Sunday, 15 December 2002
Looking Forward 2003: The Future is Bright
As we look toward 2003, we can say the future is bright for FSC-US, because we have so many accomplishments to build upon.
Most significantly, all 9 of our regional standards are nearly complete. Following final approval by the FSC International Standards Board, we will have a strong set of rules for certifying land in every region of the country. This has been no small feat, and we owe it to the regional standards committees and their leaders for their commitment and perseverance.
This year we added over 200 chain-of-custody certifications, bringing the U.S. number to nearly 550. We certified state forestland in Tennessee (158,000 acres) and in Maine (485,000 acres) and brought new forest companies in the FSC fold, including Roy O. Martin (482,000 acres) and Hancock Land Company (22,000 acres). We also saw the certification of Fort Lewis, a U.S. Army base in Washington state.
FSC has also made permanent inroads into certified paper. In April, we announced that Domtar would be the first major North American company to produce FSC-certified paper. In October, Ris paper became certified as the first major North American distributor of FSC-certified paper. To help promote this growing market, FSC has convened a paper project group.
We also turned a lot of our focus to marketing of the FSC brand and logo in 2002. We introduced a new FSC public service announcement featuring international superstar Jennifer Lopez. This appeared in such mainstream publications as People and Biography.
To keep our supporters abreast of our accomplishments we produced the first-ever FSC-U.S. annual report.
In an effort to help expand FSC markets, we worked with the nonprofit Consumers Choice Council to introduce and promote legislation calling on New York City to preference FSC-certified wood.
In April, FSC also had a strong showing at the Forest Leadership Forum in Atlanta, with FSC companies taking over the exhibit hall. In another boost for FSC-U.S., The Home Depot is devoting an entire page on its website to FSC, complete with a listing of all FSC-certified lumber and wood products available in their superstores from coast to coast.
While it has been the strongest year ever for FSC-U.S., we cannot rest on our laurels. Among the highest priorities are greater visibility of the FSC brand, engaging our partners in a broad and coordinated marketing campaign, overseeing the implementation of the regional standards, and maintaining a strong board and staff. With hard work and vision, we hope to make the FSC-U.S. stronger and more prosperous than ever in 2003.