WFLC Takes On Deceptive Sustainable Forestry
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In a precedent-setting consumer protection action, the Washington Forest Law Center, on behalf of the Seattle chapter of the National Audubon Society, has filed a complaint against the Weyerhaeuser Company under the complaint procedure prescribed by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). SFI is a timber industry-created forest products certification program that has certified over 6 million acres of Weyerhaeuser forests and 150 million acres of forestland in North America. The Complaint alleges that Weyerhaeuser has, for the past seven years and contrary to SFI standards, been aggressively logging the critical habitat of state and federally-protected known northern spotted owls in its forests in Southwest Washington. The Complaint asks the Sustainable Forestry Board (SFB), the body that oversees the SFI program, to require Weyerhaeuser to stop logging critical owl habitat, to implement sound corrective measures, and to suspend Weyerhaeuser from SFI until its practices comply with SFI’s environmental claims.
SFI’s Environmental Claims
SFI, and timber companies certified by SFI, represent to the public that SFI-certified companies practice sustainable forestry, which SFI defines as forestry that practices a land stewardship ethic integrating the growing, nurturing, harvesting and reforesting of trees for useful products with the conservation of soil, air and water quality, wildlife and fish habitat, and aesthetics. SFI, through directives spelled out in its certification criteria, requires its program participants to protect imperiled and endangered species and to follow laws regarding habitat preservation
What Audubon Has Uncovered About Weyerhaeuser’s Forestry in Southwestern Washington
WFLC has filed this Complaint on behalf of Seattle Audubon because Audubon has obtained credible scientific information that Weyerhaeuser has, while certified under SFI, conducted extensive clear-cut logging in southwestern Washington State that directly violate SFI standards and the federal Endangered Species Act. The complaint describes how Weyerhaeuser has aggressively clear-cut the critical owl habitat within four state and federally-recognized Spotted owl “administrative circles.” Owl circles represent the forest habitat surrounding a known owl that is considered critical to support an owl’s essential life functions, such as nesting, breeding, and feeding. Weyerhaeuser’s practices directly contradict its and SFI’s claims that it protects and conserves the critical habitat of threatened and endangered wildlife.
Weyerhaeuser has been warned by State and Federal regulators that the company’s clear-cutting of habitat in the vicinity of these owls threatened to harm these particular owls. Since the owl was federally listed as threatened under the endangered species act in 1990, the Washington population of the Spotted Owl has decreased by over 50% and Weyerhaeuser’s forests in southwestern Washington are considered important habitat for the Washington population of the Spotted Owl.
Why Challenging SFI Practices is Important
Through their marketing materials and public statements, SFI and Weyerhaeuser pledge to protect threatened and endangered species, practice sustainable forestry and obey applicable federal laws. Regrettably, the reality on the ground is much different. Weyerhaeuser’s practices not only fail to protect threatened and endangered species, but they actually harm such species through aggressive logging in sensitive areas. Additionally, the company’s practices have been called into question for their impacts to sensitive habitat, watersheds, and indigenous communities.
Audubon and WFLC are hopeful that the SFI process will provide an unbiased, scientifically-credible, open and transparent, and independent review of these claims.
Read Seattle Audubon SFI Complaint Synopsis
Seattle Audubon website: http://www.seattleaudubon.org/
Seattle Audubon and forest friendly lumber: http://www.forestfriendlylumber.com/
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Related Story:
December 8, 2006 – On the same week that WFLC and Seattle Audubon filed a formal Sustainable Forestry Initiative Non-Compliance Complaint against Weyerhaeuser, the Natural Recourses Center of Maine (NRCM) filed a formal complaint against Plum Creek Timber, asking SFI to suspend the Seattle-based Plum Creek Timber’s SFI certification for their land in Maine. After conducting an investigation of Plum Creek timber practices, NRCM uncovered the largest fine for logging law violations in Maine’s history, drawing attention to widespread damage to deer wintering habitat. Read the story here.
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Interested in an environmentally sound approach to using wood and paper? Check out http://www.dontbuysfi.com/ to learn about forest certification system characteristics, standards and practices.
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