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Helping Forests Stay Healthy

Wood: an essential resource to society, community, economy

Forests and forest industry need to be sustained A healthy, sustainable forest means a healthy, sustainable community through the provision of jobs, forest products resources, recreation, and a healthy local environment.

Sustainable Forest Management adherence to global standards modeling best practices contributing research development of creative solutions to complex issues

a rule; anything authorized as the measure of quantity or quality; recognizing excellence. Definition of third-party certification: Independent evaluation of performance; assessment that adopted standards have been met or exceeded Dictionary definitions: Standards

The Forest Stewardship Council was created to change the dialogue about and the practice of sustainable forestry worldwide. FSC International Founded in FSC-US based in Washington, D.C. Successful in certifying forests in 62 countries. Support manufacturers of certified forest products in 66 countries. FSC: A Global Organization

Principles & Criteria Flowchart See Resources section for enlarged flowchart

Ten Principles of FSC 1. Compliance with Laws and FSC Principles – forest management must abide by all applicable laws of the country in which they occur. 2. Tenure and Use Rights and Responsibilities – rights to the land are clearly defined and clearly established. 3. Indigenous People’s Rights - indigenous peoples’ rights to own, use and manage their lands are recognized and respected. 4. Community Relations and Worker’s Rights –maintain and/or enhance the long-term social and economic well-being of forest workers and local communities. 5. Benefits from the Forest – encourage the efficient use of the forest’s resources and services to ensure economic viability, and environmental and social benefits.

Ten Principles of FSC continued… 6. Environmental Impact – conserve biological diversity, water resources, soils, and unique and fragile ecosystems and landscapes, maintaining the ecological functions and integrity of the forest. 7. Management Plan - a plan is written, implemented, and kept up to date, including statements of long-term objectives. 8. Monitoring and Assessment – monitoring is conducted to assess the condition of the forest, yields of forest products, chain of custody, management activities and their social and environmental impacts. 9. Maintenance of High Conservation Value Forests – management activities enhance the attributes of HCV forests. 10. Plantations – plantations, when allowed, should complement the management of, reduce pressures on, and promote the restoration and conservation of natural forests.

Third-Party Certification FSC accredits independent, “third-party” certification bodies or “certifiers.” These people assess forest management using the FSC principles, criteria, and standards, using their own evaluative process. This allows FSC to remain outside of the assessment process, and supports the integrity of the standard, and of the FSC system. Certifiers evaluate both forest management activities (forest certification) and tracking of forest products (chain-of-custody certification). There are 12 FSC-accredited certifiers around the globe.

FSC Mission To promote and enhance well-managed forests through credible certification that is environmentally responsible, socially acceptable, and economically viable. FSC’s main tool for achieving this mission is a product-labeling system. The public faces of this system are the following FSC registered Trademarks:  The “checkmark and tree” logo  The initials “FSC”  The title “Forest Stewardship Council”

Maintaining integrity… It is absolutely essential to FSC’s mission that the authority, integrity and credibility of all of these Trademarks are maintained, and that the Trademarks are publicly recognized and understood. FSC’s aim is to ensure that the FSC Trademarks are used correctly and as widely as possible.

Logo Use continued… All certificate holders (Forest Management and Chain-of- Custody) should seek logo use information and permission from their certifying agency (FSC Accredited Certifiers). All non-certificate holders (retailers, NGO’s, etc.), as well as media, educational institutions, etc., in the U.S. who wish to use the FSC logo, should contact Katie Miller, Nominated Logo Agent for FSC-US at: or All parties outside in the U.S. who wish for permission to use the logo should contact FSC International in Bonn, Germany at or

Chain of Custody

Keeping Track

“Forest-friendly lumbering” Columbus Dispatch “Guilt-free furniture” Columbus Dispatch “What’s a Good Wood” Washington Post “Finding Good Wood” Natural Home Magazine March/April 04 “Steady Acceptance of Third-party Certification” Building Products Digest March 04 “What Green Labels Mean” Kansas City Star “Logo signals wood is from managed forests” Chicago Tribune “Growing Greener Forests” National Wildlife Oct/Nov 03 “Centex and KB Home Take a Proactive Stand in Reluctant Battle with Forest Activists” Big Builder July 03 “Kinko’s Adds First FSC-certified Paper” Greenbiz.com “Domtar to Promote Greener Paper Products” Wall Street Journal “How Home Depot and Activists Joined to Cut Logging Abuse” Wall Street Journal FSC in the Press…

FSC and LEED Under the LEED™ system, points can be awarded in five categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy & atmosphere, materials & resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation & design process. Credit 7 under the materials & resources category addresses the issue of certified wood, with the intent of encouraging environmentally responsible forest management. The requirements for the credit are: “Use a minimum of 50% (based on cost) of wood-based materials and products, certified in accordance with the Forest Stewardship Council’s Principles and Criteria, for wood building components including, but not limited to, structural framing and general dimensional framing, flooring, finishes, furnishings, and non-rented temporary construction applications such as bracing, concrete form work and pedestrian barriers.”

Challenges to Forest Industry Adoption of FSC Standards It’s change Conventional practices and process in place Cost Perception of regulation

Challenges to the Design Community Education process Product delivery lead times until supply is adequate. Increasing demand is crucial.

Steps to Overcoming Barriers Education process Increased demand for FSC wood and products-- LEED supports industry transformation by awarding a point for use of FSC certified wood products. Development of better tools for harvesting and wood product manufacturing Community support for better practices Incentives to industry and users

Obtaining FSC products USE the FSC International Database: This database will only search manufacturers and distributors, not retailers. Locate it at To find products carried by your local retailer, you must contact them directly. Products bearing the FSC logo are available across the world from a variety of mills, manufacturers, and distributors. In addition, many retailers in the U.S. also stock FSC products, including The Home Depot, Lowe’s Home Improvement Centers, and Kinko’s. Please ask your local retailer for information on their FSC-certified products.

FSC vision of “mission accomplished”

photo credit Mike Murray Healthy Forests = Healthy Future

Additional Resources (information about FSC in the US) (information about FSC globally) (searchable product database) (searchable product database) (to see LEED certified projects which have used FSC-certified wood products)

Links to certificate holders Fisher Hamilton, Two Rivers, WI

Additional MTS Modules Where You Can Learn About FSC Green Buildings Sustainable Hardsurface Flooring Green Homes Sustainable Furniture Green Labs

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