America’s third-largest timber supplier for housebuilding is giving US$35,000 towards a bid to certify state-owned lands in Washington.
The donation by Lanoga Corporation will help scientists working for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the American Forest & Paper Association assess lands for certification.
Lanoga, the first timber company to make a financial contribution to such a scheme, says certification makes good business sense. The state wants to learn more about how certification would work but has expressed uncertainty as to whether it would pay off in the long term.
Washington’s state department of natural resources looks after about two million acres of forest trust land, including 1.2 million acres which will be evaluated for certification.
Six US states have so far achieved FSC certification for timber felled on public lands.
