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Forest Certification. What Is It and How Does It Affect Water Quality. Jim Jeter, State BMP Coordinator. Alabama Forest Facts. 670 forest manufacturing operations 100 sawmills 17 pulp & paper mills 26 veneer mills/panel plants 500 secondary wood processing operations
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Forest Certification What Is It and How Does It Affect Water Quality ALABAMA FORESTRY COMMISSION Jim Jeter, State BMP Coordinator
Alabama Forest Facts 670 forest manufacturing operations 100 sawmills 17 pulp & paper mills 26 veneer mills/panel plants 500 secondary wood processing operations 2nd largest manufacturing industry $12.78 billion in 2010 – value added $6.45 billion – 9% of the state’s GDP
Alabama Forest Facts Direct jobs - 46,800, payroll $1.69 billion Indirect jobs – 102,000 8% of all exports Airbus - $600 million – Forestry $400 million/ year for the last 20 years 2011 – new or expanding - $161 million capital investment with 566 new jobs
What Is Forest Certification ? • It is actually product labeling “green labeling” • Provide assurance to wood product markets - • Grown • Harvested • Processed • Consistent with sustainability criteria • Driven by the marketplace
Three Major Certification Programs Forest Stewardship Council – FSC Sustainable Forestry Initiative – SFI American Tree Farm System - ATFS
Sustainable Forestry Initiative > 180 million acres in North America > 3 million acres in Alabama Chain of Custody Certification - % fiber from certified forest Fiber Sourcing Requirements – responsible forest management on all suppliers’ lands Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification - PEFC
American Tree Farm System American Forest Foundation Small, private, non-industrial landowners Endorsed by Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification > 3.5 million acres in Alabama
Forest Stewardship Council Established in 1993 – concerns over Global Deforestation National and Regional Standards Represented in more than 50 Countries Broad support of environmental organizations Biggest demand for LEED – Leadership in Energy, Efficiency and Design > 400,000 acres in Alabama
All 3 Programs Have specific standards that must be met SFI – www.sfiprogram.org ATFS – www.treefarmsystem.org FSC – www.fscus.org Forestry BMPs are mandated 3rd Party Certification Constraints on Forest Management Additional costs / Reduced yield
Environmental practices are better Stronger biodiversity practices Prompting many positive changes
Affects on Water Quality It will improve Education and prevention Stringent regulation may cause a reduction in forestland Forestland = Clean Water
Can good logging be accomplished? You bet it can! Questions ?