Conserving Our Forests: NWF Honors the Forest Stewardship Council

Have you ever seen this symbol on food, paper, plant, or cosmetic wrappers? Ever wondered what it meant? It is the symbol for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international, independent nonprofit organization that promotes environmentally sound, socially beneficial, and economically prosperous management of the world’s forests. During the 2015 National Conservation Achievement Awards Gala on May 14, National Wildlife Federation’s Organization Award will go to the Forest Stewardship Council.

The Forest Stewardship Council finds that forests, which cover approximately 30% of the earth, are home to about 70% of all terrestrial animals and plants making them important sources of food, shelter, and natural resources for people and wildlife. They also act as natural carbon sinks, storing 283 billion tons of carbon to help control climate change.

Unfortunately, deforestation is a worldwide problem as development and agriculture take precedence over the remaining forest area in many nations. The U.S. Forest Service estimated that 12 million acres of forest in the Southeast U.S. will be lost to suburban real estate development between 1992 and 2020, and forest destruction is the second leading cause of carbon pollution, causing 20% of total greenhouse gas emissions.

As consumers, we need to focus on buying and using items made from environmentally conscious companies, but with so many products on the market, we need help in identifying them. Since 1993, the Forest Stewardship Council has been helping consumers and businesses identify products from responsibly managed forests. FSC sets standards by which forests are certified, offering credible verification to people who are buying wood and wood products.

Discover more about FSC’s processes and successes during the presentation at the National Conservation Achievement Awards Gala and celebrate some of the incredible achievements they have made in the last several decades.

As of February 2015, 33.6 million acres of forest have been certified in the U.S. by the Forest Stewardship Council. Today, more than 40,000 American family forest owners are FSC certified. Saving forests now will not only help us, it will help the wildlife that need forests to survive. Wildlife species like songbirds, owls, bears, foxes, wild cats, and others rely on forests for a multitude of reasons. Many of the wildlife species that the National Wildlife Federation works to protect in the U.S. live in international forests for some part of the year, particularly birds and butterflies. Conservation efforts from leaders like the Forest Stewardship Council are necessary to preserve our nation’s and world’s forests.

Join NWF in honoring the Forest Stewardship Council at the National Conservation Achievement Awards (now famously known as the Connies), on May 14, 2015 at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington D.C and meet this amazing conservation organization team for yourself!

Buy your Connies ticket today!