Stakeholders are the foundation of the FSC system and have been right from our beginning more than 20 years ago. From timber workers, manufacturers and land owners, to mountain bikers, bird watchers, indigenous communities and conservationists, the FSC provides a forum that brings people from all backgrounds together to have their say about how our forests are managed.
At the FSC we are passionate about forests and we love that others share our passion and have strong views and opinions about protecting this precious resource so both current and future generations can enjoy them.
Trees are an important resource that we all rely on, whether in the form of the wood we build our homes with, the paper and tissue products we use in our daily lives but also for our water, biodiversity, climate, recreation and cultural heritage. Our job at the FSC is to make sure the forests where products come from are managed in a more sustainable way by providing consumers with a way to reward forest managers who do the right thing.
The people that spend the most time in our forests, for work or recreation, are also the most valuable to the FSC’s certification schemes, because they provide the eyes and ears on the ground that can report on what is and isn’t being managed responsibly in a forest. In particular, stakeholders and experts are an important part of our approach to the identification and assessment of High Conservation Values (HCVs) – the most precious parts of a forest.
Our green tree ‘tick’ logo has become a highly sought after seal of approval for manufacturers and forest managers. The logo can’t be bought and must be earned through independent auditing against our standards.
These standards are regarded as the most rigorous in the Australian forestry industry and while they vary in stringency from top-flight full FSC forest management accreditation to the lesser entry-level ‘Controlled Wood’ – stakeholder feedback is a key component of both.
Yes, we know our labelling system can be confusing so we’ve included some more information about it here. For example, ‘Controlled Wood’ can’t be promoted as environmentally friendly for marketing purposes and cannot carry the FSC MIX label unless mixed with fully FSC Certified or recycled wood. However, consumers can be sure that buying a product with an FSC label is better for the world’s forests than choosing a non-certified product.
FSC accredited forests are audited yearly to check long-term management plans continue to meet our standards, however between these periods, it is vital that stakeholders report any areas of concern to the forest manager as well as its independent auditor.
In fact, under both full FSC certification and Controlled Wood standards, forest managers are assessed on how well they gather stakeholder input, but also critically are measured by the independent auditors on how they address that feedback in their forest management practices.
The ability for stakeholders to have a real impact is what sets the FSC apart from other standards and the key reason why it has been successful in driving change in forest management both in Australia but also around the world.
For the system to work effectively, it is critical that the stakeholders with eyes and ears on the ground continue to provide detailed information and observations to both the relevant forest managers and also the FSC’s independent auditors.
To get in contact with your local forest manager and their relevant auditor, please contact us directly at info@au.fsc.org