Ecology: Moving to Ecoforestry

February-March 2001

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
To download a pdf copy of the magazine click here: > DOWNLOAD

by Alan Wilson

Yes, there is a way to ensure wilderness forests for the future and continue to build wooden kayaks. It’s called Ecoforestry.

According to the Ecoforestry Institute Society of Canada, ecoforestry is “predicated on maintaining the ‘natural capital’ of the forest ecosystem, while allowing a wide range of values and benefits to be derived from the ‘interest’ of the forest.”

Ecoforestry tries to maximize the value of wood products from a given amount of biomass extracted, seeking the highest economic purposes for the least amount of wood harvested.

Ecoforestry favours value-added manufacturing and local jobs by providing a continuing, diverse and local supply of forest products. Its practices favour native tree and plant species which provide for the needs of wildlife.

Ecocertification assures consumers that the wood products they buy were grown and harvested in a way that protects forests for the long term. Certifiers assess the on-the-ground forest practices of a given operation against a stringent set of environmental and social criteria. The certifier also tracks the ‘chain of custody’ of the certified wood to ensure that it is kept separate from non-certified material at each stage of processing and distribution, from forest to finished products.

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a non-profit organization that accredits certifiers whose programs conform to its internationally recognized ‘principles and criteria’, providing a consistent and credible framework for independent certification efforts worldwide. The FSC enjoys the support of most major environmental groups.

As forester Herb Hammond puts it, “Certification shifts the motivation for responsible action from government regulation to market pressure, and rewards those producers who demonstrate ecological, social, and economic responsibility.”

Other ‘certification’ schemes exist, such as ISO, but these forest industry initiatives are little more than management standards set by corporations to improve their internal practices, and are not independently verified.

There impediments to ecoforestry, however. In British Columbia, for example, the big five forest companies in BC have the province largely sewn up with forest tenures. It’s only where private forest land exists (or in crown woodlot licences) that certification is likely. While there are more and more private land owners pursuing certification, there is no clear system for connecting suppliers and buyers, no open market for timber.

To rectify this, the Ecoforestry Institute is developing an Ecoforestry Directory, and is inviting ecoforesty practitioners and associated organizations to list. See sidebar for contact information.

Part of the good news about ecoforestry is prices! Generally speaking, wood from ecologically managed woodlots sells at the same price as lumber in the commercial lumber stores.

Better yet, a number of big chains, like Home Depot, have announced their intention to switch to certified lumber within the next five years, subject to availability.
The million dollar question is whether we can switch to ecowood before all our forests are ripped down. But Clayoquot Sound is a hopeful example. The model ‘Scientific Panel’, established by the BC government to develop an ecosystem management system, will likely spread.

Forest companies are at least now starting to use the language of ecoforestry, biodiversity, low impact logging. While in some cases this is ‘greenwash’, it’s a start.

For further information, read Ecoforestry: The Art and Science of Sustainable Forest Use edited by Alan Grengson and Duncan Taylor (New Society Publishers, 1997) and Wildwood by Ruth Loomis (Reflections, 1995). To be included in the Ecoforestry Directory, contact Jay Rastogi of the Ecoforestry Institute c/o 13802 Hill Road Ladysmith, BC V9G 1G7 Email:rastogi@ecoforestry.ca.Ph: 250-245-5540. Both books mentioned above can be ordered by contacting Jay. The Ecoforestry Institute is also working in partnership with The Land Conservancy to purchase ‘Wildwood’, the well-known forestry operation on Vancouver Island founded by Merve Wilkinson in 1938. The property will be maintained as a demonstration ecoforestry site and will be the site of an educational centre. Donations are being accepted by the Ecoforestry Institute, Box 5070 Station B, Victoria, BC, V8R 6N3 and by The Land Conservancy of BC, 5793 Old West Saanich Rd, Victoria, BC, V9E 2H2. Both organizations are registered charities, therefore donations are tax deductable. For tours of Wildwood forest contact the Ecoforestry Institute. In the USA, two major certifiers are Smart Wood 802-434-5491 and Scientific Certification Systems 510-832-1415. EcoTimber of Berkeley, California, is a lumber company which specializes in certified wood. Contact them at 1020 Heinz Avenue, Berkeley, California 94710. Email: ecotimber@ecotimber.com.Ph: 888-801-0855-1020. Fax: 510-549-3001.