At a critical moment for those who set and follow green building standards, big environmental groups have co-signed a letter supporting the Forest Stewarship Council's FSC certification of green forestry, and accusing rival eco-certifiers of promoting less rigorous practices that amount to "greenwash."

According to Treehugger blog, the letter was sent to Rick Fedrizzi of the U.S. Green Building Council, which sets LEED standards for sustainable construction. The council is mulling whether to make FSC the standard, or let builders receive LEED ratings while using wood certified by other bodies, including the forest-industry-backed Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI).

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative, the Canadian Standards Association's Sustainable Forest Management certification, and other industry-based forest certification programs engage in greenwash precisely because they certify as "sustainable" forest practices that are the most environmentally damaging allowed by law -- including the logging of the rare old-growth forest in the U.S., logging of threatened and endangered species' habitats, destruction of other high conservation values, conversion of natural forests to plantations, conversion of forests to non-forest uses, management for only a few native species, use of silvicultural regimes that miss opportunities to reduce chemical inputs, short-rotation logging that harms soil and water quality, violation of indigenous peoples' rights, etc. It is unconscionable -- and yet, unfortunately at this juncture, conceivable -- that USGBC could cause lasting damage to its credibility and its brand by becoming party to this greenwash.

The sending of the letter was reported earlier this week by the U.S.-based Treehugger, which is widely read in the environmental community. The same post referenced Tyee investigative editor Monte Paulsen's five-part series, which ran on The Tyee from March 15 to 19, on legal challenges FSC and SFI have issued to each other, and the sweeping effect the impending LEED decision by the U.S. Green Business Council may have on timber sales and forest management in B.C.

David Beers is editor of The Tyee.