OECD Certification Issues in the United States : Actual Problems of the Legislation of Forest Reproductive Material and the Need for Harmonization of Rules at an International Level

1992

S. 7-11

Unselbständiges Werk

200064999

An overview of the certification system for forest tree seed used in the U.S. is presented. Local certifying agencies administer the Scheme through Memoranda of Understanding with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, which serves as the Designated Authority. In 1990, the U.S. exported approximately 4,195 kilograms to European countries. Most of the seed exported was composed of Douglas-fir (43% of total) and Sitka Spruce (20%), with about 64% originating from the State of Washington and 29% from Oregon. Several issues are raised with respect to harmonization between the local Scheme used in the Pacific Northwest and the O.E.C.D. and E.E.C. Schemes. These involve the difficulty of certifying individual forest stands, need for increased communication between all parties and clarifying requirements for testing. The U.S. strongly supports the upcoming efforts of the committee that will seek to increase harmonization between the various seed schemes currently in use in Europe and the U.S.