The subject is certification and it's going to be coming up more and more.

But, WHAT IS IT?

Certification is the independent, scientific, third party verification of guaranteed sustainable forestry with chain-of-custody follow through on the resulting wood products. It's a method of scientifically quantifying and defining forestry management systems. And it's a trend that is changing the language of forestry worldwide.

The certification, or data collection and analysis, process is based on internationally applicable principles and criteria as established by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). These assure that forests are managed in an environmentally responsible, and socially and economically viable manner. The chain-of-custody ensures certified products maintain their identity from the forest to the final product. There are presently two certifying organizations in the U.S. that are accredited by the FSC. They are SmartWood, in Vermont, and Scientific Certification Systems, (SCS), in California.

Robert Lumppio, chain of custody auditor for SCS, and Blaine Puller agree that " foresters do good work. Certification is a means of publicly recognizing that good work." According to Puller, certification has allowed the folks at Kane to "improve their practices - to move forestry to a higher level." The first words that appear on the SCS website are "verifying excellence."

The principles and criteria for certification fall under three categories: sustainable harvest, ecosystem health, and social and economic considerations. When timberlands are reviewed for certification they are scored in these three areas. "Think of the three legs of a stool - the stool won't stand unless all three legs are there" says Puller. After a company is scored in each area a determination is made whether they'll be certified or not. If certification is given, weak areas are addressed and a time frame is given to improve practices, usually at the time of the annual audit. Blaine Puller referred to certifying Kane's 125,000 acres as "a fairly simple process".

Certification was established, voluntarily, to help all parties bring order to the often contentious debate over management, harvesting, and conservation of the world's forests. It has been largely consumer-driven, a bottom-up movement. It hasn't come about due to government regulation. It makes government regulation unnecessary. Both public and private lands have been certified - over 42 million acres worldwide. At present both Home Depot and Lowe's are requesting more certified products from their suppliers. Certified is in demand.

Many view certification as a centrist movement, lending credibility and uniformity to wood products, sort of like the "UL" label for electrical components. It highlights wood flooring as the sound environmental choice that it is. Certification serves to undo the mistrust that can develop when differing factions emit widely varying messages. It unites parties. The Certified Forest Products Council (CFPC) is an organization dedicated solely to the promotion and facilitation of the increased purchase, use, and sale of third-party certified forest products.

Certification guarantees sustainability of our raw materials. Says Peter Barrett of Green River Lumber, "Right down to the waste products from the manufacturing process - we know the supply is endless". That's an important message for consumers. We've all invested heavily in our businesses - we're in it for the long haul. And we've always known wood flooring is an environmentally sound choice - now we can guarantee it.