N
E W S R E L E A S E
For Immediate Release -
August 31, 2005
Forest
Management Firm Receives International Certification
(Piedmont, MO) - Clearwater
Forest Consultants of Piedmont, Missouri, has become the
first forest management company in Missouri to receive the
prestigious “SmartWood” certification from the non-profit
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Three area forestland
owners are presently participating in the program.
“SmartWood certification is a milestone achievement for our
firm that would not have happened without the assistance and
acceptance of many people,” according to Clearwater Forest
Consultants (CFC) owner Doug Enyart. “I hope this is the
beginning of a new direction not only for CFC, but for the
forests of Missouri.”
There are two forest certification systems operating in the
US. The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is a
certification system developed by the timber industry
itself. FSC focuses primarily on the observable results of
responsible management in the forest and local community.
By “sustainable” program organizers mean the ability to
continue to produce quality timber from generation to
generation, without the nearly century-long gap that often
results from clear cutting and similar practices.
“Prior
to the implementation of this program, the harvesting of
timber in this area has remained unchanged for the last
century,” Enyart said. “Forest management is not a widely
adopted concept in this part of the U.S., there is hardly an
acre of forest in this area that would not benefit from
timber thinning and forest management.” More than 70% of
the forestland in Wayne County is privately owned, Enyart
said.
Overall, FSC has set the global standard for forest
management and chain-of-custody certification. The FSC
label, which establishes a direct tie between the forest and
timber products consumers, gives companies a marketplace
niche that is of increasing appeal to consumers concerned
about the environment and the rights and well-being of
workers and their communities.
