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New Zealand adopts AS4708 with modifications

A New Zealand Standard for Sustainable Forest Management (NZS AS4708:2014) was published in May 2014. It has been adopted with national modifications from the Australian Standard AS4708–2013 via an agreement between AFS Ltd and Standards New Zealand. Source: AFS Certification News

The first NZ National Standard for forest management is a real milestone and it provides forest owners and managers with environmental, economic, social, and cultural criteria that support the sustainable management of forests.

This voluntary standard may be applied by farm foresters to woodlots, as well as large plantation forests. It may also be applied to native forests, whether or not they are used for production purposes.

The New Zealand Standard could form the basis for PEFC endorsed forest management certification in New Zealand. It will be up to stakeholders in New Zealand to decide if and how they would like this to happen and AFS Ltd has agreed to continue to provide support and advice in this process if and when it is requested.

The Australian Standard for chain of custody for certified wood and forest products (AS4707) has been under review by a Standards Reference Committee for some time and AFS Ltd anticipates that the revised AS4707–2014 will be published in the near future.

The requirements of the revised Standard have been agreed and will be even more closely aligned with the PEFC Standard for Chain of Custody of Forest Based Products – Requirements (PEFC ST 2002:2013).

Details such as the transition arrangements, requirements for certification bodies and training for auditors will be considered and addressed prior to publication of the revised Standard.