Article Number : 3917 |
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| Date | 11/25/2008 9:41:00 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=3917 |
| Abstract | ST. LOUIS—In an effort to verify and promote the use of environmentally and socially responsible managed forests by the hardwood industry, the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) recently announced a partnership... |
| Article | ST. LOUIS—In an effort to verify and promote the use of environmentally and socially responsible managed forests by the hardwood industry, the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) recently announced a partnership with Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the FSC Family Forests Alliance to develop and integrate NWFA’s Responsible Procurement Program (RPP). A Hardwood Summit will be held here on Dec. 16 and 17 to discuss the full details of the initiative and address other industry issues. Green programs, such as LEED, started to show real strength about a year-and-a-half ago, noted Ed Korczak, executive director of the NWFA. However, it remained difficult for such programs to acknowledge hardwood as sustainably harvested, making its contribution to these systems difficult at best. “We had to prove that our U.S. forests were renewably managed, meaning we plant more than we harvest each year,” Korczak explained, “and then find a way to audit and verify mills who produce flooring that has been procured from one of these sites.” NWFA RPP’s does just this, he explained. After surveying the 33 states that provide hardwood to the industry, Korczak said every certified forest was found to be renewably managed. However, 83% of hardwood is still coming from uncertified, privately owned land (usually made up of less than 100 acres). Therefore, the RPP works two-fold: First, it audits and validates manufacturers that utilize hardwood from renewably managed forests through third-party verification—SCS—offering a three-tier system of certification and labeling. Tier one requires mills to participate in the NWFA Verified Renewing Forests program— meaning members purchase a certain percentage of wood from one or more of the renewably managed forests across 33 states—and, in return, are able to utilize the NWFA Verified Sourced from U.S. Renewing Forests label on hardwood products. It also requires participation in the NWFA Verified Legal Origin program for imported products from high-risk countries— which verifies proper documentation on the sustainability of foreign hardwood forests used for imports—enabling mills to display the NWFA Verified Legal Imported label. Tier two, which members are asked to attain within three years, takes it a step further, requiring FSC chain-of-custody certification and a commitment to building trade in FSC-certified wood products. Tier two also requires participants to meet FSC Controlled Wood standards for all non-FSC-certified supply within two years. And, tier three, which is the highest level of achievement, recognizes companies whose trade in FSC-certified products exceeds 50% of overall sales and whose non-FSC sales meet FSC Controlled Wood standards. Though a suggested timeline is in place to help progress mills through the three-tier system, Korczak said as long as each participant is making a good-faith effort, it will maintain its place in the program as well as be promoted accordingly. On the other hand, the RPP also encourages and rewards smaller, privately owned forests to become certified as renewably managed through the FSC Family Forests Alliance to maintain and increase available certified hardwood sites to combat the growth in mill interest/use. The program plans to offer such incentives as small group harvesting plans to entice landowners to join. For more on NWFA’s Responsible Procurement Program or upcoming hardwood summit, call 800.422.4556. |