Family forest owners in the United States, who own nearly two-thirds of the country’s forestlands, cheered the international approval of the American Tree Farm System (ATFS) by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (PEFC) as a step that will open the door to new green markets for wood that is sustainably produced on their land.

ATFS is the oldest and largest forest conservation, certification and advocacy program in the United States. The 67-year-old program is sponsored by the American Forest Foundation.

“We sorely needed this endorsement in order to satisfy our customers who are demanding that our pulp and paper come from certified forest operations,” said Tony Lyons, director of Fiber Supply at NewPage Corporation’s Rumford Mill.

Lyons added that the market dynamics for sustainably produced wood have changed dramatically over just the last two years. “We can't meet the demand, and that's a shame when qualified forest owners are standing ready. This fixes that problem.”