PORTLAND (AP) — Maine’s Sen. Angus King is among a group of senators who say the federal government’s rules about the use of sustainable wood in some U.S. buildings need to be tweaked.
King, an Independent, and 10 other senators, sent a letter to federal energy secretary Ernest Moniz expressing concern about a policy they say excludes the use of some sustainable wood.
The senators say the federal Department of Energy’s position of accepting only wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council leaves out more than 82 million acres of U.S. forestland. They say other certification regimes are used in Maine and elsewhere in the country.
The senators say other branches of the federal government recognize the different forest certification regimes and the energy department should do the same.
The Times Record Sustaining Sponsor
We believe a community must be informed to thrive. bowdoin.edu
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less