What is FSC wood?

The Forest Stewardship Council's (FSC) certifies sustainably harvested wood used in home building.  FSC is an international nonprofit organization that protects forests around the globe. 
 
Lumber certified by the FSC must meet certain standards designed to protect the forests in which it was cut, as well as the people who live there.
 
The standards used include strict requirements for how the wood is harvested, how much can be clear-cut, and how the existing forest ecology is to be protected.  Furthermore, the program also determines whether indigenous people are affected by lumber harvesting.
 
FSC certified lumber is becoming increasingly available in the marketplace, even showing up in the large chain home improvement stores throughout Phoenix.