Wolf River Lumber, Inc. - Forest Stewardship Council

We are certified under FSC & SFI;
read below to learn more about each program.

WHO IS THE "FSC"?
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a non-profit organization that is devoted to encouraging the responsible management of the world's forests. The FSC sets high standards that ensure forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial, and economically viable way. Landowners and companies that sell timber or forest products, like Wolf River Lumber, seek certification as a way to verify to consumers that they have practiced forestry consistent with FSC standards.

Independent certification organizations, accredited by the FSC, carry out assessments to determine if standards have been met. These certifiers also verify that companies, claiming to sell FSC certified products, tracked their supply back to FSC certified sources; certification assures that consumers can trust the FSC label. The certifiers evaluate both forest management activities and chain-of-custody tracking.

WHO IS THE "SFI"?
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is a fully independent, charitable organization dedicated to promoting sustainable forest management. They work with conservation groups, local communities, resource professionals, landowners, and countless other organizations and individuals who share their passion for responsible forest management, like Wolf River Lumber.

The SFI forest certification standard is based on principles that promote sustainable forest management, including measures to protect water quality, bio-diversity, wildlife habitat, species at risk, and forests with an exceptional conservation value. The standard is used widely across North America and has a strong acceptance in the global marketplace; this is especially important because of the growing demand for green building at a time when only 10% of the world's forests are certified.

SFI requires third-party audits to attain and maintain certification of the internationally recognized and trusted standard of practice. The certifiers evaluate three standards: Forest management,
chain-of-custody, and fiber sourcing. Any company that processes or trades SFI-certified forest products, like Wolf River Lumber, are eligible to seek SFI chain-of-custody certification. The company must have processes in place to track the source of its raw materials.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
Between the FSC & SFI, they evaluate three items altogether: Forest Management, Chain-of-Custody, and Fiber Sourcing. Below we have a description of each explaining what it means for lumber products and/or the lumber industry.

Forest Management:
Forest certification was launched to help protect forests from destructive logging practices. Forest certification is a means of communication to notify consumers that wood or paper products come from forests that are managed in accordance with strict environmental and social standards. Forest management operations that meet the principles and criteria for environmental, economic, and social standards are awarded the certification seal. Candidates for certification undergo a detailed,
on-the-ground, assessment that includes input from all interested parties, specie inventories, management plan reviews, and forest inspections. Forest management certification is valid for
5-years, subject to successful completion of annual audits.

Chain-of-Custody:
Chain-of-Custody (COC) is the path taken by raw materials harvested from a certified source through processing, manufacturing, and distribution until it is a final product ready for sale to the end consumer. Operations that use certified materials, or that purchase and sell certified products, can earn COC certification. COC certification ensures that a product bearing the label can be verified to contain sufficient quantities of certified materials. COC certification is awarded for a
5-year period, subject to successful completion of annual audits. Operations that have been independently verified for Chain-of-Custody certification are eligible to label their products with the logo of the certifying agency.

Fiber Sourcing:
Fiber sourcing requirements address the reality of global fiber markets and the fact that only 10% of the world's forests are certified. Through its fiber sourcing requirements, SFI Inc stands apart from other forest certification programs by supporting responsible forest management, not only on SFI-certified lands, but also on millions of additional acres that are not certified - both in North America and offshore. This ensures fiber from risky sources does not make its way into the supply chain of SFI program participants. Products meeting SFI's rigorous fiber-sourcing requirements, verified by an independent third-party certification audit, have access to SFI fiber sourcing labels certifying responsible procurement.

WOLF RIVER LUMBER'S CERTIFICATIONS
In accordance with FSC and SFI, Wolf River Lumber is certified; below are our certifications:

Cert # US08/0278, SGS-SFI/COC-0279
Wolf River Lumber has attained certification through the SGS-North America Systems & Services Certification Program. This qualifies Wolf River Lumber under The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Program Requirements For Fiber Sourcing, Chain-of-Custody, and Product Labels.

Cert # US08-5255, SGS-COC-005371, SGS-CW-005371
Wolf River Lumber has attained certification through the SGS-South Africa (Pty) Ltd. Qualifor Programme. This qualifies Wolf River Lumber under The Chain-of-Custody/Well Managed Forests Program.