Private woodland owners invited to participate in new project
[ Minnesota ] Nearly 10 years ago, the forests managed by the Aitkin County Land Department became FSC-certified. This year, private landowners in the county are being offered the same opportunity for their own woodlands. The Aitkin County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) is offering a group certification program to make it easier for woodland owners in the county to have their forests certified and to market certified products. One of the landowners already participating is Roger Howard, former Land Commissioner for Aitkin County . “We ‘ ve been looking at certification for a while and it seems like now is the time to make it happen,” says Dennis Thompson, SWCD Forester. “Certification and the markets for certified products have really been growing.” “A group certification program like what the SWCD is offering means landowners have the help of the SWCD in getting into certification and accessing the potential benefits,” says Kathryn Fernholz of Dovetail Partners. “Landowners don ‘ t have to figure it all out by themselves. Group certification makes it quicker, easier, cheaper.”

News notes are courtesy of Southern Forests Network News Notes
www.southernsustainableforests.org