May 15, 2001
Announcement
Wood Flooring International has been awarded a Chain of Custody (COC) Certificate
#: SCS-COC-00289 by Scientific Certification
Systems (SCS). This COC enables Wood Flooring International to offer wood
products sourced from independently certified forests,
which are well managed under the sustainable forestry
criteria established by the Forest Stewardship Council
(FSC).
Wood Flooring International now offers a growing selection of
FSC certified species in solid wood formats including
Brazilian Cherry. Over the next few months, our
entire Engineered SingleStrip Line is expected to gain
FSC certification as well !
How the 3rd Party
Independent Certification Process works:
The Forest Stewardship Council
(FSC) - is a non-profit organization that
accredits independent 3rd party certifiers whose
programs conform to the FSC's internationally  recognized
Principles and Criteria of sustainable forestry
management. The FSC enjoys the support of most major
environmental groups - see below. The FSC logo
provides assurance that FSC labeled wood products are
backed by the highest standards of environmentally and
socially responsible forestry. This ensures consumers
that the wood products they buy were grown and
harvested in a way that protects forests for the long
term.
The Certifiers are accredited
by the FSC and are the independent 3rd party
organizations, which perform the actual assessments of
forestlands and their management. The certifiers also
audit the manufacturing/distribution channels for FSC
certified content compliance. The two principal
certifiers in North America are Smartwood and SCS. WFI
utilized SCS as its certifier.
Through its Chain-of-Custody (COC)
Program, SCS certifies manufacturers and importers who
handle wood from forests managed according to FSC
standards. To become COC certified, WFI must maintain
adequate inventory control systems to track the
purchase, separation and identification of certified
from non-certified product and submit to audits.
SCS requires the tracking of certified
products throughout the production process and the
distribution chain to ensure the validity of the claim
that the product is being sourced from FSC certified
forestlands. The certifiers, through their audit
process, provide consumers with the confidence that
wood products carrying the FSC/SCS logo were in fact
made from wood harvested from an FSC certified,
well-managed forest.
A brief Overview of Sustainable
Forestry Practices
Sustainable forestry balances economic
and ecological needs by providing an alternative to
destructive forms of forest exploitation such as
uncontrolled logging and/or conversion to
agriculture/livestock. The FSC criteria aims to
provide a continuous yield of quality forest products
while preserving the essential biological and
ecological integrity of a healthy, self-perpetuating
forest. Some of the basic elements of Sustainable
Forestry, in brief, include:
-
Ecological Balance
Forest management must strive to maintain the
habitats of all native plant and animal species.
-
Long Term Forestry Management
& Tenure
Forestry operations must have in place
long-term management plans with clear sustainable
objectives supported by long term land tenure.
-
Soil, Water, Critical Habitat
Conservation
All operations must take into account and
minimize negative soil and water / fishery /
watershed impact as well as safeguard habitat
sites / zones.
-
Sustainable yield
The amount of timber removed from a given area
must not exceed the amount that will grow in the
interval between harvests.
-
Social responsibility
Indigenous peoples, workers and local
communities must benefit from the forest
management practices.
Ecological Organizations'
Web Sites of Interest:
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