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What is Certified Lumber?

“Of all the terminology used when discussing green products, sustainability might be most often misunderstood. Sustainability has been defined as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs; a definition created in 1987 at the World Commission on Environment and Development, a division of the United Nations,” according to a recent article in Residential Design & Build magazine.

Which brings us to the next question. Is Certified Lumber sustainable, and how can consumers be certain?

The most important point, according to Ray Tonjes, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Green Building Subcommittee is that: “Lumber certification alleviates concerns about mismanaged forests that contribute to soil erosion, loss of wildlife, and the clear cutting of old-growth forests.”

Photo: bcforestinformation.com via rdbmagazine.com
Photo: bcforestinformation.com via rdbmagazine.com

Futhermore, according to RD&B, “To measure the sustainability level of lumber, two main attributes are evaluated: harvesting and chain of custody. The harvesting process is evaluated based on how trees are planted, grown, cut down and renewed to ensure the long-term health and existence of a forest. Chain of custody tracks exactly who or which company touched a piece of lumber, tracing it back to the company that employed the person or machine that cut down the tree. ‘Chain of custody is important because it guarantees a link from the product to the forest it came from,’ says Kathy Abusow, president and CEO, Sustainable Forestry Initiative, a program based on the premise that responsible environmental behavior and sound business decisions can co-exist.”

Schutte Lumber is proud to offer lumber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and independent, third-party organization that certifies and establishes guidelines for forests and how they are managed. It’s also one of the most recognized logos to look for when searching for sustainable lumber.

The FSC seal certifies that lumber not only was harvested in a sustainable manner, but also guarantees the chain of custody down the supply chain. Want to know more? Check out “What is Certified Lumber?”

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