FSC Market Information

One of Northwest Certified Forestry’s fundamental goals is to maximize the return on landowner investments in certification and sustainable forest management. Northwest FSC markets do offer producers a premium market in many cases, with retail premiums for finished products typically ranging between 5 and 15%. Premium levels tend to be lower on raw timber, typically in the 2 to 6% range.

It is important to realize that FSC premiums can vary widely and are subject to a variety of factors, including species, product, quality, location, etc… In many areas there also may be insufficient infrastructure of FSC ‘Chain of Custody’ certified manufacturers to support high-volume production of particular products or species. Recruiting mills for certification is central to NCF's work, and is largely dependent on building the 'critical mass' of certified timber needed. NNRG also works with each group member to identify opportunities to maximize individual and collective sales and returns.

Major market drivers for FSC in the Northwest include:
•    Numerous green construction standards and associations, including the U.S. Green Building Council’s L.E.E.D. Standard, BuiltGreen, Earth Advantage, the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild, the AIA Committee on the Environment, and others
•   The City of Seattle’s FSC Purchasing Program through Dunn Lumber, Compton Lumber, and Sylvan Industries
•   A broad regional retailer network, including Carl's Building Supply, Compton Lumber, Dunn Lumber, Edensaw Woods, Endura Woods, Environmental Building Supplies, Environmental Home Center, Green Mountain Woodworks, Lumbermans, Miller Lumber, Oregon Lumber, Parr Lumber, Windfall Lumber, and others
•   Over 160 manufacturers, wholesale distributors, and brokers certified on the West Coast for ‘Chain of Custody’
•   Strong demand in the Northeastern U.S., Europe, and East Asia

•   FSC paper markets, including the certification of Grays Harbor Paper

Unique conditions exist in Washington State, one of the best FSC markets in the country, in that regional FSC demand outpaces supply. Less than 50,000 acres are currently certified, leaving out-of-state products to satisfy the majority of in-state demand. Other major landowner groups in the state (USFS, DNR, most tribes, and industry) are unlikely to pursue FSC in the near future, leaving non-industrial landowners a unique opportunity to use the market to differentiate their management.

For more detailed market information, please contact Ian Hanna, Program Director, at 360-379-9421 or ian@nnrg.org.

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