05.01.2010
(frétt af vef Environmental News Network (enn.com): "Forest Certification Gains Strength in North America" )

From Forest Certification Watch, Tuesday, February 11, 2003 12:00:00 AM
Forest certification gained strength in the North American forest sector over the past year, according to a new report released by Certification Watch, the independent organization researching and reporting on global forest certification developments. The detailed report provides a comprehensive and independent overview of the state of forest certification, certified forest products procurement and related initiatives in North America. The 65 page report is based on articles published in the international newsletter Forest Certification Watch during 2002.

While the first volume of Forest Certification: 2002 Year in Review covers North America, the second, equally comprehensive, volume deals with developments in Europe and the rest of the world. The two volumes of Forest Certification: 2002 Year in Review can be ordered individually or as a pack. Pricing and ordering details can be found on the website www.CertificationWatch.org. Also available are past Year in Review issues, covering the years 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001.

Key forest certification and related developments that occurred in North America in 2002 will be presented and discussed at the upcoming Certification Watch Conference on March 25-29 in Vancouver, BC. The event, entitled "The Policy and Practice of Forest Certification," will feature prominent 27 speakers, an exhibit area and a field tour on Vancouver Island. Find the program and registration details at www.CertificationWatchConference.org

SELECTED FINDINGS OF "FOREST CERTIFICATION: 2002 YEAR IN REVIEW"
The report shows that in the US, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certification program proved to be highly active in 2002, with a revision of the standard aimed at the protection of forests with exceptional conservation value and the first use and subsequent promotion of the SFI on-product label. The development of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) regional standards in the US continued, while two standards were approved by FSC-International for two major timber producing regions. Substantial work was carried out to modernize the Tree Farm System and to ensure its mutual recognition with the SFI.

In Canada, the province of New Brunswick made forest certification compulsory on public forest lands, making it the first jurisdiction in the world to mandate forest certification to licensees. The Forest Products Association of Canada decided to require forest certification for membership in the organization beyond 2006. The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) standard underwent a significant revision while regional standard development continued under the FSC, particularly for British Columbia and the boreal forests.

The year 2002 has seen substantial increases in certified areas in North America. The SFI program recorded significant gains in certified area in 2002, with total certified acreage in North America reaching 70.7 million acres (28.6 million ha). The total areas certified to SFI increased by 9.6 million acres (3.9 million ha) and 11.2 million acres (4.5 million ha) since last year, in the US and Canada respectively. CSA certified areas grew by 63% to reach 36 million acres (14.4 million ha) by the end of 2002. FSC certified areas covered a total of 12 million acres (4.8 million ha) in North America by the end of 2002. The areas certified to FSC in Canada reached 2.5 million acres (1 million ha) by the end of the year.

The coverage of the report"s second volume includes PEFC and FSC developments in Europe and Eastern Europe, failures in the UK certified timber procurement policy, standard developments in Australia and New Zealand, the expansion of influence of the Pan-European Forest Certification program outside Europe, the third General Assembly of the Forest Stewardship Council, the integration of certification in the new World Bank forest strategy and the weak results of the World Bank / World Wildlife Fund Alliance in broadening the practice of forest certification in the developing world.

For more information, contact:
Jean-Pierre Kiekens, Editor, Forest Certification Watch; kiekens@sfcw.org
Web site: http://CertificationWatch.org
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