Responsible Forestry Trailblazer, Collins, Celebrates 25 Years of Certification

Collins, a forest management and wood products company operating in California, Oregon and Pennsylvania, is pleased to celebrate 25 years of responsible forest management recognition, including independent certification under the internationally recognized Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) program.  Third-party certifier SCS Global Services (SCS) and FSC paid tribute to Collins’ precedent-setting efforts at Greenbuild 2018, the U.S.’ largest green building event of the year.

With over 311,000 acres of FSC certified timberlands, the rich biodiversity in Collins’ forests was showcased in a photo presentation at Greenbuild, prepared by Collins Wildlife Biologist Bennie Johnson. 

Collins was the first privately held company in the US to receive certification in 1993 for its Almanor Forest and sawmill facility operation in Chester, California, initially under SCS’ Forest Conservation Program and soon afterward by SCS under the newly released FSC standard. Since then, all of Collins’ forests have achieved and continuously maintained certification by SCS under the FSC program. Collins also maintains an FSC multi-site Chain of Custody certification for wood sourced from 20 states in the US.

“We are honored to celebrate 25 years of third-party certification at Greenbuild,” said Collins Vice President Larry Broadfoot. “Highlights of our sustainability efforts include achieving certification of our NAF Pine Particleboard and having an FSC-certified siding panel, TruWood Sturdy Panel, exclusive to The Home Depot in the western United States. Collins looks forwards to continuing to innovate within our sustainability initiatives.”

“What a milestone! Long before the emergence of forest certification, Collins recognized the importance of establishing responsible forest management practices. Their precedence setting readily translated into pioneering leadership in FSC forest certification, which carries forward to today,” said Dr. Robert J. Hrubes, SCS Executive Vice President Emeritus, and former head of SCS forestry operations. “This commitment has created benefits not only in terms of the many ecosystem services delivered by the forests, but also for the communities in which they operate.”

Collins earned an FSC leadership award in 2015 for being a founding member of FSC in 1993 and maintaining a long-term commitment to certified responsible forest management for over 20 years.

“FSC applauds Collins’ longstanding commitment to supplying construction markets around the country with climate-smart, forest friendly wood products,” said Corey Brinkema, president of the Forest Stewardship Council US. “With so many builders and architects looking to make a difference, this leadership in the marketplace is critical,” he added. 

SCS Global Services is a global leader and the top FSC Chain of Custody certifier in the U.S., with more than 41 million acres of forestland FSC certified. To learn more about FSC Chain of Custody and Forest Management certifications, contact Joseph Kochanski.

View wildlife photos from Collins' forests.

About Collins.
Headquartered in Oregon and family-owned since 1855, Collins produces wood products that include: various species of softwoods and hardwoods, NAF pine particleboard, engineered wood siding and trim. Collins upholds their long-standing commitment to land and resource stewardship with over 311,000 acres of FSC certified forest lands in CA, OR, PA, 6 manufacturing facilities (CA, OR, PA, WV) and one retail yard in California.
For more information: www.CollinsWood.com or 800.329.1219

Locations:
500 Main Street, Chester, CA (sawmill facility/forest lands)
540 Main Street, Chester, CA (retail yard)
95 Hardwood Drive, Kane, PA (sawmill facility/forest lands)
1600 Missouri Ave., Lakeview, OR (sawmill facility/forest lands)
6410 HWY 66, Klamath Falls, OR 97601 (2 engineered wood facilities)
108 East Main Street, Richwood, WV 26221 (sawmill facility)
29100 SW Town Center Loop W., Wilsonville, OR 97070 (Corporate HQ)

About SCS.
SCS Global Services has been a global leader in third-party environmental and sustainability verification, certification, auditing, testing, and standards development for more than three decades. Its programs span a cross-section of industries, recognizing achievements in green building, product manufacturing, food and agriculture, forestry, power generation, retail, and more. Headquartered in Emeryville, California, SCS has representatives and affiliate offices throughout the Americas, Asia/Pacific, Europe and Africa. Its broad network of auditors are experts in their fields, and the company is a trusted partner to many environmental NGOs due to its dedication to quality and professionalism.  SCS is a chartered Benefit Corporation, reflecting its commitment to socially and environmentally responsible business practices.

About FSC.
The Forest Stewardship Council, the world’s most trusted forest certification, is an independent nonprofit organization that promotes environmentally sound, socially beneficial, and economically prosperous management of forests. FSC was created in 1993 to set the standards by which forests are certified, offering assurance to consumers and businesses that the wood products they buy originate from well-managed forests. More than 5,000 companies and nearly 170 million acres of forestland are certified under FSC in the United States and Canada. For more information visit www.fsc.org.