Eco-Certification ALERT!!!

Friends, there is major trouble looming - this time not by the BC Liberals, but by an "eco-certification" scheme gone off course. The magnitude of this affects a thousand ancient forests in BC, please take the 5 minutes to write your brief comments (see below) and help shape history.

The Forest Stewardship Council's (FSC) final draft standards in BC can "eco-certify" logging in High Conservation Value Forests (ie. all the wilderness battles we wage for new protected areas are such forests), conversion of old-growth forests to plantations, and overcutting our forests (Note: See the below backgrounder if you don't know what "eco-certification" and the Forest Stewardship Council are). This threatens to undermine all of our future wilderness protection campaigns in British Columbia, whether in the Great Bear Rainforest, Walbran, or Elaho if the major logging corporations like Interfor or TimberWest get the FSC "eco-certified" stamp for "sensitive" logging in pristine ancient forest valleys and other key areas.

The problem is, FSC is seen world-wide by much of the environmental movement and the public as the only credible eco-certification scheme. The World Wildlife Fund created the FSC in 1993 and determined that there must be Economic, Social, and Environmental Chambers to determine the standards for logging in each region (eg. BC). With a foot in the door, there has been a concerted effort by the BC industry to water down the standards. The presence of the big logging corporations in the "Economic" Chamber is akin to industry writing its own rules, helping to create its own standards. One of the guys sitting on the FSC Standards Team in BC is Patrick Armstrong, an early founder of the militant anti-environmental movement in BC known as "SHARE". Western Forest Products and MacMillan Bloedel (now Weyerhaeuser) are also members of the FSC, and in the "Social Chamber" sits the Forest Alliance, the anti-environmental public relations firm created by Burson-Marstellar for the large logging corporations.

Does the FSC hold promise? Yes. There are many good things about the FSC and the current draft that can help shape sustainable forestry. But as currently drafted, it may become one of the greatest obstacles for protecting ancient forests in ecological reserves, provincial parks, tribal parks, national parks, conservancy areas and other areas that mandate strict protection. And lets face it folks - we don't know enough, or even have the right, to log everywhere all the time (yes, logging has a place, but no, not in the Elaho, Walbran, East, Goat, Raush, Sydney, Green, and other key valleys proposed for protection).

RIGHT NOW, COMMENTS ARE MOST GREATLY NEEDED to help shape the FSC's standards in BC. We are already late (Sept.10 was the official deadline)- please get those comments in right away, they may still be accepted. PLEASE TAKE 5 MINUTES AND DO THIS - the fate of a thousand areas depends on this...

All submissions may be sent to FSC-BC by email at: fsc-bc@telus.net

If possible, please send a copy of your comments to us at wc2vic@island.net

Please briefly tell the FSC Standards Team:

- Your comments on whether you think the Forest Stewardship Council standards in BC need high brow, measurable, and detailed criteria and verifiers in order to have any real integrity.

- For Criteria 9.3 about High Conservation Value Forests (HCVF's), whether you think logging should be allowed in these most important areas, such as spotted owl habitat, pristine ancient forest valleys, rare forest types, watershed reserves, etc. They specify logging to "maintain and/or enahnce" the HCVF's and the conservation attributes of interest (eg. leaving trees behind with lichens for mountain caribou, snags for spotted owls and other such "enhancements").

- For Criteria 1.6 about the scope of each company's FSC commitment, whether you think each forest manager must get all their operations in BC to adhere to FSC standards in order to be certified, not just one part of their timber holdings. If a company like Interfor or TimberWest is FSC certified in just one small part of their tenure, they could claim that they are "FSC" certified in BC to the public and get credit for this, even though it only applies to one area, not everywhere else they log in BC (where we may have a conflict with them).

- For Criteria 6.10 about conversion of old-growth to plantations, about whether you think this should be acceptable.

- For Indicator 6.4.3, about whether you support no logging in Protected Reserves (Option B), or some logging in "floating" Protected Forest Reserves (Option A).

- For Criteria 5.6, about the rate of logging (how much, how fast), whether you think the annual harvest levels should be less than the annual growth rate of each forest (ie. whether logging rates should not deplete the 'natural capital').

