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The Forest Stewardship Council’s Sarah Billig on responsible forest management

Why forests

I strongly believe responsible forest stewardship is one of the most important things we can do as a species moving forward. That may sound hyperbolic, but a well-managed forest provides so much more than wood products. It shelters biodiversity, stores carbon, protects water sources, and purifies the air we breathe. These benefits—for people, nature, and climate—often go unnoticed, but they’re essential to our survival.

Book smart

My current thinking on conservation started to crystallize when I read A Sand County Almanac in college. Aldo Leopold’s classic book on land and ethics helped me realize that conservation isn’t about simply locking land away. It’s about humility, balance, and long-term thinking. Good stewardship means recognizing both the needs of nature and the needs of people—and working to meet them together.

The Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) is an international nonprofit that has established the most rigorous global standards for responsible forest management. Sarah Billig is its US president and CEO. Before joining FSC, Billig served as stewardship director for Mendocino and Humboldt Redwood Companies, managing FSC certification across over 530,000 acres of forest.

The climb

Nature has taught me a lot about resilience and adaptability. After a rough breakup in graduate school, I trekked to Kala Patthar, an 18,000-foot outcropping above Everest Base Camp known for its thin air and relentless ascent. I came close to quitting more times than I can remember, but something in me refused to stop. And when I reached the top and looked out over the roof of the world, I realized I could survive anything.

People power

Sustainability can’t just be for the privileged few—it needs to be an option for everyone. That means making sustainable choices easy, affordable, and accessible in daily life. It takes policy, innovation, and corporate leadership to create those choices, but it’s people who bring them to life. For instance, when it comes to forest products, consumers can do their part by reaching for forest products with the FSC logo, which indicates support for responsible forestry.