The Southern Forests Network Group Certification Program

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)™ certification is a voluntary, market-based system for the forest products industry. FSC^®’s mission is to create a marketplace that promotes well-managed forests by ensuring forestry practices that are environmentally responsible, socially equitable, and economically viable.  FSC certification is a critical tool both for assuring excellent forest management and for developing profitable markets for products from well-managed forests.

The acreage of FSC certified forests in the U.S. has grown to nearly 25 million acres. Yet FSC certification is inaccessible to most private landowners and small mills due to the cost and administrative requirements. Only 2% of FSC certified forests in the U.S. are family forestlands, despite the fact that family forests account for 42% of all U.S. forests. The most widely recognized strategy for overcoming barriers to certification is the development of group certification programs that allow many landowners (or mills) to join together under one certificate.

The Southern Forests Network’s Group Certification Program provides private forestlands and small chain-of-custody businesses with FSC certification and technical assistance.

If you interested in Group Certification Program membership, contact us at 828-277-9008 email.

If you'd like to stay informed about the Group Certification Program and other Southern Forests Network activities, subscribe to our newsletters on our home page.

What Landowners & Others are Saying About the Program

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