Georgia Governor Critical of LEED Wood Rating

Atlanta, GA, Aug. 16, 2012 -- Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has taken a swipe at the U.S. Green Building Council, saying its LEED rating system unfairly awards its wood certification credit only to products certified to the Forest Stewardship Council standard.

The governor issued an executive order that states that "any new or expanded state building shall incorporate 'Green Building' standards that give certification credits equally to forest products grown, manufactured, and certified under the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, the American Tree Farm System, and the Forest Stewardship Council."

The order also said that "recognizing all forest certifications equally will help promote sustainable forestry in the State of Georgia and help create thousands of jobs while maintaining our strong outdoor heritage."

The president of the Georgia Forestry Association, Steve McWilliams, says the governor's executive order removes obstacles that devalue wood grown and milled in Georgia.

"Given the current depressed markets for building materials, there is less incentive for growers to keep their land in trees, and that poses a threat to the environmental and economic benefits that flow from Georgia's timberlands," McWilliams said.

Three-quarters of North America's certified forests, and almost 99% of Georgia's certified forests, are certified to SFI or the American Tree Farm System, and therefore ineligible for LEED's certified wood credit.

A total of 89 Members of Congress have also weighed in with the USGBC on the wood certification issue, including most recently a letter from eight members of Congress in May urging USGBC to "accept all credible forest management certification systems for qualification under the LEED rating system," because it "will provide a great incentive for the utilization of domestically produced forest products."