The strategic approach of FSC Canada’s Standards Revision Process will proceed as follows:
1. FSC Canada will establish national common indicators that will be applied in all regions. FSC Canada will assess the similarities and differences between regional standards with the goal of developing national common indicators.
2. FSC Canada will identify and develop region specific indicators. FSC Canada will develop and approve criteria used to determine circumstances when region specific indicators should be developed. FSC Canada understands that ecological and social differences in a region may justify the development of region specific indicators for some criteria.
3. FSC Canada will develop one National Standard. One National Standard that includes national common indicators and region specific indicators, where warranted, will replace existing regional standards.
4. FSC Canada will support and encourage meaningful national and regional participation. FSC Canada understands that chamber balance and regional representation is required to ensure the development of National Standards.
In the upcoming weeks FSC Canada will continue the Standards Revision Process by establishing a Standards Development Group whose primary mandate will be to provide oversight and strategic direction in the review and revision of the regional Forest Management Standards. A notice has been sent to all members to provide their nominations for the Standards Development Group.
For the full motion and overview of the standards revision process go to https://ca.fsc.org/regional-fm-standard-revision.246.htm
Questions?
Contact: Vivian Peachey, Director of Standards, v.peachey@ca.fsc.org
Background
In February 2012 FSC International membership approved the revised Principles & Criteria (P&Cs). FSC P&Cs are the guiding framework for developing regional forest management standards globally.
This milestone marks the beginning of an important next phase in FSC's work. In parallel, FSC Canada will engage stakeholders in revising and aligning the regional Forest Management (FM) Standards (National Boreal Standard (2004), Maritimes Standard (2008), BC Standard (2005) and Great Lakes-St. Lawrence draft Standard (2010)) with these revised Principles and Criteria. The revision of these regional FM Standards will build on previous work and agreements while providing opportunities for focused regional and national discussions. The process seeks consistency, rigor and cost-efficiencies.
The FM Standards Revision Process is expected to take approximately two years. The Process Design Phase started in August 2012 with a survey asking Canadian stakeholders about the values important to them. The standards revision strategic direction as described in the below Motion, is now being put out to the FSC Canada membership for consideration and approval, with voting concluding January 31, 2013.
Engaging Indigenous Peoples as well as stakeholders around key indicators and through indicator specific discussions will facilitate input to the standards, drafts 1 through 3. Field testing will occur in multiple regions with the goal of having standards approved by FSC IC by December 31, 2014.