There is a term out there that is becoming more and more familiar, almost common place. It can be heard on the radio, on the television, and especially at any Home Depot store. Many people, however, still do not know just what that term means. The term is certified lumber. Certified lumber comes from forests with strict guidelines put in place by the Forest Stewardship Council. These forests are called certified forests. As an effort to conserve the world’s forests, The Home Depot has voluntarily made buying and selling certified lumber its policy.

The Forest stewardship council (FSC) heads all forest certification. The principals and criteria used for forest certification are internationally recognized and the forests are inspected regularly to ensure that the standards put in place by the FSC are being met. All inspection team members have FSC accreditation and they are monitored to guarantee the inspectors competence and credentials.

Also playing an important role in the certified forest industry is the Certified Forest Products Council (CFPC). The CFPC works with companies to enlighten them in their knowledge that purchasing and using certified wood has a multitude of benefits. Along with many other businesses, The Home Depot helped form the CFPC in 19997.

The Home Depot has worked to educate itself and keep others equally informed on the prevalent issues involved with forest management. Not only is The Home Depot helping by starting the trend of businesses that carry only certified lumber they are also giving the public more knowledge about certified wood and certified forests. Knowing what certified lumber is is equally important as purchasing it.