No discussion of sustainable forestry would be complete without considering the unique aspects of nonindustrial private forests (NIPFs). Owners of these forests control 58% of the commercial forests in the United States. East of the Mississippi this type of ownership accounts for more than two-thirds of the region's timberland, whereas west of the Great Plains the majority of forests are in public ownership. The 261 million acres in NIPFs protect watersheds, provide wildlife habitat, offer scenic beauty, and supply 49% of the timber harvested in the United States, according to the U.S. Forest Service. This supply is critical for many large wood products manufacturers. Weyerhaeuser Co., for instance, harvests 58% of its timber supply from NIPFs nationally, and 90% of these lands are in the South.The ten million NIPF owners - a diverse group including individuals, partnerships, estates, trusts, clubs, tribes, corporations, and associations - confront a variety of challenges that can complicate the practice of sustainable forest management (SFM). Many are not well informed about the economic value of their resource or the importance of consulting professional foresters when making management decisions. Annual property taxes and capital gains taxes can be disincentives to sound, long-term forest management. Without proper estate planning, owners can be forced into making decisions that may prevent them from passing forest land from one generation to the next, and may lead to the conversion of the forest to other uses. Equally important, the objectives of the owners combined with their individual financial circumstances are determining factors whether forest land will be managed sustainablyor not.The cases of seven NIPF ownerships presented here range from a small family forest that is managed for amenity values to a large tract managed for timber and investment. They are located in the Northeast, Pacific Northwest, and Southeast, which represent very different timber-growing regions. Although all these owners use professional forestry advice, and all the properties have been in family ownership for decades, they are indicative of the wide range of NIPF owners' backgrounds, objectives, and financial circumstances. They also illustrate how a diverse group of private landowners has addressed issues of forest sustainability. A section on certification examines three innovative approaches now underway to certify NIPFs: a certified resource manager, a chain-of-custody certified manufacturer, and a single forest owner seeking certification.