| |
Forest Certification
& Sustainable Forest Management
Increasing pressure is being placed on the forests as the demand for forest products escalates.
Unfortunately the world’s forests—boreal, temperate and tropical—are in a state of decline.
Almost half of the planet’s original forests have disappeared and of what remains, only about 8 percent
are protected. In the time it takes you to read this page, approximately 64 acres
(roughly the size of 60 football fields) of forest lands have been lost due to such threats
as irresponsible and illegal logging, land clearance for agriculture and development, and forest fires.
World-wide demand for paper—the single largest use of wood fibre—is 5 times what it was in the 1950s.
This number is expected to double again over the next 50 years.
The forest industry and governments have discussed sustainable forest management (SFM).
Government policies and forest management plans have included ideas for achieving SFM but forest
certification is a way of putting these ideas into practice and not just on paper.
Growing public demand for forest managers to be accountable for their actions has
led to an increasing number of consumers requesting wood and other forest products that
do not contribute to forest degradation and deterioration, but rather help to secure forest
resources for the future. In response to these demands, organizations were formed which developed
certification programs for forest management and wood products.
Credible forest certification is one way that forest companies and/or managers can prove to people
that their method of land management does not in any way damage the economic stability of local communities,
the health of the forest, or Indigenous Peoples' rights.
How can you support sustainable forest management?
The Saskatchewan Environmental Society chooses the Forest Stewardship Council certification system
as the only acceptable forest certification option.
To find out why, see our forestry fact sheet, Achieving Sustainable Forest Management (PDF).
|
 |
Use this worksheet (PDF) to evaluate local forest management practices in your community.
|
|
|
