More and more, companies and consumers around the world are looking for assurance that the forest products they purchase come from well managed forests. Although certification is new and still developing, it has been strongly supported by British Columbians as a way to meet growing customer interests and to demonstrate our commitment to sustainable forest management. B.C. is a leader in certification British Columbia has emerged as the North American leader in forest certification. Since 1998, when the first B.C. company applied for certification, there's been rapid growth. Virtually every major B.C. forest company is pursuing, or has achieved, certification under one or more certification systems.
Certification is also a priority for small forestry operators, mills and manufacturers.
As well, the B.C. government is working to certify the public land managed under its small business program, which accounts for about 13 per cent of B.C.'s total harvest. According to a recent national survey, about 60 per cent of Canada's managed forest lands will be certified under one or more systems by the year 2003. The percentage for B.C. may be higher since it is the most active area in the country. B.C. The area operated on by certified forest companies now covers about 20 million hectares or 49 million acres. B.C. B.C. supports a variety of voluntary forest certification systems.