NEWS RELEASE
No. 08-185
October 9, 2008
Contact: Jane Chavey, 360-902-1721; cell 360-870-8334
State DNR Recognized by FSC Certification Team,
Scientists and ‘Green Community’
Largest FSC-certified forestlands in state triple acres
OLYMPIA – Today, a formal announcement marked the state Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) receipt of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) ‘green certification’ recognizing the agency’s management practices on 145,000 acres of forested state trust lands. Vincent Corrao of Bureau Veritas Certification, one of FSC’s auditors, presented the certificate to Doug Sutherland, Commissioner of Public Lands.
The geographic area covered by FSC certification is DNR’s South Puget Planning Unit that spans from the Kitsap Peninsula to the foothills of the Cascade Mountains east of Seattle and Tacoma.
“DNR foresters and scientists are the best. It’s especially gratifying that FSC certification recognizes their work and the responsible practices we are already using,” said Sutherland. “Our next step with FSC will be in areas where our regional planning is nearing completion, such as in the Olympic Experimental State Forests.”
Today’s event was held at REI’s headquarters in Seattle. Joining Sutherland were a representative of the FSC team that certified DNR, and supporters of the ‘green’ building and product industries. REI Chief Executive Officer, Sally Jewell, kicked off the event with introductory remarks welcoming attendees. Jewell expressed confidence in the FSC standards and commended businesses that use green building principles, and sustainable practices in developing and marketing their products.
Jewell congratulated DNR on their FSC certification—in her view, ‘the gold standard’ of sustainability. She said, “It is forestry in our backyard that is so vulnerable to development…and it’s just wonderful to know that these working forests are also bringing the kind of land management practices that we can all be proud of.”
Increased FSC-certified wood supply
With DNR-managed forests now FSC certified, the available source of certified wood is roughly tripled in Washington State, providing a greater and more dependable source to manufacturers. Since DNR obtained FSC certification in May, fifteen timber sales have been labeled as FSC-certified product. DNR’s timber purchasers have responded positively to the addition of FSC-certified wood into the supply. The limited amounts of local FSC-certified wood sources have curtailed production opportunities by businesses that are FSC-certified. Forested state trust lands provide a continuous flow of timber supply to mills and woodworkers in the area.
Ian Hanna, Director of Northwest Certified Forestry, said, “This certification by DNR is really a lever on which the western Washington scene is tilting. We did not have enough volume to make things happen without this certification. So, in our world, this is really monumental. It changes everything, and we’re already seeing the results of that with many more saw mills getting chain-of-custody certified.”
Vincent Corrao said, “Washington DNR is an example of public land management in the western US in sustainable forestry. And, Bureau Veritas feels very comfortable saying that because we’ve seen innovative silviculture prescriptions being done on-the-ground (that) we don’t see in many other areas. They continue to protect water quality, enhance wildlife habitat and really have worked on conserving biodiversity on a landscape basis. We’ve seen this. They’ve also demonstrated ‘on-the-ground environmental performance.’”
Also speaking was Corey Brinkema, President FSC United States, “FSC Standards are based on negotiated process with other stakeholders of our forest resources. It’s very much of a compromise. However, that compromise is what we all agreed is necessary to maintain ecological functions, and services to maintain habitat in all of the various values that come from the forests and that benefit us and nature.”
“Congratulations to DNR,” said Dr. Jerry Franklin, University of Washington Professor. “ I want you to know that I’m a strong advocate of the department…as I look around the region today, of all of the major forest stewards, I think DNR has placed itself as being the most innovative, the most creative of our major forest management organizations.”
Bureau Veritas Certification North America, Inc. (Bureau Veritas), an independent worldwide organization, compiled an auditing team to compare DNR’s forest management practices to the FSC Pacific Coast Standard. The team examined DNR’s approach to forest management through its policies, management plans and documents; then examined on-the-ground conditions and activities to make sure they comply with those commitments. The audit team determined DNR’s management to be environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable. Their report then was reviewed and endorsed by the Bureau Veritas International certifying body, which awarded DNR with an FSC certificate of approval.
Board of Natural Resources support
At the monthly Board of Natural Resources meeting Tuesday, Board members commented on the news. “I’m very proud of the Department (DNR),” said Terry Bergeson, Superintendent of Public Instruction. “For the forest industry, this FSC certification is sustainability at work. It is going to pay off for citizens for a long, long time and build the funding base that’s really strong and able to get us through the financial crunches with better forests—and the use of our Common School trust and all the other trust lands—in perpetuity for our people.”
Bob Nichols, Governor Gregoire’s representative to the Board, said, “This is really the core of a long-term strategic vision for the state’s forests. It is meshed with and integrates, and supports and enhances the long term state vision. It’s comprehensive and it takes into account the social, economic and biological habitat pieces—that’s a great story to tell.”
Forest Stewardship Council
Forest Stewardship Council is one of the largest ‘green certification’ organizations in the world. The FSC label represents a promise that harvesting of timber and non-timber products is conducted in such a way that maintains the forest’s biodiversity, productivity and ecological processes, provides strong incentives to local communities to sustain forest resources, and that forest operations are structured and managed to be profitable, but without generating financial profit at the expense of forest resources. Consumers have a choice to purchase products that promote responsible management of the world's forests. Buying certified products provides an incentive for responsible forest management.
DNR obtained statewide green certification by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® Program in September 2006, recognizing the agency’s balanced stewardship of forested state trust lands. Since obtaining SFI Certification DNR has earned twenty-one notable practices (exemplary practices that go beyond the SFI requirement) from the SFI audit team. This makes South Puget planning unit dual certified under both SFI and FSC.
The agency’s balanced approach to forest stewardship is a direct result of policy direction by the Board of Natural Resources.
DNR – land manager and protector of natural resources
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources manages more than 3 million acres of state-owned trust forest, agricultural, range lands and commercial properties that earn income to build schools, universities and other state institutions, and help fund local services in many counties. In addition to earning income, trust lands offer clean and abundant water, habitat for native plant and animal species, and public recreation and education opportunities statewide.
Doug Sutherland, who leads DNR, is the 12th Commissioner of Public Lands since statehood in 1889.
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