Forest Milestone
Bald cypress part of first FSC chain of custody sale
In early October 2009, the Office of the Duke Forest completed its first sale of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified timber, approximately 1,000 board feet of bald cypress, or 11 logs. This was the first opportunity to label timber as certified since Duke Forest became FSC certified.
Labeling requires a process called chain of custody, a system that ensures that the timber and products are truly certified. To use the label, all intermediaries must be chain of custody certified, including the forest, the transporters, the mill and the production facility making the paper, furniture or other certified end product.
Even though the market for certified timber is rising, there are few buyers or mills that are certified in this region, making purchases economically impractical. A recent symposium held on FSC certification enabled Resource Manager Judd Edeburn to make contacts with buyers interested in certified timber.
The bald cypress was originally planted in the Durham Division under the management of Clarence Korstian in the 1930s. Recent dry conditions made harvesting possible as the area is flooded by Mud Creek, although rain postponed the work several times. The small order offered an unusual opportunity for Office of the Duke Forest staff to harvest the trees in-house, instead of by the buyer or a contractor as larger timber sales are conducted. Students were also able to observe and help, making it an excellent learning experience.
Sold to a company out of High Point, the harvested trees will be used to make face veneer, thin slices of high-quality wood applied to lesser-quality wood. The veneer will be used for making furniture and other specialty products. While small, this first chain of custody sale will lay the groundwork for future sales. Duke Forest officials hope it will draw interest from other certified buyers.
The Duke Forest has participated in this voluntary certification program since 2001, and is both Forest Management and Chain of Custody certified by SmartWood to FSC guidelines (SW-FM/COC-000175), a strict set of environmental, social and economic standards. The Forest's 7,091 acres are part of more than 285 million acres certified to FSC standards worldwide.