The Worlds First Environmentally Friendly SmartWood Guitars
Premiered at Sold-Out Concert to Benefit the Rainforest Alliance. Rosanne Cash, Jackson
Browne, Lisa Loeb, Carly Simon and many others helped launch Gibson SmartWood Guitars
New York, NY, December 2, 1996 -- The worlds first environmentally friendly guitars, the
Gibson SmartWoodCM line, were introduced at a sold-out concert featuring Rosanne Cash,
Jackson Browne, Lisa Loeb, Carly Simon and many others at City Center Theater in New York
City on Oct. 17, 1997. Smart Sounds: Music for the PlanetTM," a concert to benefit
the Rainforest Alliance, also featured performances by Bruce Cockburn, Marc Cohn, Steve
Earle, NRBQ and an all-star band comprised of Cliff Carter, Warren Haynes, Steve Jordan,
Danny Kortchmar, G.E. Smith and T Bone Wolk. Performing artists played Gibson SmartWood
guitars which are made from wood harvested under strict environmental standards and
certified by the Rainforest Alliances SmartWood Program.
"These guitars are made to take us into the twenty-first century," said Jackson
Browne. "This concert is a great chance to see a bunch of musicians who have one
thing in common: we love guitars and we care about the future of the planet."
The Rainforest Alliance initiated the SmartWood forest management certification program in
1989 and recently certified Gibson as a manufacturer of the first SmartWood guitars, which
are currently being produced in the electric Gibson Les Paul standard model and the
acoustic Gibson Advanced Jumbo model. All the wood in the guitars has been certified by
the Rainforest Alliance as being harvested sustainably, without destroying trees that are
in danger of becoming extinct.
"Since the Rainforest Alliance was founded 10 years ago, never before has an
environmental benefit concert had such an important message, and more important, a direct
conservation effect," said Daniel R. Katz, Executive Director of the Rainforest
Alliance. "It is our hope that other businesses and industries will follow this great
example."
"As a global leader in the production of the world's finest musical instruments,
Gibson is committed to set the standards in terms of the environment and to help provide a
reliable, long-term supply of resources for everyone," said Henry Juszkiewicz,
Chairman/CEO of Gibson Musical Instruments. "This concert is a great way to bring
some great musicians together and show that sound and quality in these guitars do not have
to be sacrificed for environmental responsibility."
In addition to the musical artists who performed, contemporary artist Mark Kostabi created
an original oil painting that was used on all concert materials, advertising and for the
set on stage. The Kostabi painting, along with several SmartWood guitars used for the
performance, were auctioned at an after-concert party at New Yorks Harley Davidson Cafe.
WNEW-FM, New Yorks leading rock station, donated over $60,000 in airtime to promote the
concert.
The Rainforest Alliance's SmartWood Program, which certifies responsible forest management
in forests throughout the world, was the first and is now the largest forestry
certification program in existence with over seven million acres certified globally. Its
goal is to reduce the negative environmental impact of logging and ensure sustainable
forest management worldwide. Certification requires that forestry operations protect local
biodiversity and watersheds, minimize damage to remaining forests, prevent overcutting of
forests, develop positive relationships with local communities and workers and plant trees
on cleared or degraded land, among other criteria. Operations that meet these
requirements, as well as companies that process and sell products made of wood from these
sources, can use the SmartWood "seal of approval" on their products.
SmartWood is accredited for the certification of natural forest management by the Forest
Stewardship Council (FSC), the internationally recognized monitoring organization for
forest product certification. FSC accreditation of SmartWood for plantation certification
activities is currently underway.
The Rainforest Alliance is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the
conservation of tropical forests for the benefit of the global community. Its mission is
to develop and promote economically viable and socially desirable alternatives to the
destruction of tropical forests and endangered, biologically diverse natural resources.
The Rainforest Alliance pursues this mission through education, research in the social and
natural sciences and cooperative partnerships with businesses, government and local
peoples.
Rosanne Cash was scheduled to perform on Nov. 20, 1997 at Smart Sounds Music for the
Planet II in New York City.
Thanks to Rob Saffer for providing information and images for
this page.