May 20, 2025

Today, we invite you behind the scenes to discover the partnerships and collaborations that make our regeneratively crafted Zena Forest products possible. Learn more about our connection to a broader community of like-minded stewards working to protect Oregon’s extraordinary forest landscapes while also supporting local communities.

Zena Forst young tree in light gap — A young tree thrives in a light gap amidst trees of varying ages and species at Zena Forest. Photo by Andy Van Schoiack.

Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) Forest Certification

At the heart of our collaborations, our story starts with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which was founded in 1994. The FSC is the world’s most respected voluntary certification system that works to protect forests for future generations by promoting “environmentally sound, socially beneficial and economically prosperous management of the world's forests.”

In 1997, Zena Forest joined this important movement and became one of the earliest adopters in the United States to receive FSC forest certification. Today, the continuously expanding international FSC-certified forest network spans more than 370 million acres —an area more than six times the size of the entire state of Oregon.

FSC Certified Products

In conjunction with our FSC-certified forest, we’re proud to offer FSC-certified products—including our Wide Plank and Zena EdgeGrain—which are available upon request. This Chain of Custody certification, made possible through our partnership with Sustainable Northwest, verifies that FSC-certified material is tracked from the forest through to the finished goods throughout the supply chain.

While Zena Forest FSC-certified timber forms the core of the wood we use, we also partner with other FSC-certified suppliers across Oregon to support the important work that they’re doing in their forests.

Oregon White Oak boards in the Zena Forest Products shed slowly dry over a one to two year period before entering the next step of the process to become flooring. Photo by Andy Van Schoiack.

Sustainable Northwest

Founded in 1994, Sustainable Northwest is a nonprofit organization that partners with rural landowners and Tribes to FSC certify forests across the Pacific Northwest. Their mission is to create “local solutions for nature, people, and jobs” through work in forestry, wood markets, clean energy, regenerative ranching, and water stewardship.

Since receiving our FSC-certification, we have continued to work closely with Sustainable Northwest in a myriad of ways. From grant funding for forest restoration work, connections to projects through SNW’s Wood Advisor program, and to general business support and advocacy over the years. SNW continues to be a valuable partner.

Sustainable Northwest Wood and the Coquille Tribe

As a for-profit subsidiary of Sustainable Northwest, Sustainable Northwest Woods’ mission is to “foster a wood products community where each purchase for the built environment ensures resilience in the natural one.”

Zena Forest is currently partnering with Sustainable Northwest Wood to procure FSC-certified Tanoak and Pacific Myrtle for our Zena EdgeGrain tiles. This wood is sourced from the Coquille Tribe’s FSC-certified forest located in southern Oregon. The forest plays a vital role as part of the Tribe’s cultural heritage while also contributing to their general fund. In 2023, this forest received one of the Forest Stewardship Council’s U.S. Leadership Awards.

Building A Regenerative Future, Together

In reflecting on the forest, Sarah Deumling says, “Forests provide lumber. They also provide clean air, clean water, and some of the best soil. They provide recreation. They provide habitat for all sorts of plants and animals, and all other creatures. And we are reimbursed for exactly one of those things, and that is boards. And boards are not going to keep us going when we don’t have clean water, clean air, and good soil to grow things. We can’t breathe boards. We can’t drink boards. We can’t eat boards.”

Keeping those things in mind, we take inspiration from the forest that surrounds us here at the mill. This forest thrives on microscopic and macroscopic partnerships that are intricate and complex that ultimately benefit the whole ecosystem.

This is why we turn to and support other like-minded forest stewards and organizations. Through these partnerships we are part of a powerful network working to advance regenerative forestry in Oregon and beyond. These collective efforts recognize and place value on the vast often non-monetized services that these healthy forests provide: clean water and air, biodiversity, recreational opportunities, jobs, and the preservation of cultural heritage. Together, we are building a resilient and regenerative future—for the land, for our communities, and for generations to come.

Joining Forces to Support the Forests of Tomorrow