Giving the Forest Value

The following is an exceprt from an article written by Elizabeth Baldwin entitled "Looking at Lacey" featured in the Hardwood Floors Magazine published by the National Wood Flooring Association, August/September 2010 issue.

...imported woods should be promoted; developing a healthy and legal international forest industry can help save the rainforest. In the past, countries have tried to "save the rainforest" by banning tropical timber. Unfortunately, this usually has the opposite effect. When the forest has no value, people have to use the land for something that does provide them with an income. So they simply burn the trees and plant something people will buy, such as coconuts, bananas or palm oil. The best way to save the forest is to give it value so people treat it as an investment and look to it for the long-term return. The more value the wood has, the more people will protect it and plant for the future.

Ken Snyder, tropical forest coordinator for the National Audubon Society, has studied the effectiveness of boycotts in conservation campaigns. Among his conclusions: "The majority of tropical forests are in countries experiencing extensive economic hardships and carrying massive loads of debt. These governments are stuck in a short-term mindset as they desperately exploit cash crops and natural resources in order to generate foreign currency. A boycott can put additional pressure on these fragile economies, hindering conservation programs and causing the government to increase exploitation of resources."

Furthermore, recent survey data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has shown that overall, forests outside tropical regions are increasing in size. The reason is generally attributed to healthy forest products industries. The more profitable the forests are, the more people will work to keep them healthy and increase their number. This has been proven by the U.S. forest industry. The wood flooring industry can help save the world's forests by assisting developing nations in creating strong, legal and sustainable forest industries.

Why Tropical Timber Industry is Important to Maintaining Forests

"Many people hold the tropical timber industry at least partly responsible for tropical forest destruction. But a tropical timber industry and trade operating in a sustainable way can make a substantial contribution to the development and conservation of tropical forest resources. The tropical timber trade and industry also provide much-needed employment, exchange earnings and tax revenue - income that helps justify keeping forests as forests. Moreover, the growth of the industrial sector assists the development of important infrastructure such as electricity and water supplies, roads, schools, hospitals, telecommunications and ports." (ITTO website)

The ITTO is an action-oriented organization. It formulates policies relevant to its objectives and assists members to implement those policies through a program of pre-projects (or scoping studies), projects and other activities. Most are implemented by national and local-level organizations, including those in government, civil society and the private sector, and a small secretariat supervises, monitors and evaluates the field program under the direction of the International Tropical Timber Council.
(You can read more about the mission of ITTO on our "Forest Preservation" page.)

"ITTO defines sustainable forest management (SFM) as:

the process of managing forest to achieve one or more clearly specified objectives of management with regard to the production of a continuous flow of desired forest products and services without undue reduction of its inherent values and future productivity and without undue undesirable effects on the physical and social environment.'

What this means is that forest-related activities should not damage the forest to the extent that its capacity to deliver products and services - such as timber, water and biodiversity conservation - is significantly reduced. Forest management should also aim to balance the needs of different forest users so that its benefits and costs are shared equitably."

The Problem with Pressure Treated Decks

The following is a quote from the a website listed by Consumer's Report...www.greenerchoices.org.

The problem with pressure-treated wood in playground sets and decks

For nearly 70 years, playground sets, wooden decks, sheds, and other outdoor structures were commonly made with pressure-treated wood infused with chromated copper arsenate (CCA) to make it insect- and rot-resistant. CCA contains known carcinogens and has been shown to migrate to the wood surface, where it can come into contact with skin or leach into the surrounding soil. In late 2003, the industry voluntarily stopped using CCA in residential products after an agreement was reached with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but many people still own CCA-treated wood structures. Additionally, existing supplies of the lumber may still be sold.

WHAT'S KNOWN ABOUT THE RISKS

CCA contains chromium, copper, and arsenic, each of which can be toxic. As with all toxins, the actual risk depends on the level of toxicity and amount of exposure. Children are often more susceptible to toxicity exposure than adults. To date, studies on risks from CCA-treated wood have mainly focused on the arsenic component, which has raised the most concern. Called inorganic arsenic, it is the most toxic form of arsenic and a known carcinogen. Possible symptoms resulting from short-term exposure to high levels include nausea and vomiting. Long-term exposure to lower levels has been shown to increase the risk of lung, bladder, and skin cancer. The EPA recommends that people who believe they may be suffering from adverse effects from CCA-treated wood immediately contact their medical provider or local poison control center. Then, for further information and to report incidents, the EPA advises contacting the National Pesticide Information Center.