FSC is one of the most common certifications in the wood products industry. The FSC, which stands for the Forest Stewardship Council, assesses forest management using the FSC principles, criteria, and standards. The FSC certification also endorses that a wood product has followed chain-of-custody (CoC), guaranteeing that each owner of the raw material - from forest to showroom floor - adheres to the same rigorous principles, criteria and standards.
Catskill Craftsmen is in a unique position, in that our factory is located within, and the majority of our lumber comes from the Catskill / Delaware Watershed for New York City. This million-acre watershed is composed of a mosaic of family forests, "forever wild" park lands, and actively managed public lands held by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. A portion of these forests have achieved third-party certification from the American Tree Farm System, Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) as well as FSC and each supply a portion of the raw materials to local mills.
This means that Catskill Craftsmen benefits from the diligent work already put in place by these various groups to encourage widespread adoption of forest management activities that improve the quality of our natural resources.
Although not certified by the FSC for chain-of-custody on lumber, Catskill Craftsmen works closely with suppliers, many of whom are following WAC recommendations for sustainable harvesting. Catskill will also continue working with WAC to encourage lumber suppliers to adopt procurement standards that favor responsibly harvested materials.