With the release of Draft 2 of the National Forest Management Standard, FSC Canada is now embarking on the testing phase of standard development.

The overall objective of testing is to obtain an increased understanding of the context and implications of specific proposed requirements of Draft 2 as a means to inform the final revision of the standard.

FSC Canada is looking for participant for the upcoming testing of Draft 2 of the National Forest Management Standard. Testing opportunities are likely to include the following topics:

  • Full version of Draft 2
  • Scale, Intensity & Risk indicators
  • Woodland caribou
  • Landscape-level management and planning
  • Site-level ecological considerations
  • Aboriginal rights & Free, Prior & Informed Consent
  • Stakeholder engagement
  • Dispute resolution
  • Sphere of Influence indicators
  • Risk-based approach

Forest managers are not expected to implement Draft 2 requirements, but rather engage in technical discussion, scenario analysis and/or provide evidence regarding how the forest manager’s current practices or experiences align with Draft 2 requirements. Other feedback regarding the auditability of the draft standard requirements will be welcome.

Most of the testing will be done remotely (desk audit), and testing is scheduled to take place from the end of January to the end of March, 2017. Level of effort required by the forest manager is dependent upon the topic of inquiry.

Please contact Christine Korol christinekorol@icloud.com by January 17, 2017 to express your interest in participating, identify which opportunities (listed above) would be of specific interest to your organization, or if you have questions regarding the testing opportunities.