More FSC-Accredited Certifiers

I have been reading your article in the April 2002 issue of

Environmental Building News (

Vol. 11, No. 4) and generally agree with your take on the recent developments with SCS. However, as a Board member of the Silva Forest Foundation I must point out your error in describing SCS as “one of two organizations in North America that certify timberlands according to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) guidelines.”

The Silva Forest Foundation, based in Canada, has been accredited by the FSC since 1999, and I’m sure that your readers would appreciate knowing that SCS and SmartWood are only two of three North America-based FSC certifiers. For more information about Silva’s certification program, please feel free to contact Wendy Vasbinder (250/226-7222).

Cam Brewer

Canadian Eco-Lumber Co-op

Vancouver, British Columbia

Editors’ reply:

Please accept our apologies for this oversight. We should also note that in addition to the three

North America-based, FSC-accredited certifiers—Silva Forest Foundation, Scientific Certification Systems, and SmartWood—there is a European organization that has certified at least one North American forest. SGS Qualifor™, based in Oxford, England, has recently certified Westwind Forest Stewardship, Inc., a business partner of Canadian forest products giant Tembec, according to FSC guidelines.