By Christopher Walker. The Certified Forest Products Council (CFPC) has launched a new Web site ( www.certifiedwood.org) that makes it easier to find and purchase lumber harvested using sustainable, environmentally friendly methods.
Visitors can search by product and then get a list of vendors who sell versions of that product certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international non-profit organization promoting responsible forest management. Last December, the FSC won the City of Göteborg International Environment Prize for its work to preserve global forests.
"The market for environmentally responsible building practices is growing," CFPC director of trade and market development Jason Grant says, citing demand from governments, universities, and corporations. "[Contractors] are interested not just from a social or environmental standpoint but also from a business standpoint. They're positioning themselves for the future."
Grant warns that some competing forest certification initiatives lack the support of the environmental community. The FSC's certification is the only one that earns points in the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Green Building Rating System.
