CERTIFICATION FIGHT GROWS
The battle continues between several forest certification systems and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) over the USGBC’s policy of not accepting all credible forest certification systems under the LEED rating system.
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), which has been a key proponent of opening up LEED recognition, has issued a news release stating that “79 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing 35 different states” have sent the USGBC a letter urging the them to make changes. In addition to the letter, steered by Congressmen Kurt Schrader (D-OR) and Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), the USGBC received a petition with nearly 6,000 signatories calling for LEED recognition of all “wood and paper products certified to independent, respected and credible standards, including SFI, ATFS, CSA, FSC, and PEFC.”
“From the halls of Congress to other elected officials across North America to architects, builders, family tree farmers and forestry and sustainability experts around the world, the support for a change in LEED has grown exponentially,” said Kathy Abusow, president and CEO of SFI Inc. “Wood should be recognized for its environmental merits, and third-party certified forest products should be given additional credit.”
More than three quarters of certified forests in North America are certified to standards not currently recognized by USGBC. The letter from the House members states that maintaining the status quo will mean builders seeking LEED certification “would be discouraged to use third-party certified SFI and ATFS products” grown in the U.S., while opening LEED to other forest certification programs “could stimulate the market for American produced forest products and the communities and jobs that depend on both.”
The Canadian Council of Forest Ministers as well as individual provincial ministers have also written letters to the USGBC to show their support for all credible forest certification standards as the USGBC’s policy also affects wood from Canadian forests and mills. To see a complete summary of the professional organizations and governments that have commented on this issue, visit sfiprogram.org/leed.
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