In the U.S., assurances are in place to ensure our forests are sustainably managed and climate smart through a mosaic of overlapping and mutually reinforcing local, state, and federal environmental laws and regulations, state-approved forestry best management practices (BMPs), and third-party forest management and wood fiber sourcing certification programs. All are built on a foundation of complying with laws, regulations, and treaties, meeting standards for forest ecology and integrity, and preserving the long-term social and economic well-being of forest workers and local communities.
There are three prominent forest management certification programs in the U.S:
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), which was established in 1995, promotes sustainable forest management (SFM) in North America and responsible forest product sourcing throughout the world. SFI certifies more than 300 million acres of forests, including 63 million acres in the U.S.
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has been promoting sustainable forest management throughout the world’s forest since its founding in 1993. About 450 million acres of land are FSC-certified worldwide, including 35 million acres in the U.S.
American Tree Farm Systems (ATFS) promotes sustainable forest management among family-owned and other small-scale, nonindustrial woodlands. Established in 1941, ATFS is the oldest sustainable woodlands management system in the U.S., with 74,000 family forest owners sustainably managing 20 million acres of certified forestland.
TIR is certified by SFI.
For suppliers and manufacturers, wood fiber sourcing certification, chain of custody, and other due-diligence and risk-assurance systems control against sourcing from higher-risk suppliers and locations and promote more responsible forestry. Examples include the SFI Fiber Sourcing Standard and the FSC Controlled Wood Standard.