Welcome

The Cradle of Forestry in America is the site of the first forestry school in America – the Biltmore Forest School, founded in 1898 by Dr. Carl Schenck, chief forester for George Vanderbilt’s Biltmore Estate.

The Cradle of Forestry Interpretive Association (CFIA), a 501c3 non profit was founded in 1972 by a group of conservationists to help the US Forest Service tell the story of forest conservation in America, and help people better understand forests and the benefits of forest management.