WoodDigest.com |

As users of wood-based materials, woodworkers appreciate the value of the softwood, hardwood and manufactured wood products they use.

They also, for the most part, support the policies of establishing and maintaining the sustainable forests that produce these materials. Without an ample and ongoing supply of fiber, they’d be tearing down all the old barns and abandoned buildings in your neighborhoods in order to “harvest” the required materials for projects. It’s kind of a “don’t bite the hand that feeds you” concept.

Still, there is confusion in the industry — and in certain states and regions — when the topic of the guidelines and standards that govern “green” manufacturing practices arises, particularly as it relates to rating systems like LEED™ (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

Unfortunately, these standards are interpreted differently, at times, from region to region and state to state. This is particularly evident when it comes to how the respective states define LEED as it relates to awarding state-funded building projects.

This may not be universally true in every state in the union. However, in my state, Wisconsin, there is some confusion regarding these guidelines and standards, how they are defined and how the LEED program is administered.

Basically, LEED requires documentation of the raw materials from the certified wood lot to the end product. There has to be a paper trail of the material from beginning to end.

According to a Wisconsin Division of State Facilities “Sustainable Facilities Guideline” document, “These Guidelines and Standards are designed to promote and ensure that state facilities are constructed and renovated in a sustainable manner, starting with initial project planning and continuing through occupancy and operation.”