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PA Forests Are "Exemplary"
Emily Clinch
 Maybe
you can please all of the people all of the time. Pennsylvania's state
forests come close, anyway. Certified as "well-managed"
by an independent environmental review association, our forests are
delighting not only environmentalists but also economists. The total
2.1 million acres of state-owned forestland and 120,000 acres of private
land all add up to the largest certified hardwood forest in America,
after passing a rigorous inspection, which looked for sustainable
practices by forest managers, ecosystem maintenance, and the proper
address of socioeconomic issues.
The multi-part investigation was performed by Scientific Certification
Systems, an Oakland, CA company accredited by the Forest Stewardship
Council. The FSC formed in 1993 as an international, non-profit conservation
group with representatives all over the world, combining the interests
of indigenous groups, environmentalists, timber and logging businesses,
and forestry professionals. With endorsements from Greenpeace, the
World Wildlife Fund, and Friends of the Earth, FSC-certified wood
is gaining popularity. Since the FSC's standards are so high and so
carefully enforced, builders and consumers can be confident that they
aren't contributing to the destruction of our forests.
In order to be FSC-certified, a forest first must pass a complete
audit, performed by a team of biologists, economists, sociologists,
and ecologists. The review process focuses on not only issues of sustainable
growth and management but also on the forest managers' approach to
community issues. The team reviews data about wildlife populations,
long-term growth plans, and business practices, and also speaks with
local and regional stakeholders, whose knowledge can be a valuable
aspect of the certification process. Even after the certification
process is complete, the forests are still monitored "to assure
continued adherence to long-term management plans and management practices,"
according to SCS's operations manual.
 Only
wood from certified forests can be marked with the FSC symbol, and
certified wood has a higher market value than unlabeled wood. This
benefits the local economy, of course-Pennsylvania's hardwoods are
in even higher demand, since a worldwide shift in favor of sustainably
grown timber.
The FSC's certification of Pennsylvania's forests was conditional-thus
forests must be reinspected over the course of five years. Both Joseph
Frassetta, information specialist for the Pennsylvania Department
of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), and Jeff Schmidt, president
of the PA Sierra Club, emphasized that the state has been required
to make changes in the large number of deer herds, the handling of
oil and gas leasing on state lands, and timber-age management. However,
Frassetta says, the state was cited for its "exemplary forestry."
For more information, contact DNCR's forestry bureau at (717) 787-2703.
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