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Forest Stewardship Council Certification: Forest Management and Controlled Wood
Forest management operations that meet the principles and criteria for environmental, economic and social standards of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) are awarded certification. Candidates for certification undergo a detailed on-the-ground assessment that includes input from all interested parties, species inventories, management plan reviews, and forest inspections. Forest management certification is valid for five years subject to successful completion of annual audits.
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The Rainforest Alliance's SmartWood program offers many different forest management certification options:
FSC Forest Management Certification
Available to all operations involved in growing and harvesting trees, including forest companies, government forestry agencies, mid-sized forest managers, indigenous peoples and groups of small landowners. The following models of Forest Management certification are available:
Group Certification
Group certification enables multiple landowners, forest managers or processors to be certified under one certificate. A group manager may include a resource manager, a cooperative, an owner association, a forest management company, a governmental resource agency or other legal entity that can provide the appropriate management system and administrative oversight to a group of landowners and/or managers. Often, an individual landowner can join an existing group.
Small and Low Intensity Managed Forests (SLIMF)
The FSC has created a special program for small and low intensity (SLIMF) forestry operations, enabling FSC-accredited certifiers such as SmartWood to use streamlined -- and therefore less costly -- assessment procedures for forestry operations that are less than 100 hectare in size (or less than 1000 hectares in some cases) or have a low harvest level. SLIMF operations can be certified as a group. Non-timber forest products are also eligible for the SLIMF program.
Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP)
For operations that manage and harvest non-timber forest products.
FSC Controlled Wood Certification
Controlled Wood certification enables forest management companies to demonstrate that their wood products have been controlled to avoid wood that is illegally harvested, harvested in violation of traditional and civil rights, harvested in forests where high conservation values are threatened by management activities, harvested in forests being converted to plantations or non-forest use, and harvested from forests where genetically modified trees are planted. Controlled Wood certification involves a five-year contract with annual auditing.
Stepwise Approach to FSC Forest Management Certification
SmartStep phased approach to FSC Forest Management certification is available for companies that may not be ready for FSC Forest Management certification. SmartStep helps companies identify and address gaps in their forest practices using a step-by-step approach and development of an action plan (not to exceed 5 years) that can lead to FSC certification.
The Rainforest Alliance's SmartWood program awards FSC certification based on audit results and issues certificates for five-year periods. The first audit,1 called the assessment, is the most rigorous and determines the initial decision to certify. The assessment is followed by four annual audits. The entire process is efficient, thorough and transparent.
The assessment for FSC Forest Management certification includes the following steps:
- The candidate operation completes an application.
- Based on information provided in the application SmartWood will determine if a formal Pre-assessment is required prior to conducting the full evaluation.
- We prepare a budget (the application is not binding until the budget is approved by the candidate operation), and a service agreement is signed by the candidate operation and the Rainforest Alliance.
- A multi-disciplinary team (usually a forester, an ecologist and a community relations specialist) conducts fieldwork to assess the candidate operation's performance, using the FSC's regionally adapted standards as the "measuring stick" (in countries without approved FSC regional standards, Rainforest Alliance region-specific interim standards are used).
- Our team designs and implements a stakeholder consultation process that seeks outside input on the candidate operation's performance, including input from local communities, environmental groups, government and scientific researchers.
- After consultation and field work, the Rainforest Alliance's SmartWood team produces an assessment report.
- The assessment report is reviewed both by the candidate company and independent peer reviewers (who are selected by the Rainforest Alliance).
- Based on the fieldwork, stakeholder consultation and peer review inputs, a certification decision is made.2
- Annual audits are conducted; starting approximately one year after the original certificate is issued. Audits ensure that the certified operation continues to comply with the FSC standards and that any weaknesses identified in the original assessment or previous audits have been addressed.
Before undertaking a full forest management assessment, the client may be required to undergo (depending on the size of forest) or may request a pre-assessment or "scoping" conducted by the Rainforest Alliance to determine the candidate operation's eligibility for certification.
