Certification

Certification of products can serve as both a marketing tool and a regulatory one, as in the case of food products. Although forest production in the United States is regulated, most wood forest products other than construction materials are not regulated by government. Examples of regulated wood products are building trusses that must meet safety and engineering standards; and construction-grade lumber. Regulations apply to the quality of the product, but not to its source.  

More and more, people are considering sustainable and local sourcing as a criteria for products they purchase, as a personal "best management practice (BMP)" to reduce their carbon footprint. Campaigns such as Sierra Business Council's "Local First" are raising environmental awareness and improving local economies. But how are local products certified as local? 

California and Nevada demand for wood products remains high, but even in the midst of the forest, 80 percent of construction wood is imported. California's harvest regulations are among the most stringent in the world, and by choosing to import wood, we transfer harvest to other areas that have less regulation. California Forest Products Commission's new marketing efforts ask consumers to "think local" about their building products, noting that when harvest is done "in our backyards" we are close enough to monitor that it is being done in a sustainable manner. The next step in this campaign may be modeled after the Northern Arizona Wood Products Association source of origin labeling.

Wood products can be certified and then labelled as such by third-party verifiers such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and the Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI).  Voluntary programs, each of these certifications has its own criteria for forest management, harvest, chain of custody and labeling.  See also Forest Management: FSC Certified and Forest Management: SFI Certified.