LEED Moves to Accept SFI®, ATFS with FSC®
The U.S. Green Building Green Council has started a pilot program to make all certified wood products potentially eligible for credit in  the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Previously, only Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) was eligible for LEED points. There are two stipulations in receiving the credit. First, the forest products must all come from legal sources and 70% have to come from responsible sources. Finally, more than 25% of the all the permanently installed building products (wood, concrete, and steel) must come from certified wood sources. The Green Building Council provides definitions of which certification standards and labels meet the requirements for legal sources, responsible sources, and certified sources. Read more about this exciting development and further explanation of the credit at the Center's website.
|
CFWC Assists Formation
of New FM Group
The Center for Forest and Wood Certification's acreage enrolled in our forest management certificates has dropped since the last  newsletter. But that's great news! CFWC has assisted Kiker Resource Management LLC (KRM) in the formation of a new FSC forest management group certificate in North and South Carolina. Fifteen group members that were initially in the Center's certificate are being transferred to the KRM certificate. The Center has provided technical assistance by providing template group manuals and example monitoring forms. A full case study of success of the Center assisting with the formation of a private sustainable certificate will be released in the coming months. If you would like to participate or get more information about the Center's Group Building Program contact us using the information in the sidebar.
|
CFWC Completes CoC
and FM Audit
The Center for Forest and Wood Certification has completed audits of the chain-of-custody (CoC) FSC and forest management (FM)  FSC and American Tree Farm System group certificates. The CoC audit resulted in no corrective action requests while the FM audit had one corrective action request. The FM corrective action request will have to be closed out within 90 days. These certificates will allow the Center to continue to provide certification services to small forest industry businesses and landowners in the region. This fourth surveillance audit will complete the Center's five year audit cycle. This summer the Center will release a Request for Proposals through the University of Kentucky to Certifying Bodies to begin a new certificate cycle. You can review the details about the CoC certificate here and the FM certificate here.
|
USFS FSC Indicators Comment Period Closes April 22
FSC's open comment period for the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) FSC forest management standard indicators is open until April 22.  These unique indicators were developed because of the USFS initiating the standards development process through FSC's federal lands policy. The Center will providing indicator by indicator comments to FSC. We recommend that everyone interested in certification review the new indicators on FSC's website. The Center has serious concerns about the standards providing specific management objectives to the USFS through proposed indicators. FSC has provided many documents allowing for easy review of the proposed standard and comment forms. You can read more about the comment period on FSC-US's website.
|
|
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, Central Appalachian Forestry Alliance, Mountain Association for Community and Economic Development, and Kentucky Division of Forestry. Sustaining contributions are also being provided by the University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Department of Forestry, and the Kentucky Sustainable Forestry Initiative Implementation Committee. Center also wishes to thank organizations for providing endorsement of the Center including the Kentucky Forest Industries Association, Tennessee Sustainable Forestry Initiative Implementation Committee, Kentucky Chapter of the Association of Consulting Foresters, and the Kentucky Woodland Owners Association. For more information about our partners and how you can support the Center's mission, goals, and projects please visit here.
|
The Center for Forest and Wood Certification is a partnership venture focused on enhancing wood and forest certification. The Center is provided direction by eight partners including University, non-profit, forest industry, and consulting foresters. The Center is housed at the University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture, Department of Forestry and is funded through membership fees, grants, and gifts with oversight and management by Cooperative Extension Service personnel at the University of Kentucky.
|
