NAASF is working with the American Forest Foundation (AFF) on a new initiative to protect key wildlife species on private forest lands across 13 Northeast states from Maine to Virginia.  As a major step forward, AFF recently released a report titled “Hidden in Plain Sight” that identifies three priority forest habitat types, key wildlife species, and recommendations for action.  These recommendations include engaging family forest landowners, active stewardship, and efforts to keep these forests as forests in the future.  State Foresters are working closely with AFF to further develop the recommendations and begin to implement them on the ground. 
 
This project focused on the Northeast is the third in a series of initiatives AFF is launching aimed at family forests and follows previous efforts in the West and Southeast.  A Lakes States initiative is planned to begin later in 2017.  AFF has recently partnered with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to help implement wildlife-related stewardship activities on private forests through $7.2 million in grant funding aimed at 2,500 family woodland owners.