West Point Tree Farm

Perhaps the most unusual Tree Farm in the U.S, is the West Point Tree Farm, located on the banks of the Hudson River in New York on the campus of the historic military academy founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1802.  It is unusual because its 12,736 acres are the only federal land certified as part of the American Tree Farm System.  The one-of-a-kind designation was granted by ATFS in 1987 and resulted from West point's long-standing commitment to sustainable forestry.  that commitment began when the Academy hired its first forester - Gifford Pinchot - in 1903.

Pinchot, a pioneer in forest management and the father of the U.S. National Forest Service, developed the first management plan for West Point's forestlands.  This is still reflected in West Point's Integrated natural Resource Management Plan for the 21st century.  The plan focuses on maintaining ecosystem viability, protecting ecosystem integrity, protecting and enhancing biological communities, and protecting the forests from unacceptable damage and degradation - all while serving as a setting for rigorous military training.

Learn more about the West Point Tree Farm here.

Source - American Tree Farm System