Footnotes
(1) Operations that plan to certify 10,000 hectares or more must undergo a formal pre-assessment (or gap analysis prior to the main assessment)
(2) SmartStep does not result in certification. The SmartStep process culminates in the development and approval of a five-year action plan to address conformance gaps for FSC Forest Management standards. Annual audits are conducted to evaluate implementation of the action plan.
FSC Forest Management
The 10 FSC global principles are universal. FSC regional standards assist with the application of the global standards in different forest types: tropical, temperate and boreal.
Regional standards are created in an open and participatory manner by working groups made up of scientists, foresters, landowners, environmentalists and other stakeholders. In countries and regions where FSC Regional Standards have been created, these are used by SmartWood during Forest Management certification assessments. Where FSC Regional Standards have not yet been finalized, the Rainforest Alliance develops region-specific Interim Standards, which are based on our Generic Standards.
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| There are 10 principles and 56 criteria that form the basis for all FSC Forest Management standards. These principle and criteria describe how the forests have to be managed to meet the strict social, economic, and ecological requirements related to FSC Forest Management certification. |
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| A number of regional or country specific FSC Forest Management standards have been developed and endorsed by the FSC International Center. These FSC endorsed standards serve as the basis for evaluation for Forest Management Enterprises in these countries. Please contact the applicable FSC National Initiative or regional Rainforest Alliance or Partner Office for a copy of FSC accredited regional forest stewardship standards. |
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| This standard shall be the basis for SmartWood FSC Forest Management certification of Forest Management Enterprises in countries for which FSC has not endorsed or SmartWood has not developed a regional standard. |
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| In countries and regions where there is not yet a Forest Stewardship Council-accredited forest stewardship standard, the Rainforest Alliance's SmartWood program carries out forest management certification with "interim" standards based on our generic standards but adapted to account for the local conditions and consultation with stakeholders. We actively solicit comments on all certification standards. |
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| This standard details the requirements for Forest management Enterprises with joint FSC Forest Management and Chain of Custody certificates for controlling FSC certified products from the stump to the forest gate, including requirements for use of FSC and Rainforest Alliance/SmartWood trademarks for on product labeling or promotion. |
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| Advice Notes and Guidance |
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| FSC definition and certification requirements for Small and Low Intensity Managed Forests (SLIMFs). |
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| FSC Policy regarding the identification and avoidance of "highly hazardous" chemicals, the promotion of non-chemical pesticides, and appropriate use of pesticides. |
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| FSC guidance on implanting the FSC Pesticides Policy, FSC-POL-30-001. |
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| Policy detailing FSC position regarding partial certification and compliance with the requirements of Criterion 1.6 as they apply to FSC members and non-members. |
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| This Policy was developed to provide a clear, internationally consistent approach to the conditions which excision may be permitted. The Policy details under what circumstances excision is permissible and under what conditions, and provides criteria to be used by certification bodies to evaluate compliance. |
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| FSC's policy detailing mandatory compliance with all ILO conventions that have an impact on forestry operations and practices. |
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FSC Controlled Wood
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| This standard is for forestry operations that are pursuing certification only against the FSC Controlled Wood requirements. FSC Controlled Wood can only be sold to other FSC Certified Companies. |
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| Advice Notes and Guidance |
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| An FSC Advice Note that provides guidance regarding if Windthrow can be categorized as FSC Controlled Wood. This Advice Note may relate to forest management enterprises (30-010) as well as CoC certificate holders implementing CW verification (40-005). |
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FSC Forest Management Certification
To apply for FSC Forest Management certification, Controlled Wood, group certification, small and low-Intensity managed forests (SLIMF), and non-timber forest products (NTFP) certification:
- In Europe (including Russia and Turkey), contact our partner NEPCon.
- In Brazil, contact our partner IMAFLORA.
- In North America, South America (except Brazil), Central America and the Caribbean, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region, fill out the appropriate application form as follows:
SmartStep
To apply for the SmartStep phased approach to FSC Forest Management certification, contact us at info@ra.org or (802) 434-5491.
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