Forest Management Standards & Policies
Forest management certification helps protect the people and plant and animal species that live in and around, and depend upon, the forest.
FSC’s Forest Management Standard is used to assess if a forest is responsibly managed. The standard is based on FSC’s International Principles & Criteria as well as national indicators which reflect the diverse legal, social, and environmental conditions of the forests in Canada.
A New Standard in Responsible Forestry
FSC Canada’s regional forest management standards were recently updated to a new national Forest Management Standard after five years of rigorous consultation with industry, environment, social stakeholder and indigenous groups. The new standard addresses the most pressing issues facing Canadian forests now, including Woodland Caribou, Indigenous Peoples’ Rights, Workers’ Rights including Gender Equity, Landscape Management and Conservation.
INTACT FOREST LANDSCAPEs
The new National Forest Management Standard does not address the requirements related to Motion 65 on Intact Forest Landscapes. In the interim, refer to the Motion 65 Advice Note ADVICE-20-007-018 and to FSC Canada’s Interim Guidance for the Delineation of Intact Forest Landscapes (May 25, 2017). In the meantime, indicators for intact forest landscapes and Indigenous cultural landscapes will continue to be developed. These requirements will be developed to be aligned with species at risk indicators and other landscape requirements.