At Green River Lumber our livelihood depends on the health of our nation's forests in general and on that of the northeastern forest in particular. We feel a responsibility to those who are considering the purchase of Green River flooring to make a statement about our own position with respect to the sustainability of the forest resource.

In the northeastern hardwood forest "selective" logging is the dominant method of timber harvesting. Mature trees are removed and the forest canopy is opened to allow younger trees to sprout and flourish. Studies abound which detail the benefits to wildlife and water conservation provided by this mode of harvesting.

The sawmills that supply the lumber used by Green River have invested heavily in their facilities to make them efficient and competitive. They are in business for the long haul, and depend upon a steady and reliable supply of logs. They simply cannot afford to abuse our timber resource.

Debate will always revolve around our forest resource, and, while we feel that most hardwood lumber in the northeast comes from timber that has been well managed for generations, we also want to support independent verification of sustainable forestry. In the early 1990's two organizations, Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), and Smartwood, under the auspices of the Forest Stewardship Council, began to examine the forestry practices being applied to specific tracts of timberland. Forests can be certified as "well managed, sustainable" if they meet the strict environmental and social criteria established by SCS and Smartwood. Certification is monitored carefully by these agencies and must be renewed annually. In 1994 Green River Lumber was certified in the "chain of custody" by SCS to process lumber cut from certified forests.

Currently we are producing certified cherry flooring from SCS and Smartwood certified timberlands in Pennsylvania. As other private and public lands become certified we plan to broaden the range of certified species available to our distibutors.

Green River Registration no. SCS-COC-00010