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Who We Are

During the summer of 2005, a Forestry Summit was held in Springfield to examine the vast array of forestry issues across the state. One of the most significant results of the summit was the creation of the Illinois Forestry Association.

Our Mission: To act on issues that impact rural and community forests and to promote forestry throughout Illinois.

The Illinois Forestry Association is a grass-roots organization with a diverse membership of concerned citizens, forest landowners, farmers, small acreage owners, forestry and natural resources professionals, arborists, community foresters, professors, administrators, urban professionals, wood-using business owners, and retirees with grandchildren.  Many of us fit several of these categories.  Our membership also includes conservation organizations, universities, state and federal agencies.  We are hundreds of Illinois residents that have formed the IFA to educate, to act, to promote, and to lobby, because we are concerned about the future of forestry in our state.  What we share is a belief that forestry is good for our state and country and that healthy forests must survive for future generations.


36 Things That We Do:    


Connect. Grow. Stand.


We CONNECT landowners
  1. Educational workshops and tours
  2. Statewide meetings and conferences
  3. Informational brochures on forestry aspects and practices
  4. Person-to-person networking with other landowners
  5. Partnering with other forestry groups to maximize knowledge transfer
  6. Comprehensive list of forestry events state-wide
  7. List of website links for organizations, institutions, and publications
  8. One-stop source for informational videos on forestry
We CONNECT our members
  1. Access to affordable premiums on liability, recreational use, or hunt club insurance
  2. Quarterly, email or printed, newsletter
  3. Emailed forestry news and updates
  4. An open line to your regional directors
  5. Forums for exchange of experience and knowledge
  6. Online library of helpful articles
  7. Links to archived webinars
  8. Online registration for events
  9. Email alerts on any last-minute event cancellations
  10. Easy, online renewal of membership with multi-year discounts using PayPal
  11. Regional forums for local news happenings and regional communication
  12. Email subscriptions to forums
  13. Online networking with other members
  14. Online quick and easy surveys to discover member needs
  15. Member directory for discovering IFA neighbors
We GROW forestry in Illinois
  1. Promote forestry with website links, event calendar, forestry issues explanation
  2. Educate the public about diversity of forest products through website
  3. Promote strategies for improving commercial viability of Illinois' forest industry
  4. Develop marketing materials that promote use of Illinois forest products
We STAND as the VOICE FOR ILLINOIS FORESTS
  1. Provide direction on issues using fact sheets and position statements
  2. Represent forestry interests through a contract lobbyist in Springfield
  3. Educate legislators about the importance of forestry to Illinois
  4. Remind agency administrators of forest landowners’ importance to Illinois
  5. Update policy makers and government agencies about critical forestry issues and activities
  6. Organize legislator contact to support bills advantageous to forestry
  7. Maintain a Forestry Alert for pending legislation affecting forestry and critical forest health issues


IFA Mission:
To act on issues that impact rural and community forests and
To promote forestry throughout Illinois



Partners & Charter Members include:
  • 35 Dedicated Individuals and Families
  • Association of Illinois Soil & Water Conservation Districts
    • Marion County SWCD
    • Marshall-Putnam SWCD
    • McLean County SWCD
    • Perry County SWCD
    • Williamson County SWCD (in memory of Bob Nelson)
  • Henry Tree Commission
  • Illinois Consulting Foresters, Inc.
  • Illinois Division of Forest Resource - Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources
  • Illinois Forestry Development Council
  • Illinois Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
  • Illinois Society of American Foresters
  • Illinois Tree Farm Committee
  • Northwest Illinois Forestry Association
  • Prairie Rivers RC&D
  • Shawnee RC&D
  • Southern Illinois University Carbondale - Department of Forestry
  • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences



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