Over fifty voluntary organizations exist worldwide to monitor forest practices for consumers of wood products.  Not surprisingly, then, the world of wood certification in North America is a complex one in a rapidly changing context of consumer expectations.

Here, forest certification schemes that monitor and promote good forest practices are divided into two camps struggling for market share, spurred on by the growing -- and increasingly global --  public need to understand the origin of the lumber it buys.  On one hand stands the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council), a by-now-familiar accreditation to Canadian, American, and European buyers. On the other stands the PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes) constellation of programs, now including under its umbrella the SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative) as well as the CSA-Z809 (Canadian Standards Association's National Standard for Forest Management).

British Columbia's working forests are certified by each of these third-party certification schemes, making it a world leader in promoting sustainable  forest management. 

But what do these labels mean to buyers of hardwood?  And how do their assurances dovetail with emerging green building standards?

For hardwood producers, the interplay between certification programs and the ethical sourcing of lumber through the accounting mechanism known as chain of custody is an evolving area of discussion.
    In the US one challenge to certification lies in the fact that the vast majority of hardwood producers are small companies and family operations while certification programs have been geared for adoption by government and large companies who seem more able to bear the burden of administration.  Recently, however, measures have been taken to include small hardwood tree farms as a group designation under PEFC.
FSC is looking for a similar designation.    

Further complication lies in the potential gaps between green building standards and chain of custody certification.      
    Right now in Canada, for example, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental  Design) standards credit only products from forests certified under the FSC banner and bearing chain-of-custody documentation, meaning that it's possible that sustainably produced local lumber could be overlooked in favour of certified wood from much farther away.
      In the US, Green Globes and the National Green Building Standard recognize products certified under all globally recognized third-party standards.