It is widely accepted that forest resources and associated lands should be managed to meet the social, economic, ecological, cultural and spiritual needs for present and future generation. –Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)

In response to this understanding there has been an increase in public awareness of the destruction of forests and the degradation of the ecosystems they belong to. This has led consumers to demand that the products they purchase are not contributing to the destruction but that they are actually helping to secure a healthy future for forests. The response to consumer demand created the certification process to ensure that forests are lumbered appropriately and wood products are manufactured properly.

Forest certification is an international entity and the same principles and criteria are applied to all types of forests all over the world. There are several accredited certification organizations including the Forest Stewardship Council, Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Canadian Standards Association, and Tree Farm. Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is the largest and first certification organization. FSC was co-founded in 1993 by SmartWood which is the first worldwide certifier and among the first to be accredited by the FSC. SmartWood's parent organization is the Rainforest Alliance who is dedicated to protecting ecosystems and the people and organisms that depend on those environments.

This purpose of this project is to provide a brief history of the certification process along with the current practices and regulations that are used today. This web site also includes the goals of forest certification and a section that assists consumers in finding certified products as well as links to several organizations to help you learn more about the certification process.

Certification makes you understand land management better; it forces you to think about what you are doing and look after all the systems you should be taking into account anyway. –Si Balch, New England Forestry Foundation

Photo courtesy of FSC Pocket Guide