The forests in the USA, be they state or federal, are used for lumber. There are standards to protect the forests in that the harvest in the past never used clear cut and there was a ratio to maintain a healthy forest. Those ratios, depending on the forest, can be 1 to 2 or as high as 1 to 6 or more. What does the ratio mean? It means for every one tree cut, there are at least 2 or more standing. The harvested trees' girth is also measured and the tree marked with paint or colored tape to indicate it can be cut.
If you are a Chain of Custody or Forest Management Certificate Holder, (click here) you are already authorized to use the FSC trademarks. Trademark use is managed by your Certifying Body or if you are in a Group Certificate, your Group Manager.
If you are certified and have a question about trademark use, contact your Certifying Body or your Group Manager directly.
For the full trademark standard, which lays out all requirements for use of the FSC trademarks by Certificate Holders, see FSC-STD-50-001 V2-0. And for an overview, see the Quick Guide on Trademark Use for Certificate Holders.
Consumers looking for furniture are very savvy when it comes to protecting forests. They look for these chain of custody certifications. So, if a young forest is to be maintained there will be some degree of tree harvest. It will, of course, be determined by forest species of plant and animals and the impact harvesting has on them, especially in regard to mating, the birth of the offspring and the rearing of the young.
In maintaining the confidence of the public interested in protecting young forests, there is absolutely nothing wrong with camera observation. As a matter of fact, cameras can be used as an educational tool while also minimizing the presence of people to disrupt any of the animal activity or trampling of forest floor plants.
Observation cameras are great, but, ultimately the public will want personal contact. That is best scheduled with the authority supervising the young forest as a guided tour into these areas are best.
