Forest Stewardship Council and SmartWood Certification
In 2007, Katahdin completed the rigorous process of becoming the only log home manufacturer in the U.S. to earn Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody Certification certified by the SmartWood program.
This certification enables us to offer Northern White Cedar used in constructing its log homes from responsibly managed forests.
- What products are certified? Katahdin Cedar Log Homes is certified for the following FSC-pure Northern White Cedar products: log wall stock, log siding, interior and exterior trim, decking, and cedar support posts.
- Adding a piece to the "green" puzzle. Katahdin believes that taking this positive step to certify our source forests was an important component to our progressive approach to conserving the environment. The Certification enables us to meet the growing demands for green building practices in a competitive market, and will also position Katahdin dealers and builders to comply with LEED green building standards as they are approved for home construction.
- What does SmartWood do? The Rainforest Alliance's certification program, SmartWood, was founded in 1989 to certify responsible forestry practices and now focuses on providing a variety of certification and auditing services.
- How does Chain-of-Custody Certification work? Chain-of-Custody refers to the complete systems and procedures that allow for the tracking of a forest product from the logs traded by a forest manager or broker, to primary or secondary processing, to the wholesalers or retailers who bring the final product to the marketplace. The Rainforest Alliance SmartWood Program is accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
- How big is "green" building? The market for green building products and services in the US is expected to top $12 billion in 2007, up from more than $7 billion in 2005, according to the US Green Building Council, a nonprofit organization with more than 10,000 member companies and organizations that sets national green building standards.
- Where is FSC-certified wood used? There has been a growing demand for FSC-certified lumber, plywood and other wood building materials in the US in response to the boom in construction projects registered with the US Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program. LEED is the national rating system that defines the standards for a building to be "green."
