The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the world’s most trusted forest certification, helps building project teams, consumers and companies identify and purchase products from responsibly managed forests. FSC conserves wildlife habitat, protects clean water and respects the rights of Native people and local communities on 170 million acres of forestland in the US and Canada.
While hundreds of companies offer FSC-certified building products in the US and Canada (with thousands more around the world), it can be difficult to meet specific needs. To address these concerns, the Forest Stewardship Council worked with the Northwest Natural Resource Group to develop an FSC Wood Finder. This new online database allows project teams to search by product category, availability, and location to find available FSC products in the US and Canada.
Because FSC’s mission is focused on using market forces to deliver additional social and environmental benefits, using FSC-certified products can have a meaningful positive impact on forests around the US and the world. For example, recent research finds that FSC certified forest management stores more carbon than conventional forestry, resulting in embodied carbon benefits from using FSC-certified products.
Sourcing FSC products can require project teams to take a slightly different approach. Successful strategies include allowing more time for sourcing, conducting research to identify what’s available and specifying those products, and engaging a broader array of suppliers.
The FSC Wood Finder is one part of the FSC Builder’s Guide, which is designed to help project teams use more FSC-certified products in construction. In addition to the FSC Wood Finder, the FSC Builder’s Guide also includes information about the benefits of FSC, sample specification language, how FSC differs from conventional forestry practices, and links to FSC continuing education.
The FSC team is also available to help. If you have questions, please email info@us.fsc.org for assistance.
