Saturday, 03 March 2012
Southern Forests Network
As the first non-profit FSC group certification program in the Southeastern US, the Southern Forests Network has been offering group certification since 2007. With family forests representing 42% of all U.S. forests, the opportunity provided by group certification is significant, especially in the Southeast.
The Southern Forests Network’s Group Certification Program provides private forestlands and small chain-of-custody businesses with FSC certification and technical assistance.
Consider this quote from Don Handley, a professional consulting forester in South Carolina:
“Southern landowners want to practice forestry that protects ecosystems, and consumers are demanding sustainable forest products, but current markets in the region just don’t support it. Forest management focused on quantity rather than quality has resulted in reduced profitability for landowners, lower quality wood, and reduced competitiveness for our region’s industry. Southern Forests Network’s Group Certification Program is empowering family forest owners in the South to participate in a new market that can help us conserve our forests while restoring our forest industry’s competitiveness.”
Learn more about the Southern Forests Network’s Group Certification program at SouthernForestsNetwork.org.