Tuesday, 13 August 2013
FSC Would Help Restore New Jersey Forests
© George C Gress, The Nature Conservancy
August 13, 2013
Corey Brinkema, president of FSC US, submitted the column below to media outlets reaching New Jersey to express support for FSC certification of state forestlands. Versions ran in the Philadelphia Inquirer and Press of Atlantic City.
Recently, the Legislature passed the New Jersey Healthy Forests Act, which will improve forest health and create jobs across New Jersey. It took several years and much deliberation to pass this bill, which provides far greater protections for New Jersey’s forests than under current law. The legislation now awaits Governor Christie’s signature.
A number of leading conservation organizations lent their support to this bill only after a requirement was added that State Forests earn Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification.
Since the bill’s passage, some misinformation has emerged about FSC. I am writing to correct the record and to urge Governor Christie to sign the legislation as passed by the Legislature.
FSC is an independent nonprofit organization that sets rigorous standards for responsible forest management. FSC is led by its members, which include groups like National Wildlife Federation, WWF, Sierra Club and the Nature Conservancy. More than 175 million acres of forest are managed to FSC standards in the US and Canada, including state-owned forests in Maine, Maryland, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington.
In New Jersey, more than 160 companies are already FSC-certified, including Rock-Tenn in Dayton, Collins Companies in Hawthorne and Metropolitan Lumber in Newark. The Sparta Mountain Wildlife Management Area is also FSC certified.
Even before Superstorm Sandy, the health of forests in New Jersey was in decline. Existing trees are dying and are not being replaced by new growth. Wildlife habitat is suffering, and in many cases there are no management plans to restore forest health.
FSC standards use the principles of ecology to promote natural forest conditions, including protection of wildlife habitat and environmentally sensitive areas, such as streams, wetlands and riparian areas. FSC-certified forests are independently audited on an annual basis to ensure the standards are being met, and where the auditors find FSC standards are being violated, they can withhold certification until the forest manager corrects the situation.
Because the legislation requires FSC certification, the state would be required to manage to FSC standards. If the certification were lost, it would be cause for an enforcement action, like any other violation of the law.
FSC requires protection for rare, threatened and endangered species, and restricts the use of pesticides and herbicides common in conventional forestry. Worldwide, FSC is considered the highest standard for responsible forest management, which is why it’s the only certification system supported by groups such as Greenpeace, Rainforest Action Network and the Natural Resources Defense Council.
In addition to world-leading environmental requirements, FSC is equally rigorous in its requirements for outreach and community engagement. Auditors are required to seek input from surrounding communities, audit reports are shared publicly and citizens gain new opportunities to provide input and serve as watchdogs over the forests. While the state requires public engagement, FSC adds specificity about who must be involved, and the findings are shared publicly. An impartial third party – the auditor – conducts all the outreach.
FSC also provides real business value. Recently, FSC conducted a survey of certified companies worldwide. 4,500 companies responded, and 98 percent said they would keep or renew their FSC certification. Among the companies that know FSC best, there is clear value to remaining certified.
Green building is big business in New Jersey, and just last week the members of the US Green Building Council voted to approve a new green building standard that includes credit for use of FSC-certified products. If state forests are FSC certified, products from these forests can help supply green building projects around the state and country. By 2015, the US Green Building Council estimates that up to 48% of new non-residential construction will be green, driving demand for FSC-certified products.
There are upfront costs associated with certification, especially where there are no management plans currently. But these plans would need to be developed in any case, as the first step toward restoring New Jersey’s forests. Once state forests earn FSC certification, costs to maintain it are pennies per acre. Many other states with similar fiduciary responsibilities have conducted cost-benefit analyses of FSC-certified management and decided to get certified.
There is a historic opportunity in front of Governor Christie, one that won’t soon come again. I urge him to sign the Forest Stewardship Measure and start New Jersey forests on the path torestoration and FSC certification.