| Since March of 2004 the National Association of | | | | program. FSC dislikes this SFI option because it sees |
| Home Builders has been working towards having their | | | | its standard as being better than the others. The |
| own NAHB National Green Building Program for | | | | Green Building Council plans to decide whether SFI |
| certification. Different groups have debated, why | | | | can be included this spring. |
| should the NAHB devise their own program and not | | | | By allowing more options and availability to the |
| just use the well known U.S. Green Building Council | | | | builders would help promote the use of certified |
| LEED program. To some the LEEDs program is to | | | | lumber products into everyday projects. |
| stringent and expensive. One of the big factors that | | | | Making products more available and having healthy |
| have builders frustrated is the fact that LEEDs only | | | | competition between suppliers gets the cost of |
| will allow Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) lumber. | | | | certified lumber more in line. Today many lumbers |
| This limits the resources available in many areas | | | | yards charge a high premium for certified lumber |
| because not all lumber yards carry or are certified to | | | | because of the added expense and the hassle to |
| supply FSC. | | | | control the certification process. But by doubling the |
| The certification process with FSC is getting more | | | | accreditation administration fees is not helping answer |
| expensive. An article posted December 8, 2008, | | | | the builders request for more economical products. |
| written by Craig Web, in the ProSales Magazine | | | | The builder needs to maintain a profit and in many |
| states The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the | | | | surveys many end home owners are not willing to |
| key wood certification standard-setter in green | | | | pay more than a 5% increase for a certified green |
| construction, is doubling its accreditation administration | | | | home. So how can a builder provide a green home |
| fees for chain of custody (COC) certification as well | | | | and still be able to get buyers if the home has a high |
| as retaliating against certifying bodies that suggest | | | | premium? |
| other standard-setters' rules are as good as FSC's. | | | | The industry needs to allow more options to get |
| How is this productive in getting more suppliers and | | | | leveled pricing and added support. |
| builders embracing the whole Green Building concept. | | | | Allowing only one main entity to certify and dictate |
| The FSC does not want to see Sustainable Forestry | | | | what can be a certified green home limits the grow |
| Initiative (SFI) lumber get included in the LEEDs | | | | with in Green Building. |