Small & Community Forest Standard Revision
To help small-scale, low intensity and community forests attain FSC certification, we are currently developing a streamlined standard based on FSC’s National Forest Stewardship Standard to take into account the size, the intensity and the capacity of these operations.
Revising our requirements
The draft requirements follow the basic forest management certification requirements but have important procedural differences and take into account the size and intensity of these operations. For example, the new smallholder requirements include:
- overall reduction in the number of indicators
- reduced requirements for conservation areas networks
- a modified approach to obtain Free, prior and informed consent for smallholders
- simpler administration processes
- a reduction in the number of external reviews needed
We anticipate an approved standard by the end of 2024.
Development Process
Public Consultation #1
Public Consultation #1 took place between August 2 to September 5, 2016
As part of the national Forest Management Standard revision process, FSC Canada developed indicators for small-scale, low intensity, and community forests. These indicators were not finalized but this draft served to open the door to stakeholders and Aboriginal communities to provide input to ensure all indicators are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound.
Regional webinars were held in August 2016 for reviewers to ask further questions about the draft indicators and to tell FSC Canada what aspects of them may need further consideration given their regional contexts.
- Western Canada (formerly BC Small Operators Standard) August 16, 2016, 8:00 am – 10:00 am PDT
- Ontario/Quebec (formerly GLSL SLIMF indicators) August 18, 2018, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm EDT
- Quebec (in French) August 23, 2016, 11:00 am- 1:00 pm EDT
- Maritimes (formerly Maritimes SLIMF standard) August 25, 2016, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm ADT
Public consultation #2
Public consultation #2 of draft 3 took place from May 26 – July 26, 2020
The draft requirements follow the basic forest management certification requirements but have important procedural differences and take into account the size and intensity of these operations.
Previously, FSC Canada organized targeted consultation of a draft 2 of the Standard through 3 regional workshops during fall 2019 and early 2020.
- Belleville, Ontario: October 23, 2019
- Truro, Nova Scotia: December 12, 2019
- Quebec City, Quebec: January 22, 2020
Consultation results & testing
FSC Canada developed a summary report with comments received during the second public consultation and results of testing draft 3 indicators. The report will be used by the Standard Development Group to assist in drafting the final version of the Standard prior to its submission to FSC International for approval.
Standard submitted for approval
In January 2021, FSC Canada entered the final stage of the standard development process and submitted the standard to FSC International for approval. Over the next few months, FSC Canada will work with FSC International to answer any questions, provide clarifications, and possibly make modifications. We anticipate an approved standard by the end of 2022.
The FSC® Forest Stewardship Standard for Canada for Small-Scale, Low Intensity and Community Forests
Latest draft of the Standard
As of December 2021, the draft standard was provisionally approved with 4 conditions. Since then, FSC Canada has been working diligently with the Standards Development Group to address these 4 conditions in anticipation of final approval.
While we continue to work on these 4 conditions, FSC Canada is releasing the draft standard to allow certificate holders to review sections that have been approved. We believe that by releasing the draft version now, Certificate Holders will be able to be better prepared for the final standard.
However, certificate holders should note that within this document there are sections that are shaded in grey which are currently under review and are subject to change. Existing certificate holders and potential certificate holders should continue to use the existing SLIMF standard(s) until the new standard has been released.
Over the next few months, FSC Canada will continue to work with FSC International to address the remaining 4 conditions and anticipate an approved standard in late 2022.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Why develop the indicators?
In 2019, FSC Canada launched its new Forest Management Standard which does not have requirements for small-scale, low intensity, and community forests. Developing these requirements will help ensure that these forests can continue to be FSC certified under the new rules as well as provide better access to FSC certification.
The new standard will include scale, intensity and risk indicators that will apply to:- Community forests
- Low intensity forests
- Small-scale forests.
-
How are the indicators being developed?
FSC Canada initiated the development process in 2013 to explore possible requirements for small scale, low intensity and community forests. A first draft of scale, intensity and risk indicators were developed based on the first draft of the forest management standard which was released for a 60 day public consultation period in 2016. However, during the revision of the forest management standard a number of changes took place from draft to draft which made it difficult to adapt scale, intensity and risk indicators in a cohesive manner and thus the work was postponed to once the final forest management standard was complete.
-
Who will develop the requirements?
FSC Canada assembled an eight person Standards Development Group, to support the development of a National Forest Management Standard with common indicators. The Standards Development Group was assembled with representation across chambers (Aboriginal Peoples, Social, Environmental and Economic), with an equal number of people in each chamber and consideration for regional representation, gender balance and diversity of experience.
Aboriginal Chamber
- Peggy Smith, Ontario
- Troy Stuart. Alberta
Social Chamber
- Solange Nadeau, New Brunswick/Quebec
- Nicloas Blanchette, Quebec
Economic Chamber
- Chris McDonell, Ontario
- Brenda Hopkin, British Columbia
Environmental Chamber
- Dave Pearce, Ontario
- Gillian Chow-Fraser, Alberta
-
When will the standard be approved?
In January 2021, FSC Canada entered the final stage of the standard development process and submitted the standard to FSC International for approval. Over the next few months, FSC Canada will work with FSC International to answer any questions, provide clarifications, and possibly make modifications. We anticipate an approved standard by the end of 2022.
You also may be interested in