1. Sustainable Forest Policies/Programs
Bill Rockwell of The Plum Line
MSU - Forestry Leefers
Natural Resource Planning & Policy April 9, 2001
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

2. Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
Public Forestry Goals
Strategic Materials
Economic Stability
Public-Goods Provision
Social Equity
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

3. Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
Market Failure
Monopoly
Social Bias
Externalities
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

4. Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
Public Methods
Direct Production
Subsidy
Technical Assistance
Regulation
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

5. Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
Public Production
National Forests
(etc)
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

6. National Forest Management
RPA/MFMA Plans (1980s)
New Perspectives (1990)
Ecosystem Management
Clinton Era
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

7. Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
Regulation
Clean Water Act - BMPs
Chemicals (FIFRA, etc.)
Endangered Species Act(s)
State Forest Practice Acts
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

8. State Forest Practice Acts
Regeneration
State Water Laws
State ESAs
Clearcutting
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

9. Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
Government Failure
Political Influence
Special Interests
Corruption
Monopoly
Inefficiency
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

10. Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
Private Methods
Direct Production /
Competition
Collusion
Cooperation
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

11. Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
Private Methods
Direct Production /
Competition
Collusion
Cooperation
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

12. Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
Private Cooperation
Voluntary Standards
Self-Regulation
Public Relations
Research / Development
Lobbying
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

13. Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
Private Methods
Direct Production /
Competition
Collusion
Cooperation
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

14. Certification Systems
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Certification Systems
Forest Stewardship Council
ISO
Canadian Standards Assn
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
Tree Farm System
Green Tag
Alphabetical
There are others.
Major for you.
Broad view of systems, how they work: with all potential audiences as well as in the office &
in the field
Less attention to CSA & ISO due based (in part) on less familiarity & prevalence
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

15. Historical Developments
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Historical Developments
International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) proposal (mid-1980s)
Failure of tropical log import bans in Europe spurs alternative measures (mid-to-late 1980s)
FSC support by European buyer’s groups (early 1990s)
Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

16. Historical Developments (cont.)
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Historical Developments (cont.)
UN Conference on Environment & Development (Rio de Janeiro,1992)
International regional processes to address UNCED with “criteria & indicators”
Montreal Process
Helsinki Protocol
Tarapoto Process for the Amazon
Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

17. Historical Developments (cont.)
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Historical Developments (cont.)
Forest industry initiatives (1990s)
AF&PA Sustainable Forestry Initiative
Finnish Forest Certification System
Imported Timber Group of New Zealand
Malaysian Timber Industry Board
PEFC (Pan-European Forest Certification)
Mutual Recognition
Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

18. Dimensions of Systems Scale & scope of application
scale - size
scope - forest, all wood, marketing, add-ons
Performance or system standards (mix)
Mandatory or voluntary
First, second, or third party
Accreditation
Mutual Recognition

19. Forest Stewardship Council
Basically performance standards
Product certification
Retail advantage
Chain of custody
Buyers groups
Critical mass
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

20. Forest Stewardship Council (2)
Two US Certifiers
SmartWood (.org) (Rainforest Alliance)
Scientific Certification Systems (.com)
Niche industry markets
Foundation $$$$
Regional Standards
Members & WWF/World Bank

21. System Comparative Analysis Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
“well-managed” certification
not all of operation
wood only(+social & ILO? labor standards)
third-party only
attempts to control markets
“price premium”
certify foresters for small landowners
forest cooperatives

22. Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
ISO
ISO - international organization of national standard-setting bodies
“screw threads”
ISO quality system standards
ISO environmental quality system standards
No industry-specifics (except ISO14061)
Standard standards
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

23. ISO 14000 International system System standard (NO content component)
Basis for CSA and SFI
Usually matched with a content program
ISO system specification
ISO 14010/11/12 - audit standards
Product labeling standards (etc)

24. System Comparative Analysis ISO 14001
system certification
“all controlled or influenced”
all of operation
basically second- or third-party
limited labeling
own policies
based on analysis

25. Canadian Standards Assn
Canadian leadership
Forest industry, government, & CSA
ISO based
Provincial crown-land regulation
Very demanding
Z808 (guide) & Z809 (specification)
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

26. System Comparative Analysis Canadian Standards Association
ISO-based for forest (see above)
some performance standards
big on public involvement
basically second- or third-party
very detailed

27. Sustainable Forestry Initiative
Mandatory for AF&PA members
Licensees
Loosely ISO based
SFI basic standard
SFI 2001 & audit standards
SFI Core/voluntary indicators
Expert Review Panel
Sustainable Forestry Board
Revision of Standards
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

28. System Comparative Analysis Sustainable Forestry Initiative
ISO-based for forest (see above)
some performance standards
own lands, purchased wood, research, public outreach, & state organization
first, second, or third-party
product label (nearly?) ready
no accreditation (yet?)
consensus standard in the future?

29. Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
Current Developments
FSC Regional Standards & Problems
“Home Depot”, etc.
Explosion of ISO, CSA, & SFI audits
SFI in Canada
multiple audits & multiple-systems audits
SFI & Tree Farm
Mutual Recognition
Government Role - e.g., FSC/Ontario
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

30. Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
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Base of Experience
CSA development - Michigan state forest
with FSC “pre-scoping”
ISO lead auditor training & planning
Six SFI audits
- one also FSC Certified
- one state forest
Four SFI system developments
Forest plan with integrated framework
Million acre state forest - BioForest did
Developing links - aspects/impact anal
3 audits underway - one state
2 devels underway
forest planning systems w/state
now applying on hunt club
have had to compare & contrast
what is of interest to you?
One Big Question: (next slide: Why?)
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

31. Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
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Audience
Conscience
Friends
Owners/Investors
Neighbors
Regulators
YOUR Market
Trade Restrictors
Retailers
Consumers
Nine criteria - concentric out
All are potential audiences
Not all customers in traditional sense
All legitimate, given your motives
Or which motives (concerns) of others
you are interested in meeting
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

32. Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
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Audience / Motivation
Conscience
Friends
Owners/Investors
Neighbors
Regulators
YOUR Market
Trade Restrictors
Retailers
Consumers
Quality
Social acceptance
Efficiency
Friendliness
Political acceptance
Customer needs
Discrimination
Simplicity
????????
My characterization of the motives (concerns, needs) of these audiences.
You need to understand them to evaluate systems to meet your needs.
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

33. Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
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Consumers (????????)
Varies by:
product
consumer
country
No one knows what they want:
They don’t know what they want
Some are actively researching
Others actively directing
Some actively obscuring
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

34. Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
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Consumers (????????)
Some want:
label
crediblity
cheap
Near as anybody can tell
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

35. Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
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Consumers (????????)
Some want:
label
crediblity
cheap
Translates:
any system
yet to be seen
efficiency
Very questionable willingness to pay
(outside limited “niche” markets)
So to be cheap - systems must be
EFFICIENT - “low cost”
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

36. Retailers / Simplicity (explanations; inventory; volume)
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Retailers / Simplicity (explanations; inventory; volume)
Caught in the muddle
CSA, SFI - national; mutual recognition?
FSC - international; need chain-of-custody / inventory control
ISO - international, generally known;
can be linked to other inputs
Volume - directly related to efficiency
Don’t know what is going on in forest - why they need systems
And, sorry, but: Don’t really understand the systems - why they need simplicity
FSC also has cadres of demonstrators - will they work?
CSA/SFI - will mutual recog work?
ISO - eventual links as ISO grows
Playing both sides - must take all (FSC?)
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

37. Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
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Trade Restrictors / Discrimination (verifiability; product characteristics)
CSA, SFI - national (+/-);
- mutual recognition?
FSC - parallel promotion systems;
- product differentiation
ISO - international standard;
- handle all concerns with one system
“Discrimination” - good or bad? - legalities: “is it ‘relevant’”?
National & international considerations and laws
Relation to mutual recognition: system-indpendent OR is FSC really the MR system?
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

38. YOUR Market / Customer Needs (what market?; their needs)
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YOUR Market / Customer Needs (what market?; their needs)
CSA - ISO crosswalk
FSC - chain of custody
ISO - process/product integration
SFI - flexibility
Think in terms of whole market chain but also, esp, YOUR markets
Risky - must do on your own- but ultimately most relevant
Do your markets need a label?
Will they re-processs? Their system(s)?
Esp - ISO - link to other inputs & comparable Env Qual language
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

39. Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
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Regulators / Political Acceptance (vs: regs for all; spec status for some)
Caught in the muddle
CSA - demanding (duplicate?) system
FSC - some ENGOs; certified foresters;
regional performance standards (?)
ISO - pure & known; little fixed content
SFI - state implementation committtees; industry & Tree Farm support; research, education, & “hotlines”
One more group between you & mrkts
Like trade restrictors, but more basic - Deal with forest directly
SFI vs state forest practive regs (CSA?) Maine is the crucible for this. What will work? Do you care?
Assuming reglatn, spec treat for some? What will be acceptable? ISO is the generic model How long off?
SFI v FSC: water quality (and wildlife)
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

40. Neighbors / Friendliness (address concerns; involve them)
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Neighbors / Friendliness (address concerns; involve them)
CSA - thorough; much public involvement
FSC - some involvement of interest groups;
appeal of certified foresters
ISO - can address any environmental concern
SFI - designed around most pressing concerns;
supports research, education, & “hotlines”;
& link to American Tree Farm System
Affects direct costs, comfort, & politics
May be the most important of all.
FSC - vs. talk of “social”& “economic”- “expert” approach “biological sustainability” certified foresters “homey”
SFI - builds whole system actively includes the social includes all wood focus on water (& wildlife)
SFI v FSC: rise or fall together
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

41. Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
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Owners/Investors / Efficiency (lower costs; better markets; improve management; avoid hassles)
CSA - demanding system
FSC - management review; plantations; cost; grants; stable?
ISO - demanding; process improvements
SFI - flexible; whole wood system;
- second-party certifications;
- availability of third-party certifiers?
Also:
FSC - availability or need for prepatory consulting?
ISO - link to ISO 9000 (new version) consultant availability
SFI - given new auditor qualifications (“relevant”?) subject to performance of others
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

42. Friends / Social Acceptance (social conscience; leadership)
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Friends / Social Acceptance (social conscience; leadership)
CSA - home-grown, demanding
FSC - very “green” & “social”
ISO - very technical; known
SFI - home-grown; supports research, education, & “hotlines”
Very legitimate - real motivation: (esp for FSC?)
FSC - nominally also extra-societal
ISO - appeals to engineers and MBAs
SFI - whole-systems approach
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

43. Conscience / Quality (pride, philosophy, values)
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Conscience / Quality (pride, philosophy, values)
CSA - very thorough system
FSC - extra-societal force
ISO - systems approach
SFI - industry responsibility;
ISO conformance
What is really driving you? Key to real business success
CSA & ISO - very complete - forest or all-environment focus?
FSC - corrupt society - stand outside objective experts, independ std
SFI - very different approach - all at least a little good & bad no one can stand outside/above all have responsibility - improve no absolute outside std - many ways to manage a forest
ISO - “separation of powers” - MR disc
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line

44. Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
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Know thyself.
Temple of the Oracle at Delphi -
No right answer for all
Some systems better than others for some things
Need to know what you value & want and WHY?
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Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line
Bill Rockwell - The Plum Line