Western Washington State Forests 'Green' Certified

WASHINGTON  FORESTS  ENVIRONMENT 

By Tom Banse

Olympia, WA  May 22, 2008 5:56 p.m.

A big chunk of state forestland in Western Washington has won a "green" seal of approval from a monitoring group called the Forest Stewardship Council.

Republican lands commissioner Doug Sutherland says it means the state has received both of the major certifications for sustainability.

Doug Sutherland: “It provides more bidders for the wood that we put up for auction.  And if you have more bidders, you’re going to have a better price.”

The Forest Stewardship Council certification covers about 145,000 acres of public land on the Kitsap Peninsula and in the Cascade foothills east of Seattle and Tacoma.

Oregon’s Board of Forestry is showing renewed interest in seeking “green” certification as well, after deciding in 2005 not to pursue it.

Getting the green stamp requires harvesting in ways that maintain a forest’s biodiversity such as by doing smaller clearcuts.

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