In my last article I gave a brief description of What forest certification is. In a nutshell (pun intended) forest certification is a system that assures that the forest is being managed sustainably. In this article I’m going to tell Why forest certification is important, and in the next I’ll talk about How to go about certification.
Forest certification is about sustainability. It is about being intentional in how we treat the forest to ensure sustainability. Sustainability includes a flow of wood, habitat for the common and not so common wildlife, water and soil conservation, and other forest benefits. It can only be achieved if we intentionally manage the forest with both big picture and small scale goals in mind.
The old adage that people don’t plan to fail but they do fail to plan merits some thought here. Less than 10% of all forest owners have a plan written in cooperation with a professional forester. We can’t just cut the big trees and leave the little ones and call it management. It is not. And it is what we have done for too long. Small trees can be just as old as big ones. Besides, sustainability is about much more than just the trees.
If sustainability was only about a written plan, certification would be meaningless. Each system (FSC, SFI) was developed through the efforts of literally hundreds of foresters. The system sets a standard to meet and ensures all the important features are considered.
The baby boom generation, which was so active in environmental issues in the 60s and 70s, should be especially interested in managing the forests that are now under their care through certification. They are inheriting and buying a lot of forest land and they can, once again, make a difference, one forest at a time. But consider this, in 1978 Missouri forest owners owned an average 132 acres each; by 1994 the average acreage per owner was down to 38 acres. This is called forest fragmentation and the trend is alarming. Owning a place in the woods may be part of the American dream, but we are loving the forest out of existence.
Why is forest certification important? Because our forests are disappearing rapidly due to urban sprawl, fragmentation into parcels too small to manage, and liquidation harvesting. It is important because it requires us to be intentional in how we treat the forest. It sets a standard where none has existed in a market notoriously rough on the land. I also should mention that certified wood is expected to bring higher prices to everyone in the production chain, so long as end users are willing to pay a little extra.
Certification is a private solution rather than a government solution. It is voluntary and it is not for everyone. Only a small fraction of our population gives blood, but it’s critical that they do. The same could be said of forest certification. I’ll end today with three questions. First, would you be willing to pay a small premium to know your purchase supports sound forest management? If you own a forest, do you have a written plan? Finally, is certification right for you?
Article by: Doug Enyart, Clear Water Forest Consultants
www.clearwaterforestconsultants.com
Top of the Ozarks RC&D Forestry Committee http://www.morcd.org/totorcd/
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