Jay Rastogi
The issue of ecolabeling, and certification in particular, is receiving great attention in the forest products industry. In British Columbia, Western Forest Products has announced its intentions of pursuing certification under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) label, as well as International Standards Organization (ISO) 14001 registration under the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) sustainable forest management system.
Susan Hammond, Silva Forest Foundation
Consumers are beginning to demand wood products that originate from forests which have been independently certified as being managed according to ecologically responsible standards. What does certification mean and how does it work?
Cam Brewer
The Silva Forest Foundation (SFF) recently announced the first eco-certified forest in BC, a woodlot ecoforestry operation near Williams Lake operated by Rob Blake. This ecoforestry operation demonstrates the social, economic and ecological rewards of ecoforestry and shows what can truly be done in the forests of BC.
Martin von Mirbach
"The current interest in forest certification can be seen in the context of two influential factors. The first has to do with a growing public concern about forests and forest management around the world. The second factor is the series of shifts taking place in the role of governments as regulators."
Davd Martin
Concern has been raised that industrial and commercial interests may dilute the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council and other bodies (such as the Canadian Standards Association) which respond to public demand for "eco-certified" or "sustainably produced" timber and wood products (e.g., White, 1995). Intuitively, there is a financial incentive for dilution to occur (cf. Clark, 1973, French, 1975, Hammond, 1997).
Cam Brewer
What is happening with certification in BC these days? What are the big-picture issues facing the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) in BC? What are the political battles being fought?
Jim Drescher
Certification of good forest management is all the rage these days. Some say FSC, some say CSA, some say ISO, some say WHS, some say SFI. Fights break out over different initials. What system is best? Is there any common ground? How should standards be developed? Where is the sense?