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This week, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced it is encouraging more responsibly sourced building materials by giving credit for wood from American Tree Farm System (ATFS) certified forests, and other credible forest certification systems such as the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), through a new path in its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system.

This is a milestone victory for forest conservation and family forest owners across the country, especially Tree Farmers, certified through ATFS. While this new addition to LEED may sound small, it’s actually huge.

All Americans count on the clean water and air, wildlife habitat and wood supply that comes from our forests. In the U.S. the largest share of these forests, more than 282 million acres, are owned by families and individuals, not by the federal government or corporations. The 22 million families and individuals who own these woods, whether they own ten or 100 acres, steward our forests. They protect riparian areas around streams and rivers so that we have clean water. They provide habitat and food for the wildlife that roam their region. They help reduce the chance of a catastrophic wildfire or the spread of invasive diseases in order to protect overall forest health. And, they provide the wood supply that flows into supply chains that later become homes, coffee cups, paper, packaging, and much more.

Individuals in ATFS, also known as Tree Farmers, represent the most exceptional of this stewardship. Tree Farmers follow a rigorous set of standards for forest management, and their properties are visited by third-party auditors. The program is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. Today, it supports nearly 80,000 Tree Farmers, sustainably managing more than 21 million acres of forest and is internationally recognized and endorsed by the global Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).

This news, that LEED will now accept wood from ATFS and SFI certified forests, will provide these forest owners with the recognition they deserve for their stewardship, and the markets that can help them continue to keep their forests providing resources.

From the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-martin/a-win-for-forest-conserva_b_9642934.html?utm_source=WIT040816&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=WeekInTrees