Wood Work

FSC-Certified lumber proves that we can manage our forests responsibly

Meredith Dault , eco options, Fall 2007

Forests cover nearly half of Canada, so it’s not surprising that trees are an important part of our national identity.  Our boreal forests stretch virtually uninterrupted from Newfoundland to the Rockies and up to the Yukon Territory.  They include some of the world’s largest, intact forest eco-systems and are home to tow-thirds of the 140,000 species of plants, animals and micro-organisms found in Canada.  These lush forests play just as vital a role in keeping air healthy around the world – increasing oxygen levels while lowering carbon dioxide levels – as do the tropical rainforests in the south.

Forests also play a vital role in our economy.  With 10% of the world’s forests (and 30% of the world’s boreal forests) located within our borders, Canada is one of the globe’s largest exporters of forest products.

As you wander around your local lumber yard, looking at stacks upon stacks of lumber, plywood and particleboard, it’s easy to take our vast forests for granted.  But forests don’t magically appear – they take hundreds of years to reach maturity.  Trees are, on average 80 to 110 years old when they’re logged.

And the way logging was carried out in the past – and unfortunately still is, in some cases – is not selective.  Tree-hungry machines can literally devastate large tracts of land while also chewing up the ground below.  They destroy everything in their path, crushing young trees and tiny seedlings and leaving a forest in a state from which it can take centuries to recover, if it ever does.

How you can help

The next time you’re buying lumber, look for a bright green sticker boasting the letter FSC. Beside the letters is a logo-a check mark morphing into a tree – along with the following text: " product group from well-managed forests and other controlled sources."

What does FSC stand for?

The Forest Stewardship Coucil (FSC) is an international, non-profit organization that promotes and rewards responsible forest management.  FSC certification – which is primarily given to lumber and paper, but can also include anything from pencils to bookcases, stools and broom handles – guarantees the wood comes from a healthy, well-managed forest.

What does teh FSC do?

Founded in 1993 in Toronto by representatives from international environmental groups, the timber and forestry professions, and indigenous peoples, the FSC was established to manage the world’s forests.  Its goal:  to help companies implement more forest-friendly policies.

Acting as an independent third party, the FSC grants certification to companies that volunteer to be part of the program because they want to become more environmentally responsible.  If a product has the FSC’s stamp of approval, it means it has met a rigorous list of environmental, social and economic standards.

To bear the FSC logo, every producer, manufacturer and distributor along the supply chain must also be certified.  This system, called the Chain of Custody, ensures that, from start to finish, timber is being used in an environmentally responsible manner.

Antony Marcil, president and CEO of FSC Canada, says that, for the most part, companies are embracing the rigorous FSC standards.  These standards stipulate, for example, that logging doesn’t happen close to lakes and streams, which ensures waterways are kept clear and erosion-free.  Companies are also required to cut narrower logging roads and to reforest them once they’ve finished.  “Many companies have told us that certification requirements can result in their forest operations becoming more organized,” says Marcil, “which means they’re being less wasteful and, ultimately, more efficient.  Less waste means less pollution.  Its’ that simple."

How does a company qualify?

The FSC standards protects not only the environment but social and economic rights as well.  For example, one requirement is that a forestry company must look at what other economic activities are taking place in a particular forest before it starts logging.  Marcil says that, rather than cutting wherever it chooses, a company has to notify the entire community about its logging intentions.

Anyone whose livelihood depends upon the forest – from hunters and indigenous people to companies that tap trees for maple syrup – can have their voices heard when the logging plan is developed.  “Huge areas of seemingly undisturbed forests have all kinds of things going on in them,” says Marcil.

“Everything from the traditional migration path of caribou to the routes outfitters take on canoe trips should be taken into account.  Everyone gets to put their oar in the water."

The FSC also identifies and protects forest areas that are particularly sensitive – forests, for example, that are of particular interest for their biodiversity.  Wetlands that attract a significant number of birds and animals might also be earmarked for protection.

The long-term goal

Ultimately, the FSC would like to have all forestry operations FSC-certified, and if not, to at least eliminate what Marcil refers to as the “very worst examples of forestry” – illegal logging; natural forests that ar harvested and replaced by plantations ; genetically modified trees; and practices that violate traditional or civil rights.

You don’t have to be an environmentalist to realize that we have to make some changes to the way we do things,” says Marcil.  “There are so many opportunities for consumers to save money while reducing their negative footprint on the environment.  They can start by coming on board with us.  When they have a choice about what to buy, they a make the right choice."