[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 157 (Sunday, November 9, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12304-S12305]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. AKAKA:
  S. 1500. A bill to amend the Hawaii Tropical Forest Recovery Act to 
establish voluntary standards for certifying forest products 
cultivated, harvested,

[[Page S12305]]

and processed in tropical environments in Hawaii and to grant a 
certification for Hawaii tropical forest products that meet the 
voluntary standards, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.


         the hawaii tropical forest products certification act

  Mr. AKAKA. Madam President, today I am introducing legislation to 
establish voluntary standards for certifying tropical forest products 
grown in Hawaii. Senator Inouye has joined me in cosponsoring this 
measure.
  Agriculture has long been the backbone of the economy of rural 
Hawaii. Recently, however, the decline of sugarcane has caused an 
upheaval for many of our rural communities. In the past 10 years, 21 
sugarcane plantations have gone out of business and the State has lost 
115,000 acres of sugarcane production.
  For more than 160 years, sugar provided jobs and a special way of 
life for communities throughout the State. Cane is still king on Maui 
and parts of Kauai, but elsewhere it has disappeared from the 
agricultural map. Our great challenge is to develop new opportunities 
that keep Hawaii green and economically productive for at least as 
long--and hopefully longer--than our relationship with sugar.
  For many landowners, the future of rural Hawaii is in forestry. But 
what will forestry in Hawaii look like 10, 20, or 50 years from now? 
Many people have strong feelings about how to answer this question.
  Sustainability is the emerging idea in forest development. This means 
practicing stewardship that integrates the growth, nurturing, and 
harvesting of trees with the conservation of soil, air, water, and 
wildlife. Sustainable forests are managed to serve the needs of the 
present generation without compromising the needs of future 
generations.
  In Hawaii, the stewardship ethic is very strong, especially within 
the forestry community. Hawaii's tropical forests are home to some of 
the richest biological diversity on the planet, and our forest managers 
understand the importance of preserving our living heritage. But in 
many countries, stewardship and responsible forest development is weak 
or nonexistent.
  Around the globe, forests are disappearing at an unprecedented rate, 
and nowhere is this problem more severe than in the tropics. More than 
half of the world's tropical rain forests have been consumed, degraded, 
or destroyed in this century.
  Because of the attention being given to forest degradation, consumers 
are asking questions about the source of the wood demand, and foresters 
to supply, wood products from well-managed forests.

  As the demand for sustainable forest products has increased, criteria 
for sustainable forestry have been formalized. The result is a world-
wide movement to verify that sustainable forestry claims are genuine. 
This process is known as certification.
  In recent years, the Hawaii forestry industry has closely monitored 
the certification movement. The bill I am introducing today will prompt 
an important dialogue on certification. I am inviting all stakeholders 
in this issue--Hawaii's forest industry, landowners, conservation 
experts, and affected communities--to engage in a free and open 
exchange about forest certification.
  What are the benefits of certification? For consumers, certification 
is a way of ensuring that forest products they purchase do not 
contribute to forest degradation. Independent verification of forestry 
practices is the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval telling them that 
sustainable standards are being met.
  To landowners, certification is a way of ensuring that their careful 
management is rewarded in the marketplace. A certification label may 
result in a premium for your products, better market access, and in 
some cases, more secure supply agreements. The best way for the Hawaii 
forest industry to increase the value of their resource may be to sell 
certified tropical wood products into a world market that recognizes 
the abuse that tropical forests have suffered--and is willing to pay 
more for a tropical product that has received proper certification.
  Just how widespread is certification today? Forest certification is 
big business. Certification is practiced in 25 countries. European and 
North American buyers groups are committed to wood products 
certification. Eleven nations, including Germany and France, are 
represented in the European buyers group.
  Certification is voluntary, not mandatory, and my bill reflects this 
fact. Over time, however, landowners who do not employ sustainable 
practices and do not seek certification may find it more difficult to 
market their timber.
  My bill will establish standards certifying that Hawaii forest 
products are cultivated, harvested, and processed in a sustainable 
manner. Although forestry certification standards are high, 
certification will not require perfection. Like agriculture, forestry 
is subject to the forces of nature, and nature is often unpredictable.
  For certification to become successful in Hawaii, I believe that a 
bottom up rather than top down approach to consensus-building makes the 
most sense. With this in mind, in January, 1998, I will convene a 
meeting in Hawaii to further the dialog about forest certification and 
the bill I introduced today.
  Certification can take root in Hawaii without action by Congress. 
However, my bill can jump start the dialog and provide a format for 
discussion. I will be the first one to cheer if certification becomes a 
reality with, or without, legislation by Congress.
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