Sustainable Forest Management

A widely recognised definition of sustainable forest management is "the stewardship and use of forests and forest land in a way and at a rate, that maintains their biodiversity, productivity, regeneration capacity, vitality and their potential to fulfill, now and in the future, relevant ecological, economic, and social functions, at local, national, and global levels and does not cause damage to other ecosystems". (Pan European/Helsinki Process).

In simple terms, the concept can be described as the attainment of balance-balance between society's increasing demands for forest products and other benefits, and the preservation of forest health and diversity. This balance is critical to the survival of forests and the well-being of forest-dependent communities in all areas of the world.

Recent studies conducted as part of the U.S. Renewable Resources Planning Act (RPA) Assessment[1], a nationwide inventory mandated under U.S. Federal Law to be undertaken every 10 years, demonstrate that U.S. hardwood forests are not only growing in size and timber volume, but that existing forest management practices are contributing to enhanced forest health and diversity. Furthermore, the United States operates an effective and fully enforced regulatory framework to deliver sustainable forest management.

Confirmation of this conclusion comes from the independent peer-reviewed study commissioned by AHEC in 2008 from Seneca Creek Associates LLC entitled.  An Assessment of Lawful Harvesting and Sustainability of U.S. Hardwood Exports. This report states that: "in assessing the breadth and effectiveness of various regulatory and non-regulatory programs that bear on the issues of legality and sustainability, all states in the US hardwood-producing region can be considered low risk for illegal and non-sustainable hardwood sourcing".

[1] For the 2000 Renewable Resources Planning Act (RPA) Assessment see http://www.fs.fed.us/pl/rpa/rpaasses.pdf .

Other supporting documents are at: http://www.fs.fed.us/research/rpa/