Forest products with legality and verified sustainability

The study commissioned by the american hardwood export council (ahec) and done by a team of international experts led by the independent consultant Seneca Creek Associates, confirms that American hardwood timber comes from legal and well managed forests.

The Studio offers the following conclusions:

-The risk exist American hardwood timber from illegal sources, is very low.

-Wood of hardwoods in the United States is of low risk for each and every one of the five categories of the FSC standard for controlled wood.

-The State and national forest programmes of the United States are effective by promoting and ensuring sustainable forest practices.

This innovative study is the first of its class in investigating the legality at the national level and will become a valuable tool for the implementation of a series of policies of sustainable procurement, including the FSC standard for controlled wood. Why should facilitate greatly the supply of FSC labelled products using systems of credit of FSC by volume and percentage and containing wood of American hardwoods. The study also provides a series of recommendations for the wood industry of American hardwoods designed to increase its level of transparency and the environmental credentials of your products.

AHEC has already responded to these recommendations through the preparation of a policy of acquisition responsible for exporters (RPP - Responsible Procurement Policy). This policy may be voluntarily adopted by those members of Ahec wishing to convey their commitment with regard to specific environmental objectives and wishing to encourage the progressive increase in the proportion of American hardwoods with traceability to its forest of origin

Preliminary indications suggest that the risk assessment study funded by Ahec, combined with the new acquisition responsible for Ahec exporting policy, will be accepted that, together, they satisfy the requirements laid down by Japan about the legality of sources of supply of wood products.

AHEC also believes that the study of legality and the RPP policy will play an important role in Europe. According to David Venables, European Director of Ahec, "Although some members of the EU, these initiatives are not sufficient to meet the demands of sustainability of its public procurement policies, we believe that you for the bulk of the European market study and combined RPP policy highlighted the low risk involved American hardwood timber and to ensure that their" "sustainability credentials".

The 'standard for the evaluation by part of the companies of the controlled wood FSC' (FSC-STD-40-005) applies with the standard for chain of custody FSC (FSC-STD-40-004) and is designed to prevent businesses trade with:

1 Wood logged illegally;

2 logged timber to violate rights traditional or civil;

3. wood harvested in forests exist concerning the conservation important values threatened by management activities;

4. wood harvested in forests that are turning in plantations or on grounds of non-forest use; or wood harvested in forests where genetically modified trees are planted.