Evaluation of the Pew Charitable Trusts’ Sustainable Forestry Project

Growing public concern over forest management and timber harvesting practices led to the development of certification programs that identify wood products sourced from forests managed in environmentally and socially responsible ways. Originating in response to unsustainable logging in the tropics, the certification concept was later adapted to encourage improved forestry practices in the United States.

To promote market-driven change, The Pew Charitable Trusts funded several nonprofit organizations to certify sustainably produced wood products and build a network of progressive foresters committed to protecting the ecological values of both public and private forests. Because certification was a relatively new approach for U.S. forest products—including lumber, plywood, engineered wood panels, pulp, and paper—our evaluation examined: (1) the program’s success in encouraging sustainable forest management; (2) the effectiveness of Pew’s grantees in implementing the strategy; (3) potential alternative approaches; and (4) the role and impact of the associated marketing campaign. We also assessed how these initiatives complemented existing laws, regulations, accepted forestry practices, and evolving market forces.

Client: The Pew Charitable Trusts

TerrAqua’s role: Evaluation team member.