February 11, 2004
February 11, 2004
LANSING – Governor Jennifer M. Granholm’s plan to make sure Michigan’s forest industries remain competitive was unveiled today by her northern Michigan district representative who spoke on her behalf at the 2004 Governors Forest Summit in Minnesota.
Matt Johnson, director of the Governor’s northern Michigan office in Marquette, outlined details of a plan the Governor is proposing to ensure that Michigan’s forests remain managed for sustainability and that the state has the best forest management practices in the nation.
Forest certification will help retain Michigan jobs in the timber and wood fiber industry because more and more major consumers of paper and wood, such as AOL Time Warner, are demanding that wood producers be certified in environmentally-friendly and sustainable forestry practices, Johnson noted. Certification ensures Michigan is managing its state forests to preserve habitats, protect water quality, reduce erosion, and protect environmentally-sensitive areas.
"The Governor wants to send a clear message to wood product consumers that the products they purchase are produced in an environmentally-friendly and sustainable process," Johnson said. "This proposal will make Michigan a national leader in forest management practices and a model for other states."
The Governor has proposed that the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) move forward on an effort to certify all state forestland in Michigan under a forest certification system that uses environmental and sustainability standards – ISO 14001, Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The independent third-party certification would verify Michigan is using sustainable forestry practices, Johnson said.
Johnson also announced that Granholm would revive the Forestry Advisory Council to work within the state to ensure that Michigan’s timber and wood fiber products can compete in the global marketplace. The council would focus on recreation, wildlife habitat, biodiversity concerns, and multiple use issues. The council had existed in the administration of former Governor James Blanchard, but was eliminated in 1991 through an executive order issued by former Governor John Engler.
"Through the certification efforts I am asking the DNR to undertake, Michigan would have the largest amount of certified forestland in the nation by the end of 2005," Granholm said. "While certification will help us compete and ensure that consumers are getting a quality product, it also sends the message that Michigan’s forests will continue to be expertly managed for sustained use."
"This proposal goes to the core of my administration’s belief that economic development and a healthy environment are not mutually exclusive," Granholm added. "We cannot have one without the other and expect to prosper as a state. A strong sense of environmental stewardship is a value all Michigan residents share, and it is integral to our quality of life."
Currently, 99 million acres of forestland worldwide has been certified. Michigan would have the nation’s largest certified forest once its 4 million acres of state-owned forestland are certified, Granholm said. Only half of the world’s original forests still exist, and of that, only 8 percent are protected according to the Forest Certification Resource Center. The Center also notes that 64 acres of forestland are destroyed each minute by illegal or irresponsible logging practices, land clearance for agriculture, or development or forest fires.
The Governor’s plan was unveiled by Johnson at the "Governors Summit: Forest Industry Sustainability in the Great Lakes Region." The conference is hosted by the Great Lakes Forest Alliance, Inc. and is a joint conference between Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the Province of Ontario.
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