Reduced lmpact Logging Analyzed

Sustainable forest management through Reduced Impact Logging will be a focus of the International Wood Products Association's upcoming 46th annual convention, World of Wood2OO2.

During the convention April l7-19 in Indian Wells (Palm Springs), Ca., Art Klassen, Southeast Asia project mgr., Tropical Forest Foundation, will present "Reduced Impact Logging (RIL) Goes Global."

According to TFF, RIL's cost in tropical forests ts l2%o less than the conventional logging method, and land disturbed by RIL is nearly half. "For the past several years the Tropical Forest Foundation has conducted training seminars in the Brazilian Amazon teaching RIL practices. Without question, these practices are ecologically and environmentally friendly," said TFF executive director Keister Evans. "Damage to the forest is minimized while timber harvest yields are usually increased."

The Indonesia program began in January 2000. It builds on the expertise and methods developed in the Brazil program, but will evolve in the context of the many Indonesian industry, research, and policy organizations already grappling with sustainable forestry issues.

APA Nears Japanese Certification

Japan has granted the U.S. equivalency status for product certification and accreditation of trademarking agencies, clearing a major hurdle for agencies such as ApA to be recognized as Registered Foreign Certification Organizations (RFCO).

Recognition would permit members of APA-The Engineered Wood Association to begin trademarking their products to the recently revised Japanese Agricultural Standards (JAS). APA has been a Japanese-approved Foreign Testing Organization for more than a decade, but the FTO product approval system will be dissolved next year under the revised JAS standards. More than 40 APA member mills are currently certified by APA as meeting JAS requirements.

Equivalency status took l8 months to achieve and required high level government-to-government discussions because the U.S. government has no national oversight of voluntary product standard development or accreditation of certification bodies, as is the case in Japan.

Without RFCO recognition, APA mills would have to incur substantially higher costs to gain Japanese market access. Recertification under the auspices of an RFCOrecognized APA also will permit member mills to take advantage of new manufacturing and labeling options under the revised JAS standards for plywood, OSB and glulams. Among these are formaldehyde labeling, which has become important under Japan's new Housing Quality Assurance Act, and strength classification labeling on softwood plywood, to help manufacturers differentiate their products.

Member mills will be recertified in accordance with JAS requirements as soon as APA receives official RFCO recognition by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries, which should occur by May 30. As part of the recognition process, the Ministry was to conduct an audit of APA facilities.

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