Momentum of FSC Forest Certification Grows in North America

Interest in forest certification under the worlds most respected system, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) system, continues to increase in the U.S. and Canada. Some 20.9 million acres (8.46 million hectares) of North America forestland are FSC-certified and over 500 manufacturing operations are certified in accordance with FSCs chain-of-custody requirements (verifies the wood is certified from harvest to product). This means certified wood products are available in ever-greater volumes and varieties, making it more readily available in the marketplace. Buyers of all sizes – corporations, institutions, and individuals have an easier time finding and purchasing sustainable wood products and can thus support responsible forestry practices through their purchasing decisions.

Domtar to Seek Certification of 8 Million Ha and Mills Across Canada
Domtar (NYSE/TSX: DTC), a major Canadian paper and forest company, made a ground-breaking announcement last month: the company will certify all 22 million acres of its forests, and all its mills to FSC standards. This very significant commitment doubles the amount of FSC-certified land in North America and makes Domtar the only North American company in its industry to certify all its operations: forest management, manufacturing and distribution.

With Domtar’s contribution, about 25% of Canada’s commercial forest lands will be FSC-certified – nearly 30 million hectares (67.2 million acres). Domtar is the third largest world producer of uncoated free sheet paper and is a leading manufacturer of commercial printing and specialty papers. 12,000 people work for Domtar across North America.

Innovest,
known for its environmental ratings on public companies, considers commitment to FSC an “indicator of enhanced sustainability and a value driver” and upgraded Domtar from BBB to A on the news. Innovest’s 2003 Paper & Forest Products Industry Global Report shows that companies receiving their top rankings outperformed laggards by 43% over the last 4 years. The other sustainability leaders in the sector include: Norske Skog AS (Norway), Georgia-Pacific Corp. (U.S.), and Klabin S.A. (Brazil).

By certifying all its forest operations and mills to FSC standards, Domtar is raising its profile with socially responsible investors, and will be in a position to generate additional revenue from an expanded line of FSC-certified products. (Domtar currently offers two lines of printing paper bearing the FSC logo.)

Domtar has a long-standing involvement with FSC. After FSC standards for the Great Lakes/St Lawrence forest were completed, Domtar certified its private forests there and subsequently developed two FSC certified papers: Domtar Cornwall and Domtar Opaque Plainfield.

States View Certification as Business & Economic Development
Many large paper consumers are demanding that the pulp being used to make their paper come from forests that are certified as managed in a sustainable way. Consumers, such as Time/Warner publishing are demanding green inputs into their products. Many of Wisconsins paper mills rely on these consumers and key customers, says a statement issued by the Wisconsin governors office. Therefore, the state is assessing whether to certify all state lands to ensure the long-term viability of the states forest product and printing industries. Wisconsin has the potential to become a significant source of certified pulp.
Paul DeLong, chief state forester, thinks certification of state lands can also serve as a model for many private landowners and an educational opportunity for the public.

The State of Maine also sees forest certification as a path to business development. Maine has declared that growing demand for certified forest products, including paper, offers the state a significant opportunity to distinguish itself in the market as a consistent source of certified forest products, as well as a way to assure the public that its forests are well-managed.

Maine has the highest percentage of certified forestland in the U.S., with 37% (6.5 million acres) of its total forestland (both private and public) certified. The goal of the newly created Maine Forest Certification Initiative (MFCI) Advisory Committee is increase this amount to 10 million acres by the end of 2007.

The state also gives purchasing preference to certified wood and paper and provides technical assistance and outreach for landowners of all sizes to seek certification.

Northern California Fundraiser Benefits Forest Stewardship Council
Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown, Yale School of Forestrys Michael Conroy, and Janja Eke, working to FSC-certify Nicaraguan furniture makers, will be among the special guests during an evening of Conversation, Cocktails, and Conservation to benefit the Forest Stewardship Councils international effort to ensure the conservation, protection, and restoration of the worlds working forests. This important event will be held Tuesday, December 9, 2003 from 6 to 8 PM in the Berkeley Mills Showroom, 2830 Seventh Street, Berkeley, CA.

A tax-deductible donation of $50 per person will be requested at the door, and more generous donations will be greatly appreciated by the FSC and by the forests and people touched by its critically important work. Reservations may be made by calling 510-549-2854 or via email to dparlin@bmill.com. [sorry this link is no longer available]About the Forest Stewardship Council
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international, non-profit organization committed to the conservation, protection and restoration of the worlds working forests. Born out of the Rio Summit in 1993, FSC has grown from a grass-roots bright idea into a powerful agent for promoting responsible forest management and improving the livelihoods of forest-dependent peoples the world over.

FSC brings together people representing a broad range of ecological, social and economic interests in the worlds forests, and supports them as they work to resolve differences and arrive at standards of forest practice that respect environmental, economic, and social values. Democratic, transparent, and inclusive, the FSC method recognizes the rights of forest-dependent communities and the voices of those traditionally marginalized in policy debates; the need to preserve and promote biodiversity; the essential values of ancient natural woodlands, and the need to ensure lasting commercial value from responsibly managed forests. This balanced approach has helped make FSC the standard of reference used by institutions, government agencies, and corporations in framing their wood procurement policies. By promoting multi-stakeholder dialogue about forest-management issues, FSC has been successful in energizing policy processes that had been stagnant due to low participation and lack of trust among stakeholders. FSCs merit as an effective, global organization is evidenced by the endorsement of mainstream environmental organizations including World Wildlif
e Fund, Greenpeace, and Friends of the Earth, as well as the support of market leaders such as The Home Depot, Lowes, Nike, and IKEA.

Today, FSC operates in 31 countries on 5 continents, and is widely recognized as the standard of reference for responsible forestry. Much of the work worldwide is carried out by small, under-resourced national initiatives with limited staffs and nearly no professional training.

The threat to the worlds forests and forest-dependent people is growing daily. The FSC needs our support now more than ever if it is to have the resources it needs to continue its work to ensure that the worlds working forests last forever.

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