Purchase and Promote

Here in the Northwest there are many places where you can purchase FSC-certified wood products.Three of  Dunn Lumber's eleven stores in Washington are certified sellers of FSC wood; make sure to ask at the store. The Collins Company, based out of Portland, is a regional provider of FSC-certified products. Also, although Home Depot doesn’t have a certificate under FSC, they often have FSC lumber in stock; make sure to inquire and to urge them to commit to carrying FSC. See a regional list of FSC-certified companies.

The Seattle Audubon has an active FSC-promotional campaign with an accompanying website, go to www.forestfriendlylumber.com.

There are also numerous locations throughout the Northwest that offer green building materials that are LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified. These materials may not be FSC certified, but they are designed to increase the energy efficiency of your home, hence decreasing environmental impacts. View a list of locations where you can purchase LEED-certified materials.

In addition to purchasing FSC certified or green building materials, you can also encourage local policymakers to adopt procurement policies that ensure the purchase of FSC-certified materials for government-funded construction projects. Also, urge local retailers that do not carry FSC certified forest products to do so. Do not settle for non-FSC materials. Be steadfast and patient and be sure not to purchase products with the SFI-label or similar pseudo-labeling schemes. Research the products you intend to purchase. Your forests will thank you later.