Small woodlot certification a Baldacci goal

Despite ongoing arguments about the merits of one forest certification system over another, many of the state’s large forestland owners have made some effort to have their forestry and logging practices labeled “sustainable.”

But 6 million acres, more than a third of the commercial forestland in Maine, is owned by small landowners, people who own between 10 and 1,000 acres. They’re key to selling more of the state’s wood on the “green” market.

These 110,000 or so people aren’t trained foresters. For many, a woodlot represents not an ecological system, but a source of ready cash that can be harvested for a child’s college tuition or a medical emergency. For others, it’s a long-term financial investment or a contribution to forest conservation.

Gov. John Baldacci’s administration recently announced its goal of certifying 10 million out of Maine’s 17.8 million acres of forest by the end of 2007 in hopes of creating a high-value “green” market for Maine’s forest products. Currently, only about 6.5 million acres, mostly in large ownerships, have been certified, and many more acres are simply not certifiable in their current condition.

To meet the goal, the state will need small landowners.

The typical certification process, designed for large companies, takes several years, scientific expertise and many thousands of dollars. But small landowners, right down to those with 10-acre backyard plots, have several options.

Group Certification: Three Maine companies already offer a group certification under the international Forest Stewardship Council, the approach favored by many environmentalists. About 28,000 acres and more than 100 landowners have been certified this way.

Landowners who hire certified consulting foresters from Two Trees Forestry in Winthrop, Mid Maine Forestry in Warren, or Hancock Land Co. in Casco and follow their recommendations for land management can market their wood as FSC certified.

If landowners choose the FSC route, they negotiate a contract which typically means a lot more paperwork, but little or no extra cost, said Matt Hancock of Hancock Land Co., which has certified about 4,500 acres for small landowners in addition to its own acreage.

Tree Farm: Since 1941 Tree Farm has been giving its stamp of approval to woodlots nationwide.

The program started with a simple list of minimum standards, but as the certification movement has grown over the past decade, Tree Farm has drafted a more comprehensive list of standards that will take effect in 2004.

In Maine, more than 1,500 landowners already belong to Tree Farm, and each will eventually be forced to meet the new, stringent standards, that meet the industry-based Sustainable Forestry Initiative, as they come due for their five-year audits.

Now, the Small Woodlot Owners Association of Maine, which has several thousand members, has set a goal of attracting 75 to 150 new and current members to be certified under Tree Farm’s new standards, said Mandy Farrar of SWOAM.

SWOAM has a long relationship with Tree Farm and believes that its program, designed for small properties, is the best, and least expensive, choice, she said.

The Trust to Conserve Northeast Forest Lands: A brand-new group, the trust grew out of Maine’s Master Loggers program, which certifies that wood is harvested in a sustainable way. However, the loggers had little influence over how the land was managed in the long term, said Andy Kekacs, publisher of Maine Woodsman and a supporter of both programs.

Landowners who become members of the trust will gain a dual group certification under both FSC and SFI, as well as certification under Master Loggers, Kekacs said.

The price of joining the trust hasn’t yet been set, as organizers are hoping to receive some grant money to defray costs.

Kekacs supports the program because of its dual focus. Both foresters and loggers will be certified and will work from the same document, a comprehensive and health account.

“Landowners, loggers and foresters are equal partners,” he said.

The three different approaches each have their pros and cons, and there’s nothing stopping a landowner from being certified in multiple ways. In fact, many landowners choose to seek several labels increasing their marketability.

The state has made a point of not indicating a preference.

But not all certification systems are created equal, say environmentalists. Groups like Maine Audubon and the Natural Resources Council of Maine overwhelmingly favor those that meet the stringent FSC standards.

Whichever system they prefer, however, landowners have been responding to the governor’s challenge. Farrar has received nearly 40 calls, and although the trust hasn’t officially begun, it already has about 15 members in a pilot program. Hancock also has noted a surge in interest.

All look to certification as the future of Maine’s forest products industry. If only a sufficient and steady stream of sustainable wood can be produced, the state can create its own niche market, Hancock said.

“There is a growing and significant opportunity that wasn’t there five years ago,” he said. “There’s a lot more enthusiasm for certification.”