Why do we need our forests?

We depend on our forests for survival because they function as essential filters for our air and water.  Not to mention nearly 1.6 billion people throughout the world rely on forests for their livelihoods.  Forests cover over 30% of the world's land area and are home to nearly half of the world's species and 70% of animals and plants.  Forests are essential for our planet and fortunately there are organizations like the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) who are committed to assuring their survival.  The FSC is an non-profit independent organization that protects forests for future generations.

The Forest Stewardship Council was developed after the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio failed to produce an agreement to stop deforestation.  A group of businesses, environmentalists and community leaders came together to create the FSC.   The FSC sets standards for responsible forest management through a voluntary program.  Today, more than 380 million acres of forest are certified under FSC’s system, including more than 150 million acres in the US and Canada.  For more information about the FSC please visitus.fsc.org

Many people don't know that deforestation and forest destruction is the second leading cause of carbon pollution, creating over 20% of total greenhouse gas emissions.  In the United States, much of our forestland is privately owned.  If these landowners can’t earn a living from these forests, they may eventually destroy them for homes, ranches, farms, or real estate developments.  This would only add to the green house gas emissions caused from deforestation.  Even though the total acreage of forests in the US has remained relatively stable, certain parts of the country are seeing significant declining forest coverage. For example, the US Forest Service estimates 12 million acres of forest in the Southeast U.S. will be lost to suburban real estate development between 1992 - 2020.   We can help lower our dependance on forests by purchasing eco-friendly building materials and products that are made from recycled, sustainable, or rapidly renewable materials.