Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification is a market-based, voluntary system for ensuring that wood products come from well-managed forests. Similar to organic certification for farmers and food processors, FSC provides consumers a way to support sustainable practices with their purchasing decisions. In recent years FSC markets in the Pacific
Northwest have grown considerably, with dozens of Northwest retailers now carrying FSC products.

FSC Forest Management Standards

As a forest management certification system, FSC has developed a set of 10 Principles and 57 Criteria for forest management that are applicable to all FSC-certified forests throughout the world. In July 2010, FSC released the US Standard v1.0 which combined the nine regional standards that previously guided forest management in different areas of the country. However, regional variation still exists within the national standard and some indicators contain specific guidance for the Pacific Coast Region (Washington, Oregon, and California).

FSC Chain of Custody

Certification doesn’t end with forestry however. For a product to be FSC certified, every business in the manufacturing and distribution chain must undergo a ‘Chain of Custody’ audit to ensure that certified and non-certified materials are kept separate and that FSC claims are legitimate. In short, an FSC certified log must be able to be tracked from the woods, through the manufacturing process and to the final product that is placed on the retail shelf. This rigorous chain of custody process is part of what makes FSC unique among forest certification programs.

FSC Markets in the Northwest

Northwest Certified Forestry’s goal is to maximize the market power of FSC to ensure that landowners are receiving the highest possible value for their forest products. Northwest FSC markets can offer producers a premium price, with retail premiums for finished products typically ranging between 5 and 15 percent. Premiums tend to be lower on raw timber, typically 2 to 6 percent.

It is important to realize that FSC premiums can vary widely and are subject to a variety of factors, including species, grade, location, etc. In many areas there also may be gaps in the FSC Chain of Custody manufacturing process to support high-volume production of particular products or species. Recruiting mills for certification is central to NCF's work, and is largely dependent on building the 'critical mass' of certified timber necessary for a mill to process and track certified wood products. NCF works with its members and partners to identify local market opportunities.

Major market drivers for FSC in the Northwest include:

• Numerous green construction standards and associations, including the U.S. Green Building Council’s L.E.E.D. Standard, BuiltGreen, Earth Advantage, the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild, the AIA Committee on the Environment, and others
• The City of Seattle’s FSC Purchasing Program through Dunn Lumber, Compton Lumber, and Sylvan Industries
• A broad regional retailer network, including companies such as Carl's Building Supply, Compton Lumber, Dunn Lumber, Edensaw Woods, Endura Woods, Environmental Building Supplies, Environmental Home Center, Green Mountain Woodworks, Miller Lumber, Oregon Lumber, Parr Lumber, Windfall Lumber, and others
• Over 200 manufacturers, wholesale distributors, and brokers certified on the West Coast for ‘Chain of Custody’
• Strong demand in the Northeastern U.S., Europe, and East Asia
• FSC paper markets, including the certification of Grays Harbor Paper