For more visit: National Boreal - British Columbia - Great Lakes St. Lawrence - Maritimes

Forest Management Standards

Forest management certification involves the inspection of a forest management unit by an independent FSC-accredited certification body. If the forest complies with FSC standards, it is issued a certificate.

Companies and consumers can then be assured that forest products containing certified wood come from a responsibly managed forest. There is also a certification process for all manufacturers and producers along the supply chain, called Chain of Custody certification.

FSC-certified forests are managed to standards based on FSC's ten Principles & Criteria for responsible forest management. FSC Canada coordinates the development of regional standards that are based on these Principles but take into account local ecology and social circumstances.

In Canada there are four regional forest management standards:

• National Boreal Standard (accredited August 2004)
• Maritimes Standard (revised version accredited in 2008)
• BC Standard (accredited November 2005)
• Great Lakes-St. Lawrence, Laurentian Standard (currently under development. Field Tested Draft as of 2007)

NEW- Regional FM Standards Review and Revisions

According to FSC-STD-60-006 (Process Requirements for the Development and Maintenance of FSC Standards, 2009), all regional Forest Management (FM) standards are approved for a five year period, after which they are required to undergo a review and revision. Due to the current revision of the FSC Principles and Criteria (P&C), upon which all regional FM standarsd are based, there will be no revisions to Canadian FM standards until the new FSC P&C are approved. Regional FM standards will remain valid until such time as these standards according to the new FSC P&C.