FSC Forest Management Group

FSC-certified forestlands on Vancouver Island.

Having your forestland FSC certified has never been easier and more cost effective thanks to Ecotrust Canada’s Forest Management Group which dramatically speeds up the certification process and reduces costs for individual forest managers.

Ecotrust Canada is certified as an FSC Group Manager and has the authority to assess group members against the FSC-BC Small Operations Standard. Through centralized administration and economies of scale, Ecotrust Canada has sped up and cut the costs of the FSC certification process.

Membership with the group allows forest managers to brand their wood as FSC certified and enables them to sell to the growing number of FSC-certified sawmills, manufacturers and distributors. There are currently some 24 million hectares of FSC-certified lands in Canada, up from 4.5 million in 2005, and more than 480 certified chain-of-custody operators in Canada.

What can Ecotrust Canada provide?

Simple application package
New member gap assessment and handbook
Knowledge sharing and advisory services
Annual internal audit
FSC standards compliance toolkit including range of natural variation decision matrix and chain-of-custody program template

What are the benefits of joining the Forest Management Group?

Substantial savings as compared to the cost of individual FSC certification – over 50 percent savings in most cases
Reduced administrative requirements
Use of the FSC trademark and the Rainforest Alliance Certified trademark to promote your certification and label your forest products
Support on interpreting and meeting all aspects of certification, including any complex situations which may arise
Introduction to chain-of-custody operators and assistance in market connections

Who is eligible to join?

Membership is open to small tenure holders and small private holdings eligible for the “Small Operations” designation according to the FSC standard. Management units must be smaller than 2,000 hectares, or have an Allowable Annual Cut (AAC) that is less than 5,000 cubic meters and less than 20 percent of the total mean annual increment of the productive forest area.

Current FSC Forest Management Group Members

Greenmax Resources, David McBride and Shawn Flynn, Woodlot Licensees, Port Alberni, BC
Elkington Forests, Barry Gates, privately managed eco-forest, Shawnigan Lake, BC

How much does it cost?

Size

AAC

Area

Cost

Small

< 2,500 m3

< 500 ha

$ 1,500

Medium

2,500-5,000 m3

501-1,000 ha

$ 2,000

Large

> 5,000 m3

1,000 - 2,000 ha

$ 2,500

Who is buying FSC-certified timber?

There are a growing number of processing companies purchasing FSC-certified timber in B.C. Refer to Ecotrust Canada’s FSC Chain-of-Custody Group as possible buyers of FSC certified timber.

For more information:

Orrin Quinn,
Forestry Project Manager
orrin@ecotrust.ca
c 250.616.0732
t 604.682-4141