FSC Halts Certification Of Russian Products
In early March the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) suspended trading certificates in Russia and Belarus and announced it would “block wood sourcing” from the two countries as long as the armed conflict in Ukraine continued. According to the FSC announcement, “Wood and forest products from Russia and Belarus cannot be used in FSC products or be sold as FSC-certified anywhere in the world as long as the armed violence continues.” Forest management groups with FSC certification can keep their accreditation, but FSC is not approving any FCS-certified timber transaction.
In a similar announcement a few days prior, officials with the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) said wood materials from the two countries would be considered “conflict timber” and could not be used in PEFC-certified products.
Perhaps the biggest forest product impact is pellet markets: In 2021, together Russia and Belarus exported almost three million tons, mostly bound for northern Europe and the Baltic states. The Russian pellet issue is also concerning in Japan, where Russia pellet exports had more than quadrupled from 2020 to 2021.
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OLC Raises College Scholarship Funds
A group of 23 teams and many generous sponsors helped raise more than $61,000 at the 5th Annual Oregon Logging Conference Foundation (OLCF) Clay Target Tournament fundraiser held on September 8, 2023. Proceeds will provide college and technical scholarships to be awarded by the OLCF. “Once again we are very fortunate to be able to hold this fundraiser and at the end of the day, we raised more than $61,000 which will provide financial assistance to the next generation workforce in our industry,” said event chair and OLC Board Member Jeanne Shuttleworth…
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