VicForests is inviting the timber industry to have input into its forest management practices as part of a preliminary assessment of its operations against the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards. Source: Timberbiz
VicForests’ CEO, Robert Green, said the organisation is looking to get feedback regarding its draft Forest Management Plan and management of High Conservation Values (HCV).
“This assessment is an opportunity for everyone to have their say about VicForests’ operations and we believe it’s particularly crucial to get the views of those who are involved in the timber industry as part of this process,” Green said.
“We have engaged SCS Global Services, an accredited FSC certifier, to undertake an independent assessment of our operations against the FSC standards.
“The industry has a unique perspective regarding VicForests and our operations so we would encourage everyone who has a view to share their thoughts with us.
“Our draft Forest Management Plan and our draft strategy for identifying and managing High Conservation Value (HCV) forests are currently up on our website.
“The draft Forest Management Plan is an overview of how we conduct our operations, and our draft High Conservation Value strategy outlines the process we use to identify and manage values within our forests which are considered to be significant for conservation.
“There is also an opportunity for members of the industry to speak directly with the auditors as part of the assessment process. Individuals and groups are invited to let us know how they would like to engage with VicForests or the auditors prior to the audit commencing,” he said.
“This assessment audit does not lead to certification, but it is an opportunity to test how our organisation stacks up against the FSC standards and allow us to determine our next steps around FSC certification.”
Green said the preliminary assessment will commence on September 30th.
“Certification assures consumers the wood products they buy come from sustainable forestry practices and our operations are currently certified to the internationally recognised Australian Forestry Standard (AS-4708).
“This assessment will be a test of how our organisation stacks up against the FSC standards and we feel opening ourselves up to this type of scrutiny and transparency is an important part of our commitment to responsible forest management,” Green said.
“All submissions we receive between now and September 30th will be made available to the auditors as part of the assessment and this process will assist us in mapping our next steps in relation to FSC certification.
“VicForests is the only large-scale native forestry manager in Australia to have been through the FSC certification process, having previously sought FSC certification in 2008. We have made substantial improvements since this time and it is time to re-engage in the FSC process.”
Feedback on VicForests’ can be provided until Monday 30 September as part of the assessment process. The documents are available at www.vicforests.com.au
