“We’re looking to position FSC as a leader in the new and rapidly evolving field of ecosystem services (ES) certification,” says Chris Henschel, FSC’s Program Manager, Ecosystem Services. “FSC’s strong certification framework, brand credibility and holistic approach puts FSC in a unique position to give certificate holders access to emerging ES markets.”
The FSC Ecosystem Services Strategy describes how FSC will develop new tools for FSC certificate holders that strengthen incentives for responsible forest management, forest conservation and the maintenance and enhancement of ES, at the same time as delivering greater value for certificate holders, communities and other actors along the supply chain. The Strategy draws upon FSC’s experience through the Forest Certification for Ecosystem Services (ForCES) project, and input from a pre-consultation period including an ES strategy advisory panel.
The FSC Procedure for Demonstrating the Impact of Forest Stewardship on Ecosystem Services (FSC-STD-30-002) is part of the Strategy and will create a framework for verifying the impacts of FSC-certified forest management on ES.
“It’s been an interesting journey, and I’m looking forward to reading your comments,” continues Henschel, “and being able to present the final documents to the Board of Directors in their August meeting this year.”