Public Input Invited During State Forest Certification Audit

HARRISBURG, Pa., July 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- SmartWood, an organization accredited to offer independent, third-party certification of environmentally responsible forest-management practices, is inviting the public to submit comments in August during its review of Pennsylvania's 2.2 million-acre state forest system.  

The assessment will evaluate the ecological, economic and social performance of the Bureau of Forestry according to forest management guidelines established by the Forest Stewardship Council. The council was formed in 1993 by environmental, social and forest-products industry representatives to establish guidelines for sound forest-management practices.

"This certification process helps us see our management plans and practices through a different set of eyes, and lets us know how we can improve to ensure that we are doing everything we can to manage the state forest system for its varied values and uses, and protect its long-term viability," State Forester Dan Devlin said.

A SmartWood project team of foresters and forest ecologists will visit Sproul, Susquehannock and Tioga state forests from Aug. 4-5, meeting with DCNR officials and stakeholders.

The team will score woodlands on timber-resource sustainability, forest-ecosystem maintenance, financial and socioeconomic considerations and other categories.

As a part of the process, certification auditors invite stakeholders to offer comments either publicly or confidentially, and provide feedback on DCNR's forest management.

To schedule a meeting with auditors or provide feedback, stakeholders should contact Steve Grado with SmartWood at [email protected] or 662-617-3691. For additional information, visit www.smartwood.org.

SmartWood is recognized as the world's leading Forest Stewardship Council forest management certifier. The certification assures consumers that wood products from the state's public forests come from a responsibly managed system, which helps Pennsylvania to compete in the growing niche consumer market for certified label wood products.

Media contact: Terry Brady, 717-772-9101

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

440k+
Newsrooms &
Influencers

9k+
Digital Media
Outlets

270k+
Journalists
Opted In

GET STARTED