"Green" Lumber
Expands Its
Niche
Though born only three years ago, the "greencertified"
lumber business in the Northeast
has already entered a growth spurt that may
soon put as many as 2 million acres of Northeast
forestland under sustainable management practices
— and make an ever-increasing volume and
variety of environmentally certified lumber and
wood products available to builders.
"There's no question that it's a growing movement,"
says Eric Palola, a resource economist for
the National Wildlife Federation who helps coordinate
one of the major certification programs,
the SmartWood Program, in the northeast U.S.
"Though it's still an experiment — and one much
needed — the necessary connections are starting
to form, and we're getting a more solid