Green Horizons

It started with Pioneer Forest and Value Missouri (GH, Vol. 9, No. 1). Now, not a week goes by where someone doesn’t call either my office or the folks with the Missouri Forest Products Association looking for ‘certified’ sources of wood for the manufacture of their product; be it lumber for houses or bird houses (as Dave Barry would say, "I’m not making this up!"). In Missouri, due to the decentralized nature of the forest products industry, it has been difficult to match supply with demand. But, things are beginning to change.

In addition to FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) forest management certification of Pioneer Forest, Clearwater Forest Consultants, LLC (www.clearwaterforestconsultants.com) located in Piedmont, Mo., has received their FSC accredited resource manager certification. This was the first opportunity that family forest landowners had to access these emerging "green markets." Another opportunity is now available through the American Tree Farm system (www.treefarmsystem.org) as ATF has been formally recognized and endorsed by the Progamme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (PEFC).

So, what does all this mean for Missouri forest landowners?
There is no single certification program that is “best” for all landowners (see box). FSC and ATF’s PEFC certification vary in participant requirements, process and cost. But, they (as well as other programs) attempt to produce sustainable forests. "Attempt" is a good qualifier here because the ultimate responsibility for sustainable forest management rests with the forest landowner.

Clearwater Forest Consultants also is considering seeking what is called IMG (Independently Managed Group) certification through ATF. This would allow a landowner who chooses not to be a Tree Farmer, or be FSC certified, to have his or her forest managed as part of a larger group that would be PEFC certified.

Currently, landowners in other parts of the country have not received any significant premium for their certified wood. But, as our lead-in suggests, the demand is growing rapidly, so who knows what tomorrow will bring regarding premium pricing.

One thing is certain, however, and that is forest landowners who participate in either of these two programs do have access to another rapidly developing market… the carbon market. This is because one key requirement to register your forest in the managed forest offset program is that it be certified as a sustainably managed forest.

As events unfold, we will work to keep our GH readers in-the- know.

Which certification is best for you as a family forest landowner? Consider these points when deciding:

• Certification costs
• Suitability of your management practices with the certification program standards
• Availability of certified managers and auditors in your area
• Current/projected demand for certified forest products bearing the label of the program you are considering

We must also recognize two other key players in the certification scheme; the loggers and saw/pulpmills. They must handle wood from certified forests in a rigorous ‘chain of custody’ to ensure the green label is maintained to the end customer. To the best of GH’s knowledge, there are four forest product companies in Missouri that have FSC chain of custody certification:

• Mercantile Lumber Company, Van Buren
• NewPage Corporation, Advance
• Ron Harper Logging, Summersville
• Smith Flooring, Mtn. View These companies are to be applauded for the time and resources they have contributed to meeting FSC standards!

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