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Sustainable Forestry and FSC Certification

The MFMA was established in 1897 to be the authoritative source for the milling of hard maple, birch and beech flooring. The association members are highly aware of how important sustainable yield forestry practices are to protect this valuable resource.

Hardwood timber removals, harvests, growth and inventory in the United States in the North Region, where the MFMA mills procure the resource, have the following historical and projected levels of inventory from 1952 to 2050 (million cubic feet) * Source: For historical data: Powell et al, 1993, 1997 data from Smith et al. For more information go to: http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/gtr560.

This data shows a projected 222 percent increase (C.A.G.R. 2.3 percent) of hardwood timber in the North Region of the United States. The data clearly indicates that the public and private forestlands are being well managed to meet current and future needs.

MFMA has been able to identify a growing trend in the lack of support of FSC Certification in the North Region. Menominee Tribal Enterprises, the largest lumber provider in the North Region, has suspended its FSC Certification initiatives. North Country Lumber has suspended its FSC Certification for 18 months as of 12/20/02. Keeweenaw Land Associates and Seven Islands Land Company are closely examining the need for continuing their FSC Certification. This lack of support has resulted in an extremely limited supply of FSC Certified lumber.

The lumber that MFMA mills use to produce flooring is typically No. 2 Common or No. 3 Common. These grades of lumber are used predominately for wood flooring, while a small amount is used as components in furniture and cabinets. In fact, these grades of lumber make up 33 percent of the utilization of the log that is harvested.

MFMA's belief is the majority of lumber used in its flooring comes from sustainable, managed forests, and that certification as such by the FSC is not only unnecessary, it adds an additional layer of cost to the product with no real benefit to the consumer. MFMA has been a supportive partner in the success of sustainable forestry for more than100 years and feels that this kind of success speaks for itself.

If you have additional questions, contact MFMA's Technical Director at 847-480-9138.

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