Public Dialogue on National Forest
System Certification
October 16, 2008 Washington, D.C.
Robert J. Hrubes, Ph.D.
Certifier’s Charge
• Assess whether policies, plans, procedures
and actions conform with FSC Standards
• Assess effectiveness and consistency of
implementing management systems at the
scale of National Forest units
• Anticipate/approximate/estimate possible
special Indicators for National Forest
management
Certification Process
1. Utilizing stakeholder consultation and professional
expertise, articulate “additional considerations”
2. Review of documents & stakeholder consultation
3. Audit planning: site selections, meetings, etc.
4. On-site assessment/evidence gathering
(interviews, field observations, document review,
additional stakeholder consultation)
4. Deliberation and synthesis
5. Reporting
Example
C.6.3.d Old Growth: Ecological functions and values
shall be maintained intact, enhanced, or restored.
6.3.d.1 Type 1 stands are not harvested
6.3.d.3 Type 2 and Type 3- managed so there is no
net decline
Unique Aspects of Pilot Tests
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Award of certification not a possible outcome
First assessments on USDA National Forests
FSC Federal Lands Policy
Additional considerations
Level of audit team expertise
Stakeholder consultation—breadth/intensity
Notable Non-conformances
• C.5.1- Ongoing budget reductions = lack of support
for long-term management and restoration
• C.5.6- Overstocked stands in areas designated for
active timber management
• C.6.3.- Old growth forest management
• C.6.5.- Road management
• C. 8.2.C- Monitoring key wildlife spp. and habitat
Why Consider NFS Certification?
Force and mechanism for change
– To date, certification has had positive impacts on
state, private, community, etc. forests
– Would National Forests be an exception?
Equitable access to certification
– Possible non-conformance with FSC’s own policy b/c
of current exclusion of an ownership class
– Certification is increasingly important for forest
managers and wood product companies to compete
Force for Change- Cert. Success Factors
• Stakeholder participation (standard development
and evidence gathering)
• Strong market demand for FSC certified products
• Organizations where field staff are removed from
policy and strategic direction setting
• Organizations with chronic underfunding
• Senior management and field staff view certification
as a tool for improvement
Common Misperceptions
• There is a commercial mandate associated with FSC
certification
• Certification is ill-suited to federal lands
• Certification clashes with the protection of public
trust resources and values and would mandate
logging
• Certification would endorse illegal behavior
• Certification amounts to ceding of authority to a
third party