Community Forestry Resource Center
Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), a pioneer in third-party auditing and certification of forest management operations, has awarded Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR). A total of 1.5 million acres of state-owned land are now certified, three times the initial area first endorsed in 2003.
“We congratulate Governor Doyle and the Department of Natural Resources for expanding their FSC-endorsed certification lands,” said Dr. Robert Hrubes, SCS Senior Vice-President and head of SCS’s FSC-accredited Forest Conservation Program. “Conformance with the rigorous FSC standard assures the public that Wisconsin DNR continues to practice exemplary forest management." Efforts by Wisconsin and other Lake States are helping establish the region as a forest certification economic hub. 5.7 million acres of Wisconsin’s 15.7 million acres of forestland are now FSC certified, including Menominee Tribal Enterprises and the Wisconsin County Forest Program, which are both FSC certified by SCS.
“Wisconsin’s leadership is steadily advancing the tide of verified responsible forestry,” said DNR Secretary Matt Frank. “DNR began in 2003 with Governor Jim Doyle’s Grow Wisconsin initiative to secure forest certification recognition for the state’s land management programs.”
Forest certification helps Wisconsin remain competitive in global markets that increasingly demand certified raw materials. Paper companies, lumber mills, publishers, building contractors and other manufactures are expanding use of certified wood to assure customers that their products are sourced from responsibly managed forests. In Wisconsin, more than 1,850 wood-using companies produce nearly $20 billion of forest products every year, and more than 300,000 Wisconsin jobs rely on the forest products industry.
The Wisconsin DNR’s management of multi-use lands involves balancing the goals of conserving forestland, supporting economic activities, protecting wildlife habitat, and providing recreational opportunities. Habitat protection on these lands is best exemplified in the State Natural Areas Program where more than 90 percent of the plants and 75 percent of the animals on Wisconsin's list of endangered or threatened species are found.
About the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Since its inception in 1904, the Wisconsin DNR forestry program has dedicated itself to the sustainable management and protection of this precious resource so that it continues to provide a host of ecological, economic and social benefits for years to come. For more information, please visit http://dnr.wi.gov/forestry/
About FSC FSC is a nonprofit organization devoted to encouraging the responsible management of the world’s forests. Independent certification organizations are accredited by FSC to carry out assessments of forest management to determine if standards have been met. There are currently over 29 million acres of FSC-certified forestland in the U.S. and over 254 million acres globally. For more information, please visit www.fscus.org.
By Diane Dulmage
