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Green Mountain ForestryLeads Architect TourAt CersosimoBattleboro, Vt.–As certified forestry grows in popularity,it is important to truly understand whatprograms like the Forest StewardshipCouncil entail and why “green” is becomingthe new buzzword. In that vein, GreenMountain Forestry, a forestry consultantfirm owned by Steve Hardy, recently led agroup of over 20 architects on a tour ofseveral timberland projects as well asCersosimo Lumber Co. Inc., headquarteredhere.The group surveyed three projects,including a 27-acre woodlot, last cut 20years ago, that is owned by Steve’s brother,Jeff. Jeff Hardy handles eastern whitepine industrial sales at Cersosimo LumberCo. Steve noted that the architects, whorepresented Goody, Clancy & AssociatesInc. in Boston, Mass., also toured a 60-acre woodlot in Dummerston, Vt., last cut50 years ago, that is owned by PeterDoubleday. The projects incorporatedthinning and mechanized logging respectively.Steve Hardy said that the projects aregood examples of the type of work thathas been accomplished over the last 50 to60 years without certification.“FSC has done tremendous marketingabout what they’re doing, but the programis too cost prohibitive for many smallwoodland owners,” he said. “TheSustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) andthe Tree Farm Program are a little morereasonable.“There is a huge confusion about whatFSC is and what it isn’t,” Steve added. “Ifhoney is not organic, does it mean it’s notgood honey? If it’s not FSC certifiedforestry, does it mean it’s not goodforestry? We wanted to showcase thatwhile these jobs are not certified per se,the forestry on them is exemplary.”Steve said he hopes the tour cleared up alot of confusion that architects have aboutthe role of certified woods in the forestproducts industry as well as other details.“The architects didn’t realize thatforesters actually go in, mark the trees andmake sure everybody is properlyBY TERRY MILLERinsured,” Steve said. “They were reallyintrigued by how we do things asforesters. When we went to Cersosimo’ssawmill, they were amazed at the orderlinessof it all. Logs aren’t just dropped offin a pile and sawn up. They’re properlygraded and scaled.”In addition to the tour and dinner, thegroup asked questions about forest certification,which Dan Harrison, vice presidentand general manager of CersosimoLumber Co., addressed.Jeff Hardy said there was good, meaningfuldiscussion from both sides. “It wasvery informative for us to understand thearchitects’ thought processes behind theirspec building projects,” he said. “It wasinformative for them to understand thatwhile these timber lots are not certified,there are very good harvesting practicesgoing on and that lumber is equal to anyFSC-certified lumber.”Steve Hardy, a licensed forester inVermont, New Hampshire andMassachusetts, also co-owns a non-profitPlease turn to page 56Steve Hardy (far left), owner of Green Mountain Forestry, Brattleboro, Vt., leads a tourof architects from Goody, Clancy & Associates Inc., Boston, Mass., around CersosimoLumber Co. Inc., also in Brattleboro.Susan Pranger, Goody, Clancy & Associates Inc., Boston, Mass.; Phil Mann, CersosimoLumber Co. Inc., Brattleboro, Vt.; and Annie Reed and Raymond Urban, Goody,Clancy & Associates Inc.Seth Berkowitz, Neval Pektas and Chee Xu, Goody, Clancy & Associates Inc., Boston,Mass.; Dan Harrison, Cersosimo Lumber Co. Inc., Brattleboro, Vt.; and Steve Hardy,Green Mountain Forestry, Brattleboro, Vt.Jeff Wooding, Goody, Clancy & Associates Inc., Boston, Mass.; Jeff Hardy, CersosimoLumber Co. Inc., Brattleboro, Vt.; Jennifer Gaugler, Ashley McClure and PatrickGehlhoff, Goody, Clancy & Associates Inc.44 Hardwoods Have Versatility