Forest Service Looks Into 'Green' Status

Forest Service Looks Into 'Green' Status
Forest Service Looking Into Green Certifications, Used by Timber Companies to Assure Consumers
By JEFF BARNARD AP Environmental Writer
The Associated Press

GRANTS PASS, Ore. Oct 29, 2005 — Private timber companies have been getting "green" certifications for the past decade to boost sales among consumers who want to be assured that forests are not harmed by producing the lumber they buy.

Now the U.S. Forest Service, battered by court battles over balancing logging against fish and wildlife habitat, is looking into it.

A portion of the Fremont National Forest in southern Oregon and the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania will be the first of several national forests to undergo an audit under the standards of two major systems: the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, developed by the U.S. timber industry, and the Forest Stewardship Council, an international group based in Germany that grew out of the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. The national forest audit will also include Mount Hood and Siuslaw in Oregon, Medicine Bow in Wyoming, Chequamegon-Nicolet in Wisconsin and all national forests in Florida.

The Forest Service said it is following a global trend to have third parties declare forest management as sustainable, and needs the public's confidence as it faces new challenges, such as invasive species, global warming and combatting unauthorized off-highway vehicle trails. Wanting to go slowly, it will just go through the audit process, and won't immediately seek final certification.
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http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1262126

an edict from BushCorp, perhaps?

Mark Rey who was appointed by *Co. to head up the Forest Service worked for the timber industry. Since taking the role, he has been trying to do what he can to weaken USFS regulations. Prior to Rey's appointment the planning process, and the existing rules were quite progressive. Now they have been weakened substantially, especially rules relating to conservation. I'm guessing this is an exploration to see if a nice name can be applied to weaker than existing regulation and law.