A new study by the World Wildlife Fund confirms what the Rainforest Alliance has long believed: responsibly managed forests can provide important conservation benefits for threatened and endangered species. Released in September, "Great Apes and Logging" concludes that Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified forests can be valuable additions to protected areas for great apes, while also functioning as corridors between their fragmented habitats.

According to the report, great apes live predominately in areas where logging permits have been granted -- not in nature reserves or protected parks. For these apes, logging in compliance with FSC standards provides good assurance that their forest habitat will be conserved, particularly when compared with other types of logging.

Bonobos, chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans have all come perilously close to extinction in the last five decades. Living in regions where governance is typically weak, all four species benefit from FSC certification, which teaches businesses and communities to earn a sustainable living from their forests while maintaining critical wildlife habitat.

Established by the Rainforest Alliance and a consortium of other businesses and NGOs, the FSC is the gold standard for responsible forestry. Its comprehensive criteria prohibit illegal logging and hunting, and require the maintenance of high conservation value forests that provide habitat for threatened and endangered species like great apes.

So what can you do to help ensure that great apes and other endangered species continue to find safe haven in FSC-certified forests? Purchase FSC-certified products, which run the gamut from lumber to paper to furniture, in lieu of non-certified wood products.

Want to do more? Donate to the Rainforest Alliance, the world’s leading FSC certifier. In forestry, as well as agriculture and tourism, we’re working to transform land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior.