Chemical Use and Forest Certification: Productivity and Economic Implications

Forest certification programs provide standards for multiple aspects of forest management, including the use of chemicals for mitigating competition and forest pests. The three most common programs in the United States—the American Tree Farm System, the Forest Stewardship Council, and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative—all address chemical use. To evaluate relative impacts under different certification schemes, this research estimates productivity and economic implications of a scenario resembling management on nonindustrial private forestland. The research compares estimates from a mechanical-only treatment and two levels of chemical treatments. Results indicate that strict chemical use restrictions lead to lower levels of forest productivity and reduce potential financial returns. The mechanical scenario generated 6% less volume than the baseline scenario, and the more chemically intensive scenario generated 12% more volume than the baseline. The estimated net present value of the mechanical scenario (no chemical use) was 12% less than the baseline.