Judy and Dwight Batts of Macclesfield, NC, have been named 2014 National Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year by the American Tree Farm System (ATFS), a program of the American Forest Foundation.
The ATFS announced the 14 members of a new Independent Standards Review Panel, charged with reviewing AFF's current Standards of Sustainability. A 60-day review of existing standards will run through March 7, 2014.
Alternates to FSC wood-anchored LEED project gets support in the General Services Administration latest advisory on green buildings. GSA recommends the use of LEED 2009 or GBI's Green Globes 2010 green building certification, which accepts SFI, ATFS and FSC.
The GSA issued a recommendation to the DOE on Oct. 25, 2013 that federal agencies have the option to use either the USGBC LEED rating tools or the Green Building Initiative's Green Globes when choosing a third-party green building certification system.
The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED rating system unfairly awards its wood certification credit only to Forest Stewardship Council certified standard, says an executive order by Georgia's governor. SFI says it agrees.
Effectively abandoning formal LEED green building standards in state-funded projects, Georgia officially endorsed sustainable wood certifications more favorable to its wood industry than FSC used by LEED.
Georgia Governor Nathan Deal formally recognized the multiple benefits of using certified sustainable wood in green buildings, including wood certified to the American Tree Farm System standards.
One of the world's largest forest products companies has announced a supply chain preference for certified material sourced from the American Tree Farm System.