The Pennsylvania Certified Forest Products Initiative (PA-CFPI) is a collaborative project of the Rainforest Alliance and the Allegheny College Center for Economic and Environmental Development. The PA-CFPI seeks to improve linkages between suppliers of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified forest products and potential users of certified wood, especially in the growing green building movement. The PA-CFPI also seeks to increase public awareness of, and demand for, certified forest products in Pennsylvania, as well as to increase and diversify sources of certified wood products from Pennsylvania.
PA-CFPI staff work to bring together FSC-certified partner companies in Pennsylvania with architects and builders seeking LEED certification for building projects from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). FSC-certified wood is currently the only wood product certification system recognized by the USGBC for its LEED building certification program. In addition, PA-CFPI staff work to raise awareness of the environmental benefits of wood as a building material in general, and what FSC certification means "on the ground" in Pennsylvania in terms of protecting biodiversity, water quality, and other benefits from well-managed forests.
Pennsylvania is recognized around the world as a leading source of certified sustainable hardwood products. Pennsylvania contains the largest tract of certified hardwood forest in North America, 2.1 million acres. Its $5.5 billion forest products industry supports almost 100,000 jobs. Our well-managed forests provide clean water, recreational opportunities, plant and animal habitat and wood products while contributing to sustainable communities and economies across the state.
Worldwide demand for furniture, cabinets and flooring from Pennsylvania hardwoods continues to grow, expanding market opportunities for many species including black cherry, red oak, sugar maple and many others. In addition to the steady supply of timber, the state's forestlands provide habitat for an array of flora and fauna (many rare, threatened or endangered), and protect watersheds.
Green building projects in Pennsylvania create nearby market demand for local FSC-certified wood products while protecting land and forest resources for long-term use. Nearly 120 construction projects in Pennsylvania are currently registered for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. One of the many LEED criteria used to rank a building's "greenness" is its use of FSC-certified wood or wood products. Additional credits are available to users of local FSC-certified products (which encompass all of Pennsylvania's certified forestlands). PA-CFPI works to ensure that when developers, owners, architects, designers or construction professionals in Pennsylvania and adjacent states look for hardwood doors, floors, panels or furniture, they know where to find them, from Pennsylvania producers and suppliers.
To learn more about the PA-CFPI and the work that we do, please contact:
Jason Shuey, Forest Products Marketing Coordinator
Rainforest Alliance
3830 Old William Penn Hwy
Murrysville, PA 15668
724.327.1714
jshuey@ra.org
Rick Hilton, New York Green Building Specialist
Rainforest Alliance
665 Broadway, Suite 500
New York, NY 10012-2331
212.677.1900
rhilton@ra.org
Terry Bensel, Associate Professor of Environmental Science
Allegheny College
520 North Main Street, Box E
Meadville, PA 16335
814.332.2787
tbensel@allegheny.edu