I’m always on the lookout for any music-related wood news, so I was excited to learn about a new initiative partnering Greenpeace and the musical instrument industry. The Greenpeace Music Wood Campaign is designed to protect threatened forest habitats and safeguard the future of the trees critical to making musical instruments. The goal of the campaign is to “increase the availability of traditional woods used by musical instrument manufacturers that can be certified to the exacting management standards of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC),” according to Greenpeace.

Greenpeace is working with prominent musical instrument manufacturers such as Gibson, Martin, Taylor, Fender, Guild and Yamaha, as well as artists, tonewood suppliers, instrument retailers and music industry associations that include Luthiers Mercantile Intl, Pacific Rim Tonewoods, North American Wood Products, Allied Lutherie and more.

Judging by the companies on this list, the musical instrument industry is taking this seriously. Even though musical instrument manufacturing is not the driving force behind vanishing critical forest habitats, instrument makers’ use of exotic and valuable timber species makes it important for them to help reshape forest management to protect threatened forests. To see any companies or associations focusing on sustainability is always encouraging, no matter how large or small the steps being taken. Greenpeace is not always a popular name in the woodworking industry, but this campaign sounds like a positive for all parties involved. What do you think?

For more information, visit musicwood.org.