- Owners of small forests in Oregon are unhappy with the U.S. Green Building Council's policy of requiring certification by the Forest Stewardship Council of the forests from which wood must come to earn LEED credits.
- Scott Hayes, the president of the Oregon Small Woodlands Association, said in a guest column in The Oregonian newspaper that more than 95% of his members work their farms under certification through the American Tree Farm System.
- A third standard, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Standard, is the measure used at larger woodlots and at many mills, Hayes said. He argues that limiting sustainability certification to one system keeps wood producers out of the growing market for green construction.
From the article:
Through good and bad times, Oregon's millions of acres of forests and woodlands help drive Oregon's economy and provide an array of public benefits. ...
