WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today led a bipartisan group of eleven Senators in sending a letter to U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz expressing concern about a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) policy that excludes some sustainably harvested forest products from federal use without scientific basis. In their letter, the Senators emphasize that DOE’s current position of accepting only lumber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and not from several other certification regimes used in Maine and across the country, fails to recognize the sustainable practices on more than 82 million acres of forestland nationwide. Furthermore, Senator King and his colleagues called on the DOE to reconsider its position and to take into account that other government agencies, like the U.S. Department of Agriculture, support all forest certification standards.

“Other federal agencies recognize a variety of forest certification regimes and therefore we encourage you to revisit your agency’s position on lumber and consider adding recognition for wood products that have taken steps to provide certainty about their sustainability of the product.” said the Senators in their letter to Secretary Moniz. “At a time when it is broadly appreciated that wood is one of the most environmentally friendly materials for building construction, it is important for your agency to take action to encourage, not limit, the use of responsibly sourced wood in government construction.”

Currently, the Department of Energy only considers lumber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) as suitable for federal purchasing. The Senators say in their letter that lumber certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and the American Tree Farm System (ATFS) should also be considered sustainable and suitable for federal purchase by the DOE, and point out that other federal agencies already accept SFI and ATFS certified products. 

There are more than 82 million acres of forestland across the country that are certified to either SFI or ATFS standards. These lands provide a renewable timber resource, clean water, wildlife habitat, and thousands of jobs in the forest sector and related industries. The Senators say that there is no scientific or other basis for excluding products from these forests from federal use.

“Federal procurement of forest products should promote the sustainable management of our forests, and should therefore recognize all forest certification standards,” stated Kathy Abusow, President and CEO of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Inc. “SFI applauds Senator King and all the Senators who signed this letter to the Department of Energy, for elevating the importance of a federal procurement policy that includes SFI and ATFS forest certification standards.”

Senator King, who serves on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, was joined on the letter by Senators Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), Jim Risch (R-Ida.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), and Richard Shelby (R-Ala.).

The full text of the letter is available HERE and below:

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June 27, 2016

Dr. Ernest Moniz

Secretary

U.S. Department of Energy

1000 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20585

Dear Secretary Moniz:

We are writing to express our concern regarding the position of the Department of Energy Office of Sustainable Environmental Stewardship that states only lumber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and not lumber certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) or the American Tree Farm System (ATFS), would be suitable for federal purchasing.

As you may know, this determination by DOE was subsequently relied upon by the Environmental Protection Agency in their September 25, 2015 publication of Interim Recommendations for standards and ecolabels used by federal agencies.

Other federal agencies recognize a variety of forest certification regimes and therefore we encourage you to revisit your agency’s position on lumber and consider adding recognition for wood products that have taken steps to provide certainty about their sustainability of the product. This includes those certified to SFI and ATFS standards.

Just like those forests certified to the FSC standard, ATFS and SFI certified forests provide a renewable timber resource, clean water, wildlife habitat, and thousands of jobs in the forest sector and related industries. Across the United States, there are more than 82 million acres of forestland certified to either SFI or ATFS standards. We are proud that our states have nearly 23 million acres combined that are certified to one of these two standards. There is no basis – scientific or otherwise – for excluding products from these forests for federal use.

We urge your agency to consider the position of the Department of Agriculture, which oversees the US Forest Service and has vast expertise in forest management. USDA, in its BioPreferred Program, recognizes and supports all forest certification standards.

We further encourage you to consider the recent announcement by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) to recognize products certified to SFI and ATFS standards within its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating systems. We understand that one of DOE’s criteria for “priority products” is that they contribute to LEED points for existing buildings and new construction. With this change by USGBC, products certified by SFI and ATFS meet this criterion.

At a time when it is broadly appreciated that wood is one of the most environmentally friendly materials for building construction, it is important for your agency to take action to encourage, not limit, the use of responsibly sourced wood in government construction.

Sincerely,

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