Our Vision, Mission and Principles

Our Vision

We envision ecologically, economically, and socially responsible forestry as the standard for professional forest management, from coast to coast.

Our Mission

The Forest Stewards Guild practices and promotes responsible forestry as a means of sustaining the integrity of forest ecosystems and the human communities dependent upon them. The Guild engages in education, training, policy analysis, research, and advocacy to foster excellence in stewardship, support practicing foresters and allied professionals, and engage a broader community in the challenges of forest conservation and management.

OUR PRINCIPLES

1.

The well-being of human society is dependent on responsible forest management that places the highest priority on the maintenance and enhancement of the entire forest ecosystem.

2.

The natural forest provides a model for sustainable resource management; therefore, responsible forest management imitates nature's dynamic processes and minimizes impacts when harvesting trees and other products.

3.

The forest has value in its own right, independent of human intentions and needs.

4.

Human knowledge of forest ecosystems is limited. Responsible management that sustains the forest requires a humble approach and continuous learning.

5.

The practice of forestry must be grounded in field observation and experience as well as in the biological sciences. This practical knowledge should be developed and shared with both traditional and non-traditional educational institutions and programs.

6.

Our first duty is to forests and their future. When confronted with circumstances that threaten the integrity of the forest and conflict with the Mission and Principles of the Forest Stewards Guild, members must respond through education, advocacy, or where necessary, disassociation. Guild membership signifies a commitment to the highest forest stewardship ethic.

WHAT WE DO DIFFERENTLY

Putting the forest first means:

A balanced view. Rather than wilderness views vs economic development, we focus on solutions with a balanced approach to forest management. Most forest land must support ecological as well as human economic needs. We acknowledge and consider all of these needs in the policies we support and the forest management we do, recommend, and teach on the ground.
We focus on doing. Donations, memberships and support of the Forest Stewards Guild have a direct impact on forest land. We focus on programming and supporting professional members who are implementing responsible forestry every single day.
Learning and collaboration. We will always have more to learn from forests, so we keep listening, watching, researching and sharing knowledge.
Commitment for the long haul. We invest in the next generation of forest stewards by providing training and experience to youth and college students, professional development to current professionals, and education and empowerment to landowners.

Diversity and inclusion

We believe that a diverse workforce reflects the strengths of all members of our community. The Forest Stewards Guild strives to create a collaborative, supportive, and respectful setting for all employees and partners. To meet this goal, we recognize and celebrate the wide range of differences that characterize our members, employees, partners, and collaborators. Indeed, it is those differences that enhance our organization and help us to meet our mission and vision. The Guild values diverse forests because they are more productive, more resilient, more adaptable, and better able to recover from disturbances. Similarly, our community is healthier when we are inclusive of a diversity of people and perspectives.

Anti-discrimination

The Forest Stewards Guild prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, gender identity or expression, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, veteran status, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program.

We welcome all who support our mission and share our principles. Please join us by becoming a member!

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