National Boreal Standard Revision

According to FSC-STD-60-006 (Process Requirements for the Development and Maintenance of FSC Standards, 2009), all regional Forest Management (FM) standards are approved for a five year period, after which they are required to undergo a review and revision. Due to the current revision of the FSC Principles and Criteria (P&C), upon which all regional FM standards are based, there will be no revisions to Canadian FM standards until the new FSC P&C are approved. Regional FM standards will remain valid until such time as these standards according to the new FSC P&C.

National Boreal Standard Revision Process

In order to prepare for the upcoming revision of the National Boreal Standard, FSC Canada is preparing a number of reports and documents to inform this process. For more information, or copies of relevant material please see below:

• Background
• Science Panel 
• Survey and Results
• Documents Currently Under Review
• Information to support the review process
• Key Guidance Material

Comments or questions about the revisions process should be sent to standards@fsccanada.org

Background

The foundation of FSC forest certification is the process by which stakeholders come to consensus on locally developed indicators that, taken together with the internationally-developed Principles and Criteria (P&C), form regional Forest Management (FM) Standards.  FSC Canada has secretariat and certain governance responsibilities over the process, while the actual indicators for the application of the P&C to the Canadian Boreal forest are developed by a Standards Development/Revision Committee. This committee is made up of a balanced representation from aboriginal, economic, environmental and social interests, and is appointed by the FSC Canada Board of Directors. 

The existing FSC National Boreal Standard was developed through an extensive consultative process, which took place from 2001 to 2003, and was formally accredited in August 2004. To As all accredited FSC FM Standards are required to undergo a review every five years, FSC Canada has begun the process of reviewing this Standard and, where consensus is achieved, proposing revisions that will be submitted for formal accreditation to FSC International's Policy and Standards Unit in Bonn, Germany. The work plan outlining the NBS revision process is available below.

Boreal Revision Work Plan Framework  ENGLISH 

Science Panel - Report of Recommendations

FSC Canada welcomes comments on the Science Panel’s Report of Recommendations to address Species at Risk, such as woodland caribou within the National Boreal Standard. The report is available on the FSC Canada website and by clicking here. Comments should be sent to standards@fsccanada.org 

Please note that all comments submitted will be compiled and provided to FSC Standards Development and Standards Interpretation Committees, but will not be used to alter the content of the Report.  

Background
In January 2010, the FSC Canada Board of Directors announced the appointment of a Science Panel to provide a report of recommendations on how to strengthen requirements around Species at Risk (SAR), specifically woodland caribou within the National Boreal Standard. The objectives of the Science Panel were:
i) to provide recommendations on the adequacy of the National Boreal Standard to achieve conservation of woodland caribou as an example of species at risk;
ii) to describe the most appropriate measures under the National Boreal Standard to ensure the protection of woodland caribou; and
iii) to conduct an assessment of best practices under a precautionary approach to forest management for caribou.

As part of the regularly scheduled revision of the National Boreal Forest Management Standard (accredited in 2004), it is recognized that the requirements for species at risk will have to be revisited. The impact of forest management practices on species at risks, including woodland caribou, has emerged as an issue of significant debate in Canada. Populations of woodland caribou are at varying degrees of risk and particularly sensitive to habitat disturbance. Considering the concern among many FSC customers and stakeholders regarding the impact of forestry operations on species at risk such as the woodland caribou, providing clear and consistent direction on this issue is of particular importance. The peer-reviewed Science Panel Report of Recommendations, and the compilation of comments, will be used by the National Boreal Standards Development Committee to inform the standard review process.

Science Panel Members

Elston Dzus, Ph.D.
Environmental Sciences Team Leader
Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc.

Justina C. Ray, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Wildlife Conservation Society Canada

Ian Thompson, Ph.D.
Senior Research Scientist
Canadian Forest Service

Consultant
Chris Wedeles, Aves ArborVitae

Click here for Terms Reference

Click here to download Science Panel Report of Recommendations

For more information about the Science Panel and the Report of Recommendations, please contact  standards@fsccanada.org.

National Boreal Standard Survey and Results

April 7, 2009: FSC Canada has issued a Survey to gather input on the effectiveness and implementation of the National Boreal Standard. The results of this survey will inform the revision process.  

To view a copy of the survey as a pdf click on one of the following links: ENGLISH (.pdf), FRANCAIS (.pdf).

The main questions presented in the survey request your input on which Indicators or other components of the National Boreal Standard:

• Have a significant positive or negative impact on the forest management approach and/or stakeholders;
• Have requirements that are difficult to address or that are unclear and need greater explanation or specification;
• Are costly or time-consuming to address and provide little benefit or improvement in forest management;
• Do not improve the well-being of the forest or forest-dependent communities; and
• Should be eliminated or added.

Click here to view the Survey results

If you have any questions regarding the National Boreal Standard Survey please contact standards@fsccanada.org

Documents currently under review

Science Panel Report of Recommendations (for more click here)

FSC Canada welcomes comments on the Science Panel’s Report of Recommendations to address Species at Risk, such as woodland caribou within the National Boreal Standard. The report is available on the FSC Canada website and by clicking here. Comments should be sent to standards@fsccaanda.org 

Information to support the review process

Key Guidance Material