This document provides an overview of forest certification programs and how they can benefit landowners. It discusses what certification is, why landowners might choose certification, and the main certification programs: American Tree Farm System, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). Each program has different standards and structures for certifying forests at the individual or group level. The document provides contact information for certification programs operating in Arkansas and suggests questions landowners should consider to determine which program best fits their needs and objectives for their forest.

1. Kathryn Fernholz
Dovetail Partners
October 2013
Forest
Certification Finding
the Program that Best Fits
Your Needs For Your
Forest

2. Overview
hat is forest certification?
hy consider certification for your forest?
hat are the different programs?
ey questions/benefits to consider
uestions?

3. What is certification?
http://www.treehugger.com/green-architecture/the-green-workplace-looks-at-eco-labels.html

4. Certification:
A process for assuring that:
•Standards are being met, and
•Customer concerns are being
addressed.
Many environmental certification
systems are voluntary.

5. Why certification?
nvironmental concerns
ocial concerns
ack of effective regulation
pportunity to identify leaders and voluntarily
improve practices

6. Why participate in certification?
rice premiums/Market Access
nhance Customer Relationships
nhance Employee Satisfaction
educe Costs

7. Why aren’t all forests and products certified?
dded costs
ack of price premiums
imited market demand
urden of audits and reporting

8. How does third-party certification work?
Standard Setting
Body (and
Accreditation
Organization)
Accredited
Certification
Body or Auditor
Producer/Company/Landowner
Responsible for ensuring that
certification requirements are met
and participate in audits/reporting.
Audit Audit

9. How does third-party certification work?
Standard Setting
Body (and
Accreditation
Organization)
Accredited
Certification
Body or Auditor
Producer/Company/Landowner
Responsible for ensuring that
certification requirements are met
and participate in audits/reporting.
Audit Audit

10. Certification Programs

11. The Structure of a Standard
For more info, see: http://dovetailinc.org/files/DovetailFSCSFIComparison32811.pdf

12. The Structure of a Standard
For more info, see: http://dovetailinc.org/files/DovetailFSCSFIComparison32811.pdf

13. American Tree Farm System
Standards of Sustainability:
1.Commitment to Practicing Sustainable Forestry
2.Compliance with Laws
3.Reforestation and Afforestation
4.Air, Water, and Soil Protection
5.Fish, Wildlife, and Biodiversity
6.Forest Aesthetics
7.Protect Special Sites
8.Forest Product Harvests and Other Activities
http://www.treefarmsystem.org/standards-for-tree-farm-certification

14. American Tree Farm System
tate Tree Farm Committee programs - 44 active state
committees certifying over 21 million acres on 42,000 Tree Farms
across the U.S. Landowners can join the state program through an
inspection of their property and forest planning documents.
ndependently Managed Group (IMG) programs - Started in
2002 and currently there are 12 IMGs certifying over 5 million
acres. Each has a group manager that oversees landowner entry
and exit into the group and coordinates certification audits.
ndividual third-party certificates - To obtain an individual
certificate, landowners should contract directly with a qualified
certification body and undergo certification audits every three
years.http://www.treefarmsystem.org/certification-american-tree-farm-system

15. www.treefarmsystem.org/
arkforests.org/treefarm.html

17. How do I participate?
A prospective Tree Farm is carefully inspected by a forester at no charge, for the
following items:
• At least 10 acres are required for certification
• Privately owned, tax-paying forest lands qualify for Tree Farm certification
(certain Scout, 4-H, and municipal lands may qualify).
• A forest management plan. The objectives of the forest owner are important in
judging performance.
• Protection must be provided from insects, disease, fire, and destructive
grazing.
• Harvesting of forest crops is important to utilize the renewable forest resource
and to improve the growth of timber.
• Dedication to growing repeated forest crops.
• Other improvements to the land such as tree planting, timber stand
improvement, pruning, stream improvement, and wildlife habitat improvement.
To have a Tree Farm representative contact you to inspect your Arkansas forest
land, please contact Jennifer Lambert (jlambert@arkforests.org, 501-374-2441)

18. American Tree Farm System
&W Forestry – IMG
• F&W can help individual landowners become certified under F&W’s
group certification. They can also assist landowners to enroll in and
maintain their compliance with other certification programs.
F&W Forestry
367 B Old Calion Road
El Dorado, AR 71730
PO Box 10621
El Dorado, AR 71730
Office: (870) 864-8092
Fax: (870) 864-8814
James F. Reese, RF, CF
Regional Manager
jreese@fwforestry.com
Cell: (229) 344-3906
180 Highway 71 North
DeQueen, AR 71832
PO Box 1070, DeQueen, AR 71832
Office: (870) 584-3016
Fax: (870) 584-3017

19. Forest Stewardship Council
The ten FSC Principles:
• Principle 1: Compliance with laws
• Principle 2: Tenure and use rights and responsibilities
• Principle 3: Indigenous peoples’ rights
• Principle 4: Community relations and worker's rights
• Principle 5: Economic, social and environmental benefits from the forest.
• Principle 6: Environmental impact
• Principle 7: Management plan
• Principle 8: Monitoring and assessment
• Principle 9: Maintenance of high conservation value forests
• Principle 10: Plantations
http://ic.fsc.org/the-ten-principles.103.htm

20. Forest Stewardship Council
- Certified as member of a group
- Certified as an individual
- Certified as a Family Forest (less than
2,500 acre ownership)

21. Forest Stewardship Council
Four States Timberland Owners Association (LA, OK, AR, TX)
•The organization is an unincorporated non-profit under the legal jurisdiction of
the State of Arkansas and is operated by staff of Domtar, A.W. LLC located in
Ashdown, Arkansas
•http://www.fourstatestimberlandowners.com/
•John Cook, Ashdown, AR, (903) 826-8775
•55 members (43 family forests)
•65,000+ acres
Certified Forest Management, LLC (GA, SC, NC, VA, TN, AL, MS, OK, TX, LA, AR)
•Certified Forest Management, LLC is a forest product marketing and sales
business incorporated in the state of Delaware, USA and operated by staff of
International Paper
•David Whitehouse, Augusta, GA (601) 927-3299
•43 members (40 family forests)
•38,000+ acres

22. Sustainable Forestry Initiative
Principles:
1.Sustainable Forestry
2.Forest Productivity and Health
3.Protection of Water Resources
4.Protection of Biological Diversity
5.Aesthetics and Recreation
6.Protection of Special Sites
7.Responsible Fiber Sourcing Practices in North America
8.Avoidance of Controversial Sources (including Illegal Logging in Offshore
Fiber Sourcing)
9.Legal Compliance
10.Research
11.Training and Education
12.Public Involvement
13.Transparency
14.Continual Improvement
http://www.sfiprogram.org

23. Key Questions & Benefits to Consider
o I want a plan for caring for my land?
o I want help in following my plan?
o I want experts to visit my forest and provide assistance?
o I want to be part of a group that is committed to certified forest
management?
o I want to have access to markets for certified products?
…If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions,
then forest certification might be right for you!

24. How to choose the right program
ead the standards – if the details and environmental
impacts are a priority for you
alk to the people (group managers, members, etc)
– if the relationship and quality of service is your top
priority
sk about the program costs and market

26. www.dovetailinc.org
Katie Fernholz . 612-333-0430 . katie@dovetailinc.org