First they need to stay in business. We have a little more work to do to prove it's viable. Almquist, owner of Almquist Lumber in Blue Lake, is one of a few area lumber retailers selling SmartWood-certified forest products. So far, Almquist said, he has found that consumers are not yet willing to pay more for certified wood. If the retailer can't get a higher price for the SmartWood-certified lumber, neither can others in the industry who grow, harvest and mill the product.
Human conscience is a factor.
And he doesn't see a reason to attempt to charge more for it because what he really wants to do is encourage the idea of certified forestry. I want to charge less to put more in the marketplace. Other retailers seem to be thinking along the same lines. Major wood consumers and retailers Home Depot and Ikea have started marketing SmartWood products. And even though retailers like Almquist haven't yet seen a significant market develop, several major cities have adopted buying policies that encourage purchasing certified lumber for public works projects including New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland and Los Angeles.