SWOAM Certification in the Media
Big Changes for Small Woodlots
By Mandy Farrar
Big changes are going on in the markets for Maine forest products - changes that are having an impact all the way down to the small woodlot.
Large paper buyers are putting pressure on Maine mills to purchase wood cut from "certified" lands. Certification is a voluntary system that uses outside third-party verification to ensure that wood products that mills receive and produce originated on land that was managed on a sustainable basis. Up to this time, most certification programs have been focused on large industrial landowners. For a number of years, large industrial landowners have been receiving pressure from environmental groups to provide proof that they are managing their land on a sustainable basis.
Although large industrial landowners are able to produce certified forest products, small woodlands supply at least 40 percent of all the wood used in Maine's mills. These non-industrial forests comprise nearly 7.5 million acres and are located in all parts of the state. In order to meet their customer's needs, paper mills and sawmills will be increasingly looking to small landowners to supply a portion of the certified wood that they need.
Up until now, many small landowners have not shown an interest in becoming certified. This is largely because many small woodland owners are not familiar with certification. Many of those landowners who do know about certification cannot afford it. Third party verification can be costly and many small landowners cannot afford to pay fees involved with achieving certification.
The Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine (SWOAM) has plans to address this issue. SWOAM was established in 1975 as a voice and an educational resource for small woodland owners in Maine. SWOAM is working in a joint effort with the American Tree Farm System to develop a voluntary group certification program that is economical for small landowners. The American Tree Farm System's new 2004 standards have recently been endorsed for forest certification. SWOAM chose to become involved with this certification route because Tree Farm is widely known and recognized by both landowners and the public.
Group certification is a voluntary process of evaluating and certifying groups of forest landowners under a single certificate. Certifying under the umbrella of a group reduces the cost burden on landowners because they share in the cost of the third party audit. In addition, the group administrator is responsible for handling much of the paperwork, which reduces the administrative burden on the landowner.
Most existing Tree Farmers and small landowners who have been practicing sound forestry should have no trouble becoming certified. SWOAM's primary goal in this project is to provide a good service for those small landowners who choose to have their land certified.
The voluntary group certification process has many advantages for small landowners. First, certification is a way for landowners to ensure markets for the forest products that they produce. The large buyers are increasingly moving toward certification, which in turn means that mills are going to be demanding certified wood. Certification is not only about paper products. Certification is about managing land on a sustainable basis and encouraging long-term stewardship of the land. Certification provides small landowners with an opportunity to furnish proof that they are practicing sustainable forestry and that they are doing the right thing on their land. In addition, certification is recognized in regulatory sense. An increase in lands that are certified may work to decrease the need for regulations to protect natural resources.
Lastly, certification of small landowners gives Maine a chance to be a distinct leader in and compete in the world market, which is quickly moving towards certification. Certification can work as a tool in satisfying worldwide consumers and give a positive boost to Maine forest product companies. Maine does not want to be left behind as certification takes shape throughout the United States and the rest of the world.
