The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is international with growing and wide acceptance by manufacturing companies. Enrollment includes initial and periodic inspection and can be expensive, but FSC accepts group certification where multiple growers work with a consultant to reduce costs. The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) was largely developed by US forest product industries and is primarily intended for large acreage land. The American Tree Farm System (ATFS) is geared for family-owned forests, has low enrollment costs, and is growing in acceptance as a certification program. Because short-rotation forestry is relatively new to certification, standards may not yet be fully developed by certification programs.

Are permits required?

Phytoremediation applications can involve special permitting from state agencies, such as the North Carolina Division of Water Resources or federal agencies such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and are application specific. In some cases, a primary entity such as a landowner, municipality or county, or consulting firm will be the permittee, but tree growers should be familiar with the requirements of the permit.

Reaching Landowners as a Consultant

Broad-based methods: General outreach can disseminate information to a wide range of people (Figure 31). Tools and methods include: Field days on demonstration farms or manufacturing facilities that purchase and process short-rotation materials; presentations at landowner meetings organized around regional commodities such as Christmas trees, cattle production, or other crops; and, having printed or web-based material available through Cooperative Extension, Farm Bureau, or USDA Farm Services Agency.

Targeted methods: Targeted efforts (one on one) should be focused on landowners known as innovators or early adopters. These types of landowners are not only more receptive to new ideas, but are more accepting of uncertainty and better able to adapt to changes needed as a project proceeds. Many of these landowners tend to be known within landowner organizations such as Grange, commodity associations, local Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Farm Bureau, and also by Extension agents and Farm Service Agency staff.