Sometimes, however, the people get caught in the middle of gigantic tug-of-wars in which they have no say over the outcome but must live with the results. Such is the way of life for those who live in rural, forested areas. Harvesting timber means good paying jobs and a vibrant local economy. But if all the trees are cut, what happens to the local people? And when all the trees are gone, what happens to the local environment? On the other hand, if no one were allowed to cut any trees at all, would the economic impact be any different? What would the local people do for a living?

What's the balance?

People need livelihoods. The environment needs to endure. We need to strive to find the middle ground that will allow economy and ecology not only to coexist, but also to be mutually beneficial to one another. By responsibly managing our forests, we can make sure that we have trees to harvest and provide a source of income for local economies while maintaining the forest health so that the local non-human populations will also be able to survive.

An ounce of prevention truly is worth a pound of cure. Certified wood is not about cutting down all of our trees today for the sake of earning a paycheck right now, nor is it about saving all the trees and making people starve. Certified wood is about being responsible stewards of the forests and making sure that all the citizenry of planet Earth, human or not, have trees today, tomorrow, and forever.