To certify or not to certify: that is the question facing state foresters and policymakers this year. Certification of forests is comparable to having the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. It assures consumers and industry purchasers that the wood products they buy come from forests that are managed well, with sustainable, ecologically sound practices. This is a far cry from the early 20th-century practice of “cut out and get out.”

“Forest certification is a big issue in Wisconsin,” says Mark Rickenbach, assistant professor in the Department of Forest Ecology and Management department at the UW-Madison”s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. “The state will soon decide on whether to certify its state forests later this year and whether to certify county forests as well. These two ownership categories make up 4.7 percent and 14.5 percent of total forest acres in the state, respectively.” To become certified, the state opens its books and lands to auditors who inspect all aspects of the state”s forest.

Certification is done by several organizations, the most recognizable of which are the American Tree Farm System, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and the Forest Stewardship Council, which has an international certification system. All three organizations promote responsible stewardship and sustainable practices. Together they have certified more than 171 million acres of forestland in North America.

They differ in their performance standards and how forests are assessed. Rickenbach points out that the American Forest and Paper Association created SFI and its efforts are primarily directed at its member companies, while a consortium of environmental groups created FSC. He says FSC has a “greener agenda, but its challenge is to further build credibility and economic advantage within the global forest products market.”

“To remain competitive in global markets, certification may operate on a ”pay to play” system,” says Rickenbach. “States like Wisconsin will need to step up or risk losing market share to other states like Maine, Pennsylvania and Minnesota, and to the Swedes and Finns, who all have certified wood products in the international marketplace.” European markets tend to favor certified wood products.

In Wisconsin, the pulp and paper industries would likely benefit from certification of state and county forests, as well as other private lands. “Time/Warner, a major buyer of Wisconsin paper, would like to meet a target of 80 percent certified material by the end of 2006,” says Rickenbach. “They want to be recognized as conservation minded. Think of how much paper they use for their magazines and books.”

In addition, environmentalists have put pressure on large retailers to offer certified wood products with so-called “eco-labels.” In the past few years, the home improvement chains Home Depot and Lowe”s have made a commitment to purchasing FSC-certified wood, and Kinko”s now stocks FSC-certified paper. Locally, Neenah Paper, a division of Kimberly Clark, sells paper products with FSC certification. Other products containing FSC-certified wood include flooring, furniture, guitars and snowboards. In 2002 alone, more than $250 million worth of FSC-certified products were sold.

Rickenbach predicts that the state will make its decision on forest certification within the next six to nine months. The global competitiveness of Wisconsin”s pulp and paper industry could well ride on one word: certification.