Industry Terms & Definitions

• ESP = Environmental Stewardship Program
• KCMA = Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association
• NAHB = National Association of Home Builders
• EPA = Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. government organization)
• VOC = Volatile organic compounds – chemicals that produce hazardous vapors at room temperature
• Formaldehyde = a natural chemical that is found in many products. It is not harmful in low levels, but can be in high levels.
• Sustainable forestry = practices that ensure the resources removed from the forest are at a level the forest is capable of renewing without damaging its future prosperity
• Selective harvesting = practice of periodically removing mature trees in order to allow young trees to grow. 
• FSC = Forest Stewardship Council – a recognized sustainable forestry program
• FSI = Forest Stewardship Initiative – a recognized sustainable forestry program
• Greenhouse gases = gases, like carbon dioxide (CO2), that cause the atmosphere to trap solar radiation
• Carbon Sequestration = storage of carbon in the ground, ocean or plants which reduces the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere
• GDP = Gross Domestic Product – total market value of all products or services produced by the US (or country in question) within a given time period (usually a year)