Article Number : 2187 |
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| Date | 8/3/2007 9:03:44 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=2187 |
| Abstract | By Louis Iannaco According to recent reports, from central Africa to the Amazon basin and Indonesia’s islands, the world’s great forests are being lost at an annual rate of at least 32 million acres—an area the size of Greece or Nicaragua... |
| Article | By Louis Iannaco According to recent reports, from central Africa to the Amazon basin and Indonesia’s islands, the world’s great forests are being lost at an annual rate of at least 32 million acres—an area the size of Greece or Nicaragua. The timber business is worth billions of dollars annually, and experts say few industries that size are as murky as the black market in wood. Evidence of rampant deforestation around the globe points in one direction: booming demand in China, where economic growth is fueling a timber feeding frenzy. In just the past decade, China has grown from importing wood products for domestic use to become the world’s leading exporter of flooring, plywood and furniture. Activists recently urged the Indonesian government to crack down on exports of rare merbau, warning soaring global demand was pushing the tropical hardwood to the brink of extinction. Merbau in trouble Greenpeace has said merbau would be extinct within 30 years unless Indonesia strictly controlled shipments to Europe, China, Australia and New Zealand, where it is popular for flooring and decking. The organization has said its research shows 83% of the forests containing merbau in Papua had already been logged or had been earmarked for logging, leaving just 17% untouched. Once common in both Asia and East Africa, merbau is now only found in significant quantities in Indonesia’s Papua and Papua New Guinea, it said. According to the group, illegal and destructive logging, as well as continued trading of merbau, is still rampant. It has even urged the Indonesian government to “set up an international control mechanism to protect the species” from extinction. According to Ed Korczak, executive director of the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA), results of the events unfolding from central Africa to the Amazon basin and Indonesia’s islands could cause prices of exotic species to increase. “This is not necessarily a bad thing, though, as our primary concern is to deter illegal logging on a global scale. Checks, balances “By putting more checks and balances in place to deter the activities of those involved in the illegal lumber trade,” he explained, “we can take a more active role in minimizing their impact on our industry and our environment by obtaining our wood through legal means. If we have to pay more for that wood as a result, that’s a consequence we should be willing to live with to preserve our forests for future generations.” How does what is currently happening to the forests affect the availability of the finished product? Korczak believes, in the short run, inventories of some exotics may be curtailed. “However, in the long run, these actions should help increase availability because managed forests provide for future inventory. “Unfortunately, those involved in illegal logging are not looking at the problem as a future inventory issue; they simply are looking to make the most money possible with inventories available now,” Korczak said. “Needless to say, that inventory will eventually disappear. By protecting managed forests, which replace inventory as it is harvested, we can ensure adequate supplies for the future.” Korczak noted while there are many in North America who are actively trying to curb these practices before it is too late, he’d like to see these efforts expand globally. The NWFA, for example, is a member of the Hardwood Federation (HF), which represents the majority of organizations and trade associations involved in the hardwood industry, including lumber, veneer, plywood, flooring and related products. “Its purpose is to unite these organizations in order to present a strong voice for the industry on legislative issues impacting the industry,” he explained. “It has a long-standing tradition of sustainable forest management bolstered by a legal framework for environmental conservation. In fact, U.S. hardwood growth has consistently exceeded harvest for the last 50 years, during which time U.S. forest inventory is increased by over 90%.” The HF would like to see the same results on a global scale and adopted a Positioning Statement on Illegal Logging outlining its commitment to this effort (Sept. 28, 2005). In brief: 1) The HF supports the goals of the President’s Initiative Against Illegal Logging to assist developing countries in their efforts to combat illegal logging. 2) The HF supports the conservation of forests that have been designated for protection by law. 3) HF members commit to abide by domestic and sovereign laws pertaining to logging and harvesting. 4) Where such laws don’t exist, the HF supports the establishment and enforcement of laws to ensure legal harvest practices while advancing sustainable forest management. 5) The HF supports monitoring and assessment of forests as essential to devising appropriate measures to combat illegal logging. 6) The HF will support Lacey Act legislation, as well as Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species. |