Forest certification continues to generate promise, discussion, and debate. In this study, we surveyed the top 500 home-center retailers in the United States to ascertain their participation in certification, perceptions of current and future forest certification trends, as well as certification systems they deem acceptable and preferable. One hundred and 32 companies responded resulting in an adjusted response rate of 26 percent. All respondents sold wood products in 2004. The top-rated criteria in selecting wood products suppliers were price, quality, delivery, and availability. Certification/eco-labeling was ranked last. One-third of respondents sold certified wood products at the time the study was conducted and an additional 13 percent said they planned to do so in the future. The most cited reasons for purchasing/selling certified wood products were that they were the only products available and to improve the company's image. Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification was reported to be the most accepted and most preferred scheme, followed by Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certification
