest certification as a prerequisite to receiving carbon payments.
An opportunity to educate neighbors and the public about the importance of well-managed private forests. The American Tree Farm System and FSC are widely recognized symbols of responsible forestry. Participation in the MFL Certified Group strengthens the message that private lands play a critical role in protecting our environment and serving the needs of society.

FSC and Tree Farm certification involve commitments. Full responsibilities are described in the MFL Certified Group Handbook [PDF, 1MB]. Some unique land management requirements in the ATFS or FSC standards that could go beyond the general MFL program include:

Using pesticides (when needed) that are not prohibited by FSC. Information about FSC prohibited chemicals is available [PDF, 64KB].
Not planting Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in the forest. GMOs are created through engineered gene splicing, not traditional breeding, and are prohibited by FSC since their affect on the environment is unknown.
Keeping forest products harvested from MFL Group land separate from products harvested from non-MFL Group land during commercial harvest operations. Forest certification programs prohibit attempts to sell non-certified wood under a certification claim.
Adhering to Wisconsin Forestry Best Management Practices (BMPs). BMPs are voluntary (not legal regulations), but MFL Group members are expected to abide by them.
Including liability insurance and safety requirements in timber sale contracts.

The following collection of publications, reports and links explain the MFL Certified Group program.

Lists of MFL - Tree Farm Certified Group Members

The MFL - Tree Farm Certified Group includes approximately 42,000 Managed Forest Law Orders of Designation covering 2 million acres of private land. Following are lists of the Group Members' land in Adobe Acrobat file format. To verify if an MFL Order Number is included in the certified group, use the Search tool within Adobe Acrobat Reader to look it up. Enter the nine-digit MFL Order Number including the hyphens in the Search box. You can also browse the lists by county, municipality and legal description.

Note that these lists only designate MFL Certified Group Members. They do not indicate if the land is open or closed to public access. To protect the privacy of the property owners, the lists do not include landowner names.

Contact

Paul Pingrey - Wisconsin DNR Forest Certification Specialist
Kathryn Nelson - Forest Tax Section Chief

Last Revised: Thursday September 18 2008