Please sign your name, any affiliated organization, leave them your mailing address, too.
 

Several organisations have put a lot of time into producing useful guides, comparisons, and sample comments to help you in making your own comments, all of which may be accessed on the newly formed website, www.goodwoodwatch.org

To see the actual Draft 2 of the Forest Stewardship Council's Regional Standards for
British Columbia check out www.fsc-bc.org). NOTE that the FSC International principles are denoted by a single number (eg. Principle 9: Maintenance of High Conservation Value Forests, the criteria are by a number with a decimal (eg. 9.3 The management plan shall include...etc.), and the indicators and verifiers which comprise the BC FSC standards up for review are the numbers with two decimals (eg. 9.3.1 the conservation attributes necessary to maintain...etc.). Your comments are directed towards changing, eliminating, or creating indicators and verifiers, the principles and criteria are pretty much set in stone.

Backgrounder: Certification of Forest Products Eco-certification is becoming an increasingly popular way for consumers to distinguish between various forest products based on the environmental and social standards used in their production. Eco-certification schemes can act as non-governmental, consumer-driven mechanisms for raising current environmental standards in forestry.
Most consumers are already familiar with some certification schemes. On almost every grocery store shelf there are products that bear symbols that tell you whether vegetables are organically grown, tuna is dolphin-friendly, orange juice is Grade A, or if wine is "Quality Assured". Shoppers will often pay more for these products because the value implied by their certification is important to them.
Currently, numerous certification schemes are being devised that are claiming to "eco-certify" logging operations. In actuality, many of these logging industry-created eco-certification schemes certify the clearcutting of old-growth and endangered forests. How do these certification schemes differ? A Performance-Based Standard certifies the outcome of logging operations, while a Systems-Based Standard evaluates whether there are systems in place that allow forest owners /managers to achieve and review their targetted goals. In a Systems-Base Standard, two logging operations using similar processes for determining sustainability but having different environmental performances may both comply with the requirements of the standard.
In recent years, given the strength of consumer demands for wood from environmentally sustainable origins, numerous certification standards have been developed. Among the most influential certification schemes in North America are the:
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC): This is the best-known and most widely accepted forestry eco-certification system. It differs from all other major certification systems in that it is the only performance-based system. It is also unique because it audits the chain of custody of forest products from the forest to the end product. It uses independent, third party verification of forest practices using clear minimum environmental and social thresholds.
Its definition of sustainability incorporates environmental, social, and economic aspects. Depending on the strength of FSC standards developed for each region, it may or may not become a positive influence in promoting sustainability. In BC, there is serious concern that draft FSC standards will allow logging in high conservation value forests, the conversion of old-growth to plantations, and the overcutting of forests.
Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI): This is an American industry-initiated systems-based standard that certifies member companies of the American Forest and Paper Association. Incredibly, companies report on their own progress without any mandatory, third-party verification. It has weak, non-comprehensive, and flexible standards that fail to give any meaningful benchmarks for progress. It often certifies the large-scale clearcutting of old-growth forests.
Canadian Standards Association (CSA): This is a systems-based standard, where the logging operation determines its own performance requirements. A public consultation process in setting standards, but the results are completely non-binding on the logging company’s practices and performance.
The Canadian Council of Forest Ministers’ (CCFM) sustainable forest management system criteria forms the basis of the standards (the CCFM is widely recognized as a mouthpiece for serving the interests of major logging companies in Canada).
As is apparent, among the major certification systems in BC, only the Forest Stewardship Council holds some potential to create greater environmental sustainability. Currently, the regional standards for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) in BC are being developed. The current draft is up for public review. Unfortunately, even the FSC British Columbia regional standards as currently drafted are cause for significant concern. Among the concern is they currently allow for the logging of 'High Conservation Value Forest,' which could present a serious obstacle for environmentalists working to protect ancient forests that get the FSC stamp for approved logging. The presence of major logging corporations taking out memberships in FSC BC in the "economic chamber" in large part is responsible for such non-environmental components of FSC BC's standards.
For more information on the various influential certification standards, go to
http://www.fern.org/Library/Reports/reports.html

- Ken Wu, Joe Foy, Paul George WCWC

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