Certified Forests: preparing private landowners for the future

Certified Forests: preparing private landowners for the future

Summary

This combined research and extension effort seeks to identify the potential for certified forest products in Louisiana and Mississippi. To date we have 1) developed and distributed 500 mail surveys to major US home retail centers, 2) developed and distributed 2,400 mail surveys to forest landowners in Louisiana and Mississippi, and 3) begun processing completed mail surveys.

Results from these surveys will provide a more detailed knowledge of landowners’ understanding of forest certification as well as the home retail center view of certified forest products both now and into the future.

In 2006 we will summarize the mail survey data being collected and present results through a variety of outreach and education formats.

Objectives/Performance Targets

We propose a combined research and outreach effort on the potential for certified forest products in Louisiana and Mississippi. The goal of this two-year effort is to a) determine the current and future acceptance of forest certification systems among major retailers, and b) help PNIF landowners make informed decisions about whether or not their lands should be certified, and by what system(s). Products and results from this effort can than be used in other southern states.

Specific research objectives include:

1. identifying current certification systems accepted by major retailers;
2. determining if major retailers will recognize additional certification systems; and
3. determining PNIF landowner familiarity with and knowledge of forest certification.
Specific outreach objectives include:
1. conducting 6 workshops for PNIF landowners on forest certification;
2. preparing a forest landowners guide to forest certification for southern states;
3. enhancing landowner access to markets for certified forest products; and
4. developing and implementing instruments that will measure outreach effectiveness.

Accomplishments/Milestones

We developed 2 mail surveys. The first survey was distributed to the top 500 US home retail centers to determine the current and potential future forest certification systems accpetable to these companies. This survey will allow us to determine trends in home center forest certification strategies, certification systems accepted or under consideration, certification criteria important to these retailers, and other related trends in the home center arena.

The second survey was distributed to 2,400 forest landowners in Louisiana and Mississippi. The purpose of this survey is to determine landowner familiarity with and knowledge of forest certification.

Surveys are being received and data entered. Results from both surveys will be available in 2006.

A landowners guide to forest certification will be developed in Summer, 2006. A series of forest certification workshops are planned for Fall, 2006.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

To date, most major forest certification systems have focused on large forest landowners. This includes industry and governmental ownership. Because most forestland in the South is owned by private, non-industrial landowners, this project will help this critical landowner group better understand certification and its application on their land.

Further, most certification discussions in the forestry and natural resources community do not involve the retail sector. This project, by surveying the retail sector, will provide information that landowners and their foresters can use to make more informed decions about forest certification.

Collaborators: