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Information for Landowners Forest Certification
The Forest Stewardship Council The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a non-profit organization devoted to encouraging the responsible management of the world’s forests. FSC sets high standards that ensure forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial, and economically viable way. The goal of the FSC is to promote environmentally responsible, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests by establishing a worldwide standard of recognized and respected Principles & Criteria for forestry. FSC’s Principles & Criteria were developed through a rigorous process that included professional foresters, forest product manufacturers, timber companies, environmental groups, community development organizations, indigenous groups, and other forestry stakeholders.
The Forest Stewardship Council offers two types of certification: forest management certification and chain of custody certification.
Forest management certification is exactly what its name describes, certifying forestland under FSC’s Principles and Criteria. Family Forest Program certification follows the same principles as forest management certification but is streamlined for smaller, lower intensity forest land. Family Forest certification is not necessarily for ‘family’ owned land, but this name is used to distinguish it from certification of larger operations.
Chain of custody certification is issued to the businesses that process and sell certified wood products. Chain of custody certification ensures that products that are labeled “FSC” are made from raw materials from certified forests, tracking the products through the entire processing and distribution “chain”.
FSC Principles and Criteria for Forest Stewardship
You can find the complete version of the Forest Stewardship Council Principles and Criteria on the FSC website, or in hard copy in the SFN office. For more information about the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC): www.fscus.org
Benefits of certification FSC certification is defining a new paradigm for forest management and a new market for products from the forest, generating very real benefits for both forests and forest-based businesses.
Benefits for forests: · An assurance of excellent forestry, resulting in a healthier, more productive forest · A more effective management plan and more efficient plan implementation · Input from forestry professionals on improved forest management through assessments and monitoring
Benefits for landowners and forest-based businesses: · Access to specialized niche markets for sustainable forest products · Recognition in the marketplace as an environmentally responsible company · Access to the market for green building · Recognition for good forest stewardship · Access to a support network of expertise and resources · Easier access to ecosystem service markets such as carbon markets, watershed protection programs, etc.
Is certification right for you? Whether or not certification is an advantage for a particular landowner depends on many factors, including the size of the landholding, level of income-producing activities, and current forest conditions and management.
If you are a landowner who earns little income from the sale of forest products, the marketing advantages of certification may be of little use to you. However, you may want the assurance of good management that certification requires. If you are having difficulties making a decision, we would be glad to advise you.
The Group Certification Program SFN’s Group Certification Program (GCP) is designed to make FSC certification practical, accessible, and affordable for family forest landowners and small mills. Group certification is a voluntary process by which multiple independent landowners are certified under a single FSC certificate. This reduces the costs of certification for each member, and centralizes many of the administrative responsibilities associated with certification.
As the group manager, SFN acts as a source of information and organizes the certification process. SFN communicates between the Certifier and group members and helps members maintain compliance with FSC standards. For the group to maintain certification, SFN must ensure that each member meets all FSC criteria.
Landowners, manufacturers, or producers who become members of the group agree in partnership with the SFN that FSC standards will be met and maintained on their forestland or in their facilities. When available, SFN works closely with the landowner’s forestry cooperative or local association to provide these services. SFN also provides the necessary paperwork to make sure you are following the right steps to achieve and maintain certification.
As Group Manager, SFN is responsible for establishing the rules for admission into the Group Certification Program, resignation or expulsion from the program, and for monitoring compliance with FSC standards. SFN accomplishes this through an operational system that includes management plan reviews, monitoring visits, and member services. SFN is directly accountable to the Certifier for all activities on member properties and all FSC related claims.
Eligibility requirements for Forests Membership in the Group Certification Program (GCP) is available to private forest landowners in the Southeast who qualify as “Family Forests” according to FSC policies (see below). Landowners must be committed to meeting and upholding FSC standards in forest management over the long term. To be certified as a Family Forest, a member has to meet at least one of these two qualifications: · Forest area or ownership is no larger than 2,470 acres. OR · The average annual harvest is no more than 20% of mean annual increment and no more than 5000M3/yr (2.2 MMBF or million board feet).
Access to property for visits All landowners must make their property and forest management records available for inspection by SFN and SFN’s Certifier. Site visits occur when a landowner applies for GCP membership, and on a periodic basis to ensure compliance with FSC Principles & Criteria. SFN and certifiers must be able to access the property for these visits.
Eligible ownership size Landowners must own a minimum of ten acres of forested land to qualify for GCP membership.
Eligible management history Almost all forest areas are eligible for FSC certification, but there are some restrictions on plantations. According to FSC, plantations are “forest areas lacking most of the principal characteristics and key elements of native ecosystems as defined by FSC approved national and regional standards of forest stewardship, which result from the human activities of either planting, sowing or intensive silvicultural treatments.”
Plantations created from natural or semi-natural forests after November 1994 are not eligible for certification, unless the current landowner is not responsible for the forest conversion.
Note that most private forestlands in the South are considered “second or third growth forests”- meaning that they have been cleared one or more times for timber harvest or agricultural use and have since grown back. In most cases, these forests are not considered either natural or semi-natural, and establishment of plantations in these areas is certifiable.
Also note that all planted stands are not considered plantations. It is acceptable to establish planted stands of trees on a previously forested area as part of a restoration-based forest management plan. In addition, if you have planted trees on non-forest land and plan to either restore the land to a native forest type or manage according to the FSC standards for plantations, you are eligible for certification.
Management Planning and Inventory Requirements Members of the SFN GCP certificate must meet all FSC standards for forest management. Standards and related documents can be found on the FSC website www.fscus.org. Landowners seeking membership in the Group Certification Program should be familiar with:
Requirements for Forest Management Plans Each property enrolled in the GCP must have its own written management plan, and this plan must be approved by SFN. Developing a good management plan requires a keen understanding of forest science and familiarity with the art of sustainable silviculture. It is highly recommended that landowners work with a professional forester that specializes in sustainable forestry. It is also important that your forester be familiar with, or willing to learn about, FSC certification requirements.
A qualifying management plan can range from a simple plan of a dozen pages to a highly technical document of over a hundred pages. The level of detail of your forest management plan will depend on the condition and size of your forest, and the intensity of your management activities. DON’T BE INTIMIDATED BY THE MANAGEMENT PLAN REQUIREMENTS. Because SFN certifies landowners through the FSC Family Forest Program, requirements are practical for most private landowners, and SFN can advise you and your forester on the level of management planning required for your property.
Below is a list of all the things that must be included in the management plan: 1. Description of the property in terms of location, acreage, legal ownership status, deed location, tax map information, history of past management, and key topographic features; 2. Description of the forest resource including information for silvicultural operations and fragile or protected areas that will receive limited or no silvicultural treatment (e.g. wetlands; riparian areas, cliffs, old growth, threatened, rare, locally endemic, or endangered plant and animal species); 3. A forest inventory at the stand level to provide sufficient information to describe stand structure, species composition, basal area of acceptable and unacceptable growing stock, volumes of saw timber and pulpwood, soil and site conditions, insect and disease conditions, habitat conditions, presence of invasive species, and other parameters that are needed to describe the stand; 4. Management goals for the property; 5. A plan for regular monitoring to update the forest inventory and management plan; 6. Silvicultural recommendations that reflect the landowner’s goals, improve stands, and protect the growing site and unique attributes such as the amounts of coarse woody debris, niche habitats, and buffer zones; 7. A rationale for control of harvesting including area control, volume control, or a combination of the two. Scheduling the treatment of stand or designating a certain percentage of the forest to be harvested each year is considered area control. 8. A schedule of work for 10–15 years that covers specific management activities such as harvesting, site preparation, road construction, mechanical operations, maintenance of high conservation value forests, restoration activities, management of protected areas, prescribed burning, fire management plan, monitoring procedures, fertilizer application, and Integrated pest management activities. 9. Maps describing the forest resource base including: · Protected areas such as wetlands, rare and endangered species and plant communities, and riparian areas and streams, archaeological sites, cultural and customary use areas; · Relevant landscape-level factors such as mountains, rivers, lakes, property boundaries, areas of ownership, area being certified, adjacent ownerships, roads, trails and structures; · Stands with forest type and area; · Soils and site conditions; · “High Conservation Value Forests,” if present; and, · Scale, north arrow, legend, locus, border and date of preparation and name of the forester preparing the plan
About “Scale and Intensity” You will note that FSC Principles and Standards frequently refer to “scale and intensity”. FSC Criteria and Indicators are intended to be implemented and evaluated according to the “scale and intensity” of an operation, whether it is a forest or a manufacturing facility. The intent of this language is to allow a case-by-case evaluation of each application for certification.
“Scale” refers to the size of a forest or facility. “Intensity” refers to the intensity and complexity of management. The Group Certification Program only provides certification to small-scale and/or low-intensity operations. This means that GCP members are not required to provide the same level of detail in their management plans as large landowners or mills. FSC standards may seem detailed and strict, but when they are considered in relation to the “scale and intensity” of your forest or mill, they should be very manageable. As long as the management activities you propose are sufficient to ensure sustainability in your forest or your facility, you will qualify for certification. SFN staff can advise you on “scale and intensity” issues.
The Certification Process The following flow chart outlines the process a landowner, manufacturer, or distributor would go through to become a member of the GCP.
Annual Reporting GCP members are required to submit annual reports when they submit their annual fees. For certified forests, members must submit the Annual Forest Health Report and Annual Pesticide Use Report (when required).
Periodic Re-assessment Periodic re-assessment is required for members of the GCP. While most FSC certifications require an annual assessment, membership in the GCP streamlines these requirements. As a member of the GCP, you will be re-assessed every 1-4 years. The Re-Assessment will include a review of your application materials and records, and a site visit.
Costs of Certification There are two types of costs associated with certification through SFN: annual membership and site visit fees.
Annual Fees LANDOWNERS PARTICIPATING IN THE MISSISSIPPI & NORTH CAROLINA PILOT PROJECTS WILL NOT BE CHARGED FEES FOR CERTIFICATION OR SITE VISITS DURING THE FIRST YEAR OF ENROLLMENT. We expect to begin charging fees starting at $100 per year (depending on acreage) beginning in 2008. SFN and local partners will work with landowners to ensure that the certification remains highly affordable in the future, and if needs are identified we will seek funding to cover “pilot” landowner fees for another year or more.
GCP members are responsible for an annual membership fee which helps cover the administrative costs of certification, landowner support, and other GCP activities. The membership fee is payable to SFN. SFN reserves the right to raise fees if necessary.
The annual membership fee does not include the costs associated with forest management planning, harvest operations, or other contract services. Members are responsible for paying any and all service fees to loggers, foresters or other natural resource professionals that provide management planning, harvest, or other services.
Site Visit Fees Landowners will be charged a fair rate for site visits when they are required for application approval and monitoring activities. SFN will arrange for qualified assessors to conduct site visits, and will continuously work to make site visits as affordable and convenient as possible for GCP members. SFN is working to increase staff capacity to provide this service at no cost to GCP members, and is exploring other low-cost alternatives.
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