This is the inaugural newsletter of the Center for Forest and Wood Certification. We hope to provide timely and useful information for those interested in forest, wood, and logger certification and inform our partners and stakeholders of programs and activities of the Center. On behalf of the Center's managing partners you are encouraged to forward this on to those that might be potentially interested and we thank you for your support of certification efforts in the U.S. |
New Group Certificates
A main component of the Center's commitment to facilitating certification is securing Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and American Tree Farm System (ATFS) group management certificates. We have also obtained FSC and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) chain-of-custody FSC group certificates and a FSC control wood certificate. Scientific Certification Systems completed the audit in January and the Center is already engaged in scoping a number of forest management properties for group membership and small primary and secondary forest industries. For more information regarding forest management click here and chain-of-custody certification click here. |
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Cooperating Forester Training
Cooperating Forester training will be held on May 16 and 17 in Danville, KY. This training is mandatory for foresters (consulting or industrial) wanting to submit management plans to the Center to be included in the Center's group forest management certificates. Cooperating Foresters are trained on what goes into a certified management plan and the Center's policies and procedures. Woodland owners are encouraged to ask their forester to become Cooperating Foresters. More information about the training and the Center's Cooperating Forester program can be found by clicking here. |
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National Controlled
Wood Assessment
Controlled Wood issues abound as FSC International is disallowing industry developed controlled wood risk assessments next year and is requiring each country to develop a national risk assessment. FSC US started the process this year with the formation of a national working group facilitated by Gary Dodge, Science and Technology Coordinator for FSC US. Members include: Chris Davidson, International Paper; Michael DeBonis, Forest Guild; Jon Fisher, The Nature Conservancy; Daniel Hall, ForestEthics; Andrew Goldberg, Dogwood Alliance; Brad Holt, Boise Inc.; Jim Sitts, Columbia Forest Products; and Jeff Stringer, University of Kentucky. This group is currently meeting and hopes to provide a recommendation to the FSC U.S. board by late summer or fall. In the meantime there is considerable angst among those with CoC certificates. Primary forest industries in general are concerned. Due to the soft market resulting in limited demand and premiums for FSC wood in some industry sectors it is widely viewed that any increase in the cost of procuring controlled wood may result in a significant number of primary industries dropping their certificates. The result will be the loss of market drivers for forest management certification and ultimately a reduction in the pace of FSC forest certification in the U.S. |
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1st FSC Certified
Family Forest in Kentucky
With the securing of the group forest management certificates the
Center has enrolled the first Forest Stewardship Council certified
 | | Clifton and Barbara Taylor |
Family Forests in Kentucky. The Taylor, Holtzclaw, and Christopher families have met the modified Family Forest indicators within the FSC Standards and can now make FSC claims when they market their timber. Chris Will of Central Kentucky Forest Management and Cooperating Forester with the Center oversaw the certification of these woodland owners. More information about joining the Center's group Forest Management certificates can be found here. |
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Center Sponsors and Support
The Center wishes to thank our sustaining and supporting sponsors. Particular thanks are given to corporate sponsors providing sustaining multiple year commitments including Time Inc., Domtar Corporation, and NewPage Corp. Sustaining contributions are also being provided by the Mountain Association for Community and Economic Development, University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture, Department of Forestry, and the Kentucky Sustainable Forestry Initiative Implementation Committee. Project funding is also being provided by the Kentucky Division of Forestry. The Center also wishes to thank organizations for providing endorsement of the Center including the Kentucky Forest Industry Association, Tennessee Sustainable Forestry Initiative Implementation Committee, Kentucky Chapter of the Association of Consulting Foresters, and the Kentucky Woodland Owner Association. More information about are partners and how you can support the Center's mission, goals, and projects please visit here. |
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Upcoming Information...
- Scoping Effort in Alabama and Kentucky: gap and cost analysis for family forests that have active Forest Stewardship Plans
- Efforts in Logger/Point-of-Harvest Certification
- Working Forests and Conservation Easements - a report on the TNC and Center project at Massey Springs Kentucky.
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| Acres Certified | |
Industrial - 4,450
Family Forests - 1,317 |
| Chain of Custody Certificates | |
Logger - 40
Primary - 1
Secondary - 4
Reclaim - 1 |
| Assistance |
The Center is geared up to assist any stakeholder group with help with their certification efforts. Whether you need to get your industrial forest certified, need assistance with your company's sustainability policy, need technical assistance in writing your sawmill's policies and procedures manual, or need to learn what goes in a certified management plan the Center can support and aid in your certification needs. Contact us toll free at 855.579.2690 to begin the process. |
| Contact Us | |
Toll-free:
1-855-579-2690
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