The first delivery of Indonesian timber accredited under a new environmental certification programme has reached the US.

About 1,000 tons of meranti wood bearing labels identifying it as “RIL verified”, which certifies that it was harvested by reduced impact logging, was delivered to Virginia on August 5.

Supporters say the programme, a partnership between US corporate interests, the US Agency for International Development and Indonesian timber companies, will encourage environmentally friendly harvesting of rainforest trees.

US president George Bush referred to “reduced-impact logging” in his initiative against illegal logging launched on July 29.

The second phase of the RIL initiative, starting October, involves a marketing push on US retailers.

The environmental group the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) is less impressed. It claims the RIL programme does not require the logger, in this case PT Suka Jaya Makmur, to protect endangered forests within its concession.

RAN has called on big American timber buyers, including Home Depot and Georgia-Pacific to stop buying wood products from Indonesia.