Where are all the certi fied hardwood products?

NHLA. "It disadvantages the family forest owner who's not going to incur the expense for certification."

Since hardwoods take so long to mature, said Goetz, "they'll have a have a timber sale once in a generation, maybe twice. Are they going to certify just so they can sell their wood products that one time? Do You think they're going to stay certified? So certification is not the be all and end all for good forest practices in the U.S., given our land ownership patterns."

nESPITE the burgeoning green I-lbuildins movement and the growing deriand for certified wood products, only a small percentage of U.S. hardwoods come from certified forests-a dilemma that domestic producers are determined to change.

"We run the risk, if we don't Produce a certified product, of being closed out of certain markets that absolutely require it," said Mark Barford, executive director of the National Hardwood Lumber Association, Memphis, Tn.

To date, fewer than 2Vo of U.S. forest owners-mostly large landowners and international corpora- tions-have secured certification from the Forest Stewardship Council or the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. Both groups were founded in the 1990s to develop and enforce principles, criteria, and standards for sustainable forestry.

In contrast, many Private forest landowners in the U.S.-who own more than two-thirds of domestic timberlands-can't afford all the documentation required for FSC or SFI certification. "Certification clearly favors large landowners," said Alberto Goetzl, president of Seneca Creek Associates, a natural resources consultine firm that works with

Lee Laechet, executive v.P. of the Alabama Forest Owners Association, agrees. "Our system is a pretty darn good system, where we let PeoPle own things and try to take care of them," he said. "We ought to defend that, rather than move to a system that says 'prove that you're doing it' properly."

However, both FSC and SFI are actively courting smaller landowners. FSC urges small foresters to lower costs by getting certified in groups, a tactic that has been successful in Switzerland. SFI encourages sawmill operators to pay the costs of SFI training for loggers who sell to them.

"SFI has to work on those uncertified lands to raise the bar of forestry," said Kathy Abusow, the group's president and c.e.o. She said that companies that want to distribute certified product "don't have the luxury of saying 'no' to the other 907o percent of forests that are uncertified."

A third certification group-the American Tree Farm System-was founded in 1941 to address concerns that America's forests were being cut at unsustainable rates without reforestation. Sponsored by the American Forest Foundation, the group now represents more than 90,000 family forest owners in 45 states-many of whom manage less than 100 acres.

"The number of certified family forest landowners in the system has doubled over the past four years," said Bob Simpson, senior v.p. of the American Forest Foundation. "This shows the tremendous growth potential in this area."

In order to reach international markets, ATFS recently become affiliated with the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification-the same group that endorses SFI. Founded in 1999, PEFC is an independent international non-profit that promotes sustainably managed forests through independent thirdparty certification.

"The demand for sustainably procured wood is rapidly increasing because more businesses and more consumers are stepping up to the plate on issues like climate change," said the secretary-general of PEFC, Ben Gunneberg. "PEFC endorsement means that more American growers can now serve this rapidly growing market,"

Laurence Wiseman, president and c.e.o. of the American Forest Foundation, agrees. "PEFC approval is the key to connecting more of the good operators to the rapidly growing marketplace of green manufacturers, distributors, retailers and consumers," he said. "This is fantastic news for conservation-minded family forest owners who are struggling to survive in tough economic times."

Helping family landowners succeed also helps ensure the future supply of domestic hardwoods. Every year in the U.S., I .5 million acres of family forestland is sold for development.

"We are losing ground to developers," said Mike Brinson, a professional forester for Pike Lumber, Akron, In. "Urban sprawl and forest fragmentation are taking land out of production and making the management of forests more difficult."

Making family forestlands profitable could also keep succeeding generations in the business. "This generation is not as tied to the land as the one before," said Liz Jackson, who heads the Indiana Forestry & Woodland Owners Association. "They view land ownership and woods differently than their parents."

Bob and Jean Cooper are working to reverse this trend, and champion the benefits of sustainable forestry. The couple bought their North Carolina tree farm in 1914, and their two sons are now co-owners of the successful enterprise. Several grandsons are also active in the business. which sells timber to companies such as Weyerhaeuser.

Last year, the Coopers were honored as the North Carolina Tree Farmers of the Year. This year, they were named Southern Resional Tree

Farmers of the Year and are one of four regional finalists for the national title. The winner will be announced this month at the National Tree Farmer Convention in Portland. Or.

Joe Pierce. who won the national title last year, is another proponent of family forest ownership. A sixth-generation owner of family forestland in Cumberland County, Me., he spends much of his time teaching other landowners about sustainable forest management.

Pierce's grandmother signed up with ATFS in the 1960s. Even earlier. his great grandfather dispensed this advice: "Take care of the land first, and it will take care of you."