Introduction:
The lumber industry has begun to respond to public concern for the fate of our forests by providing wood that has been certified as having been produced in an environmentally responsible manner. This is now true for the average consumer, as both Home Depot and Lowe's, the two largest home improvement retailers, have announced that they will stop selling wood from endangered forests. Today's bulletin offers information about certification programs and links to information about sustainable forest management.

Retailers Offer Certified Wood

Home Depot to stop selling old-growth wood: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/business/html98/dept_19990827.html
In addition, the company said it is moving toward selling only wood that has been certified "responsible growth," by the Mexico-based Forest Stewardship Council.

Lowe's Joins The Home Depot in Forest Conservation Effort: http://www.fscus.org/press_center/breaking_news/press_releases/lowes_release _8-7.html Now Lowe's Companies, will stop selling wood products from endangered forests over the next three years. The Wilkesboro, North Carolina company also will give preference to wood that is independently certified as having come from forests managed in an environmentally responsible way.

Wood Certification Programs:
The term "independently certified forest products" refers to those products originating in forests that have been certified as sustainably well-managed by an independent, third-party certification organization. In short, certification:

• Ensures that timber harvesting is ecologically sound, and socially and economically beneficial to local communities
• Creates market incentives for producers to responsibly manage forests and harvest timber
• Gives consumers the power to positively "vote" for conservation when they buy certified wood products
• Contributes to the preservation of forests and forest wildlife worldwide

Forest Stewardship Council
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization. It was founded in 1993 by a diverse group of representatives from environmental and conservation groups to the timber industry. The FSC supports environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world's forests. FSC promotes responsible forest management by evaluating and accrediting certifiers, by encouraging the development of national and regional forest management standards, and by providing public education and information about independent, third-party certification as a tool for ensuring that the world's forests are protected for future generations. To display the FSC trademark, a wood product must be harvested from a forest that meet strict standards of sustainability, ecological diversity, and socioeconomic responsibility. By tracking wood from forest to final product, certification enables consumers to support responsible forestry and provides forest owners with an incentive to maintain and improve forest management practices.
Forest Stewardship Council - U.S.
1134 29th Street, NW Washington, DC 20007
Phone: (202) 342-0413 Fax: (202) 342-6589
E-mail: info@foreststewardship.org
Website: http://www.fscus.org

Certified Forest Products Council
The Certified Forest Products Council is an independent, not-for-profit, voluntary initiative committed to promoting responsible forest products buying practices throughout North America in an effort to improve forest management practices worldwide. The Certified Forest Products Council is committed to helping make a member organization a leader in the purchase, use, and/or sale of environmentally responsible forest products.
Certified Forest Products Council
14780 SW Osprey Drive, Suite 285 Beaverton, OR 97007
Phone: (503) 590-6600 Fax: (503) 590-6655
E-mail: info@certifiedwood.org
Website: www.certifiedwood.org

Links

Accredited Forest Certification Bodies:
(accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council for the certification of forest management)

SmartWood

http://www.smartwood.org

Scientific Certification Systems

http://www.scs1.com

SGS

http://www.sgs.co.uk/certification/forestry/index.htm

Non-Government Organizations (NGOs):

Co-Op America/WoodWise Consumer:

http://www.coopamerica.org/woodwise/index.html

National Audubon Society

http://www.audubon.org

Natural Resources Defense Council

http://www.nrdc.org

Rainforest Alliance

http://www.rainforest-alliance.org

U.S. Green Building Council

http://www.usgbc.org

The Wilderness Society

http://www.usgbc.org

World Resources Institute

http://www.wri.org

World Wildlife Fund - US

http://www.wwf.org

Forestry Organizations:

Forest Management Trust

http://www.foresttrust.org

Temperate Forest Foundation

http://www.forestinfo.org

Society of American Foresters

http://www.safnet.org

Sustainable Forestry Partnership

http://sfp.cas.psu.edu

 

 

Suppliers of Certified Wood:
You can search the Certified Forest Products Council for suppliers:

http://www.certifiedwood.org/Suppliers/SuppliersBody.html

Related News Story:
Washington State wants its timber certifiably 'green' Seal of Approval: DNR labeling would assure wood not from endangered forest -- Tacoma News Tribune (10/24/2000): http://search.tribnet.com/archive/archive30/1024a15.html

The King County Environmental Purchasing Program assists County agencies in implementation of King County Executive Policy CON-7-1-2 http://www.metrokc.gov/procure/green/policy.htm,
which requires agencies to use recycled and other environmentally preferable products "wherever practicable." The program researches and assembles information about these products and makes it available to specific agency users who can evaluate them and develop applications in County projects. These Environmental Purchasing (EP) bulletins contain information about the results of product evaluations and other accomplishments of County agencies, as well as general environmental purchasing topics. We hope this information will help you find ways to use recycled materials in the work of your agency and that you will contact us if we can help you with further information or if you have suggestions.

Environmental Purchasing Program We've moved!
Please note our new address and phone numbers.
Our e-mail addresses remain the same.

Karen Hamilton (206/263-4279) and Eric Nelson (206/263-4278)
Environmental Purchasing Program
King County Procurement Services Division Department of Finance
821 Second Avenue, Suite 10 MS: EXC-FI-0862 Seattle, WA 98104 http://www.metrokc.gov/procure/green/

Past EP bulletins: http://www.metrokc.gov/procure/green/bulindex.htm
1999 Annual Report: http://www.metrokc.gov/procure/green/annrep99.pdf
Please e-mail Karen Hamilton at karen.hamilton@metrokc.gov if you have comments, suggestions, or questions about the bulletin, or would like your name removed from the mailing list.