Codes and Standards

NRDC charges Maine governor with weakening green wood requirement

Dec. 15, 2011

Maine Gov. Paul LePage ordered expansion of the standards of green building used for state construction to include other forest certification programs besides the Forest Stewardship Council (NRDC) program.

Sami Yassa, a forestry specialist with the Natural Resources Defense Council, said that the move amounted to "greenwashing" and that it "turns Maine's once-great green building program into business-as-usual."

The FSC program is administered through the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and requires wood to be harvested in a sustainable way.

Click here to read more about the state of Maine's expansion of green building standards. BD+C

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