Conflict over Certification Programs in Portland, OR
11/22/99
OVERVIEW & COMMENTARY
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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Title: Conflict over Certification Programs in Portland, OR
Source: Environment News Service
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: November 22, 1999
The independent certification of Willamette Industries under the
timber industry's Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is an attempt
to undermine the Forest Stewardship Council's certification program,
conservationists allege.
Adopted by the American Forest and Paper Association in October 1994,
the SFI program provides a system of principles and guidelines that
all member companies are required to uphold. Its standards encompass
wildlife and water quality protection, biodiversity conservation,
harvesting practices, and a wide range of other conservation goals.
AF&PA is the national trade association of the forest products
industry. It represents more than 200 companies and related
associations that engage in or represent the manufacture of pulp,
paper, paperboard, and wood products.
SFI State Implementation Committees exist in 32 states and generally
are comprised of representatives from American Forest and Paper
Association (AF&PA) member companies, conservation groups, state
forestry associations, academicians, non-AF&PA member companies, and
state forestry agencies. Since the program's inception, 15 member
companies have been expelled from AF&PA for failure to comply with
the SFI standards.
The firm PricewaterouseCoopers audited Willamette's compliance with
SFI in September. The audit team consisted of two registered
professional foresters, a former dean of the Oregon State University
School of Forestry, a forest engineer and a wildlife biologist. They
audited Willamette's forest management policies and records, but
spent most of their time in Willamette's forests, at random sites
selected by the auditors.
Auditors gave Willamette special recognition for its forest practices
in several areas and also made suggestions for improvement.
The company's remaining 1.1 million acres in the south and east will
be audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2000.
But American Lands spokesman Daniel Hall told the Portland Oregonian
that the SFI lacks meaningful performance measures and fails to
establish clear, bottom-line standards for sustainable timber
management, fish and wildlife habitat protection and restoration, and
other environmental goals. While the SFI's standards are vague, the
Forest Stewardship Council's forest certification program is truly
independent, more credible and rigorous, said Hall.
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an independent, non-profit,
non-governmental organization. It was founded in 1993 by a diverse
group of representatives from environmental and conservation groups,
the timber industry, the forestry profession, indigenous peoples'
organizations, community forestry groups, and forest product
certification organizations from 25 countries.
According to Marvin Brown, coordinator of Willamette's sustainable
forestry program, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative provides a
comprehensive system of principles, objectives, and performance
measures designed to sustain forest values.
Willamette Industries is an integrated forest products company with
101 plants, located in the United States, France, Ireland, and
Mexico. The company owns 1.7 million acres of forestlands in the
United States and produces building materials, composite wood panels,
fine paper, office paper products, corrugated packaging, and grocery
bags.