posted March 8, 2010

CRITICAL MEMBERSHIP MESSAGE - ACT BEFORE MARCH 14TH.

COMMENT PERIOD NOW OPEN FOR THIRD ROUND REVIEW OF CERTIFIED WOOD SYSTEM BENCHMARK IN LEED

Greetings Cascadia members,
As you know, Cascadia takes a strong stance in regards to sustainable forestry within our region and beyond, and we have an official position of supporting the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) as the minimal compliance path for all new wood used in green building.  We have been staunch supporters of the idea that all wood should be certified by rigorous standards that are independent and protect the health of forest ecosystems –  therefore it is Cascadia’s position that the proposed USGBC forest certification benchmark must be at least as rigorous as FSC.

Immediate action is needed by all of you, as our members, to provide strong and constructive feedback to the USGBC regarding a potential proposal that we believe will lower LEED standards for wood and forests, a move that could diminish LEED’s influence in transforming the market, and dilute the market itself.

For about two years, the LEED Certified Wood Credit (MR c7 in LEED-NC) has been undergoing a process of revision. At the center of this process is the new USGBC forest certification benchmark that, if the revision is approved, will be used to judge which forest certification systems are worthy of recognition under LEED’s Certified Wood Credit.

The third draft of the benchmark and associated documents are now available for public comment. This draft represents a significant “lowering of the bar” relative to the previous version released in September ‘09, and urgent action is needed to persuade the USGBC to return to a higher standard.

If we are successful in this effort, the benchmark will be further revised and will go to a fourth round of public comment before being balloted to the “Consensus Body” (see below).

Here are the crucial action steps we are asking you to take:

1. If you are a representative of a USGBC member organization, we urge you to “opt in” to the consensus body that will eventually vote on this (DEADLINE MARCH 24). You will be prompted to sign in to the USGBC website prior to initiating the process.
   
2. Pass this message on - encourage others to opt in, too.
   
3. Review the guidance and suggested language in our summary document.
4. Submit comments to the USGBC (DEADLINE MARCH 14).
   

Thank you for your continued support of Cascadia and our efforts to safeguard our region’s forests while ensuring a sustainable supply of responsible wood products.

Again – please download our Guidance Document to help inform your comments.



- Jason F. McLennan, 
Cascadia CEO

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posted September 2, 2008

USGBC Proposes Changes to the Certified Wood Credit(s) 

 Take action!

 The Public Comment Period closes SUNDAY, September 7, 2008 at 5 PM PST 

The USGBC is in the process of reevaluating the compliance path for the Certified Wood credit(s) throughout the LEED suite – away from recognizing a single certification system (Forest Stewardship Council) and towards performance benchmarks that define sustainable forest management. Cascadia has reviewed the proposed modifications and we are supportive of a system benchmark, provided that it meets or exceeds the current LEED threshold – the FSC standard – including third party verification and chain of custody. We are concerned that the USGBC Forest Certification System Benchmark, as defined, does not maintain this level of rigor. The proposed benchmark solutions are not precise, and in some cases unknown, lacking the definition required to create an actual condition, rather than a theoretical concept, for measuring success.

View Cascadia’s formal response.

If you are a member of the USGBC, you are encouraged to participate in this process – submit your comments by Sunday, September 7th at 5 PM PST.

Want more information?
View the USGBC’s proposal for LEED Credit Revisions for Certified Wood and Forest Certification System Benchmark

View the Forest Stewardship Council’s comments

How to submit a comment:

1. Go to LEED Rating System Drafts and scroll down to the bottom of the page 

2. Click on EXPAND at “LEED Certified Wood, Credit Language Revisions (8/08/08 – 9/07/08) to answer the following question for each impacted LEED credit: Do you believe that the proposed credit changes are appropriate for high performance green buildings? Please explain. (preview sample) -OR- Click on EXPAND at “LEED Certified Wood, Forest Certification System Benchmarks (8/08/08 – 9/07/08)” to answer specific questions pertaining to key sections of the proposed standard (e.g. Governance, Technical/Standards Substance, Certifiers Accreditation and Auditing, Chain of Custody and Labeling - preview sample). 

3. Click on [Comment] at the end of the description. 
4. Login using your USGBC Username and Password and follow the links to the online form. 
5. Click Submit.

 
Looking for a way to summarize the issues?
Here are a few points you may want to incorporate in to your reponse:

• The proposed yes/no vote on an undefined system and process is an insufficient opportunity to comment upon a complex issue.
• I support the idea of benchmark criteria if it includes fully developed and consistent criteria that is not in any way “less than” the current FSC requirement.
• It appears as though the current criteria are inconsistent, not in accordance with the USGBC's Guiding Principles, and also not consistent with the recommendations of the Yale report.
• Cascadia and other Chapters located in timber areas could provide valuable assistance in navigating this complex process, tapping their networks and resources within the industry.
• Even though I support the idea of benchmark standards, I cannot support this proposal in its current form because of flawed criteria and lack of transparent process over time.

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posted October 9, 2007 

Cascadia Endorses Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certification 

View the Press Release.