Sustainable Forest Certification

There are many forest certification standards available in North America and around the world. In the United States and Canada, there are three main programs:

  • The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) program directly measures forest practices using a tough standard of environmental principles, objectives and performance measures. It includes a product label.
  • The Canadian Standards Association (CSA Z808/809) standard uses internationally recognized criteria to measure on-the-ground forest practices and performance. These criteria are adapted to local conditions through a transparent public participation process. The CSA standard includes product labeling and tracks the product from forest to mill to retailer, to assure that only certified lumber reaches the consumer.
  • The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) uses ten principles of forest management to assess on-the-ground forest practices. These principles are adapted to local conditions using regional standards. Like the CSA standard, the FSC standard includes a product label and tracks wood from harvest to retailer.

Ensuring Success

Currently no single certification program is capable of meeting the growing demand for certified forest products. That's why retailers are turning in increasing numbers to a variety of standards. This inclusive approach allows for competition among certifiers while ensuring that consumers have access to an adequate supply of quality certified products.

Forest certification across Canada continues to grow. According to the Canadian Sustainable Forestry Coalition, the area certified to forestry specific standards (CSA, SFI, FSC) has more than tripled in the last two years—from 18 million hectares in 2002 to 58 million hectares in 2004. According to a status report published in June 2004 by the Canadian Certification Coalition, 57.7 million hectares (142.5 million acres) of forest land across the country, representing an annual allowable cut of 65 million m3, has been certified to one (or more) of the three main standards.

In the United States, about 108.9 million acres of forest have been independently certified as being sustainably managed as of 2004.