Forest certification of non-industrial private forest landowners : perceptions in the forest products industry

Degree Name

MA in Intercultural Service, Leadership, and Management

First Advisor

Ralph Meina

Abstract

The United States is the world's largest producer and consumer of forest products and therefore should be creating new methods to ensure that future generations will have the opportunity to use this natural resource in everyday life as we do today. Non-industrial private forest landowner's posses almost half of the U.S. forestland that is harvested for timber to be consumed in the Forest Products Industry. This paper answers the question of what the Forest Products Industry's perception of the Non-Industrial Private Forest landowners becoming certified is. The literature reviewed involved understanding the various sectors of the Forest Products Industry. It identified who non-industrial private forest landowners are, how much land they own in the U.S., and included a full review of forest certification. Phenomenology was used to grasp the experiences and knowledge of members of the forest products industry. Thirty-three interviews were conducted, including interviews with five non-industrial forest landowners, five primary manufacturers, five secondary manufacturers, five furniture retailers, five lumber retailers, five consumers and three architects. Grounded Theory is used to analyze the data, which concluded that the interviewees perceive forest certification of non-industrial private forest landowners as a pivotal necessity in the efforts towards sustainable forestry. Unfortunately, certification has not yet made an impact on the industry due to a lack of consumer awareness and the lack of stricter policy within the industry itself. This research is intended to shed light on any misunderstanding in the perception of forest certification of non-industrial private forest landowners in the local forest product industry.

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