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Study Finds California Has Among the Most Extensive Forest Management Regulations in the World
Authors Caution That Inflexible Regulations May Threaten Future Forests
AUBURN, Calif., April 10, 2003 - California has among the highest requirements in the world for private forestland management because of extensive regulation and independent programs that promote sustainable forest management, according to a new study by Cal Poly State University-San Luis Obispo.
But the authors of the study, by Christopher A. Dicus, assistant professor of natural resources management, and Kenneth Delfino, executive director of Cal Poly's Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute, caution that state regulations may not give local foresters the flexibility they need to manage forestland for long-term sustainability and the benefit of watershed protection and wildlife.
"California forestlands are some of the most legally protected privately owned forests in the world. Multiple layers of federal, state, county and local regulations ensure that timber will be managed in a sustainable manner," the study's authors said. That regulation, however, can result in a micro-managing that may not be best for the forests and the environment, they said.
"Classical forest management is based on adapting a variety of options to each on-the-ground problem," the authors said. Although some exceptions are provided, "the state regulatory process forces a one-size-fits-all approach that cannot accommodate all the variables of California's landscapes," they said.
"Further, the ever increasing cost to forest landowners for complying with the Forest Practice Rules could drive some to utilize their land for purposes other than the growing and harvesting of timber," the authors said. "Conversion of lands to alternative activities such as subdivisions cause permanent environmental changes that are far more drastic than forestry activities."
The study, "A Comparison of California Forest Practice Rules and Two Forest Certification Systems," is the first in-depth look at standards met by owners of California forestlands. The study was funded by the California Forest Products Commission.
The study's authors found the certification processes, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), require landowners to exceed state regulations.
"In addition to strict state regulations, some forest landowners voluntarily choose to seek third-party certification of their forestlands as a means to demonstrate that they are promoting sustainable and environmentally responsible forestry practices," the study's authors said. "Certification entails a rigorous and expensive evaluation of strict standards by a qualified independent auditor (or certifier) who has no vested interest in the forestland in question."
These certification initiatives involve environmental groups and are intended to specifically address concerns raised by those groups. But for forest landowners, who spend tens of thousands of dollars - and sometimes hundreds of thousands or more - to prepare for and gain certification, there is currently little or any economic benefit to doing so.
The study's authors recommend that an effort be launched to educate the public about the benefits of certification and how these landowners are producing wood in a responsible way.
"In order to offset the costs of certification and allow more participation, FSC and SFI, in collaboration with retailers, should work toward providing the as yet unrealized promise of a monetary premium for certified wood sold at market," the authors said.
Donn Zea, president of the California Forest Products Commission, said consumers should know that California certified wood is grown consistent with the highest possible standards.
He said the commission funded the study to obtain a careful examination of forest landowners' efforts toward sustainable forest management.
"We have a moral responsibility to develop and implement forest management plans that promote long-term sustainability of this renewable resource," Zea said. "This study provides significant information about the implications of government regulation and what is being done today through regulation and voluntary certification programs. We hope this study adds to the dialogue and promotes even better forest management in the future."
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Note: The study, "A Comparison of California Forest Practice Rules and Two Forest Certification Systems," can be found at http://www.ufei.calpoly.edu under "Resources/UFEI Publications."
CONTACTS:
Study Authors Christopher Dicus, 805-756-5104 and Kenneth Delfino, 661-399-7066
or Cheryl Rubin, California Forest Products Commission, 530-823-2363