Slide 5 of 27
Notes:
Some state forest practices regulations (i.e., State of Washington) have “raised the bar” to heights sufficient to achieve sustainable forestry with little or no additional effort. Many forest owners implement practices well above these levels. Thus, certification is not necessary to achieve sustainability on these forests.
Depending on the type of forest certification sought, and the level of state forest practices required, it may be possible to achieve both and yet fail to produce a sustainable forest in actuality.
It is safe to say that forest certification is a policy instrument that can be used (perhaps in tandem with others) to improve the practice of forestry while simultaneously providing buyer groups and consumers with the information they need to make informed buying choices.
Kiekens, J.P. 1995. Timber Certification: A Critique, Unasylva 46(184):27
