Timbergreen Forestry


	I encourage the industry to do all they can to bring about change and promote forestry, but I choose to try to educate forest owners to manage their timber in a business like way. It is really their responsibility to be fully informed when entering into the timber market. They should take charge of their forest. Forest owners need to learn about the new conditions of high demand, higher timber prices, and how they will benefit from Sustainable Forestry. Conditions are now right for a forest owner to get a good price, have responsible logging, manage for the future and operate as a successful business. There are good loggers who do a careful job, and owners need to be sure they make the right choice. This is a two way street, both industry and owners need to meet in cooperation.


	Timbergreen Forestry is now FSC -SmartWood certified. It is more for promotion of forestry than expecting to see increased prices for our products, but maybe that will come also. Certification is the best of the incentives that has come along yet. We encourage forest owners to learn more about the program. Certification is free from the bias of being supported by an industry program. Industry landowner assistance programs sound good, but in current market conditions, no informed forest owner would want to tie too closely to any one company. Government incentives have failed to bring about significant management because they tell owners 'you won't make any money managing your timber, but it will sure make you feel good... ' People need business information and government can't give that. The third party certification information I have seen so far (7-3-98) is the best stuff yet on Sustainable Forestry. The vast majority of what I have seen called forestry in the past 20 years fails to meet it's standards. If accepted universally, it would indeed revolutionize forest management. Most foresters that I have met would have to change their way of doing business dramatically. The Sustainable Forestry we saw on the Menominee forest is different than what has been business as usual in the forestry profession during the past few decades as our once great timber resource has been largely squandered for present day profit. If Certification brings about more management like you see at MTE, then we should all support the movement. The key to Sustainable Forestry is for the forest owners to learn to do what is best for their long term interests. As they see forestry as a profitable business that can be run in a responsible manner, they will choose to do what is right for the future. Other agricultural crops are managed 'to the maximum' for a much lower profit margin than is now available in the timber business.


	And, forestry can be fun too!!


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