New Brunswick Federation of Woodlot Owners

Contact Us
New Brunswick Federation of Woodlot Owners Inc.
819 Royal Road
Fredericton, New Brunswick
E3G 6M1
Phone: 506-459-2990
Fax: 506-459-3515
Email: please use our form

Certification The Pan-Canadian Woodlot Certification Program - Specifications for Use. The Program is intended for use by woodlot owners operating on a small defined forest area (DFA) across Canada. It has been developed in response to public expectations about forest management, and reflects the desire of woodlot owners to improve the management of their lands and strengthen their position in a market which increasingly demands forest products from lands whose management has been certified. This Program outlines the requirements for a forest manager or owner wishing to implement this standard on a small defined forest area (DFA). It also outlines the auditing process used to determine whether the SFM (sustainable forest management) requirements are implemented at the small DFA level. This Program describes the requirements for SFM on a small DFA, including the nature of the commitment, the requirements for public participation, the performance requirements, the management framework, the review of actions and continual improvement. It also lists the specific points that must be addressed, audited, and approved before certification can be recommended. This information is primarily for the use of certification applicants and auditors. As a member of the Canadian Federation of Woodlot Owners, we have participated in the development of the Pan-Canadian Woodlot Certification Program. Marketing Boards are assisting owners who wish to take part. Approximately 30,000 acres in New Brunswick have been certified under the preliminary standard. We believe certification has strong potential to encourage improvements in woodlot management and ensure access to markets. For more information on the Pan-Canadian Woodlot Certification Program click here. (PDF; 212KB) For additional information of woodlot certification click here (PDF; 73KB) for a certification document developed by the Canadian Model Forest Private Woodlot Strategic Initiative. CERTIFICATION NOW AVAILABLE FOR WOODLOT OWNERS: The Federation is delighted to learn of the decision by Time Inc. to qualify forest products certified under our Pan-Canadian Woodlot Certification Program as meeting the requirements of its Certified Sustainable Forests Program. David Refkin, Director of Sustainable Development for Time Inc. has made the following statement: "Time Inc. would like to congratulate the Canadian Federation of Woodlot Owners on the development of the Pan-Canadian Woodlot Certification Program. This program, which incorporates third party certification, represents a major advance in the effort to broaden forestry certification programs to smaller private landowners, a key part of the fiber supply chain. Time Inc., the worlds largest magazine publishing company, is a member of the Paper Working Group, 21 companies focused on increasing the availability of environmentally preferable paper. Every day, more and more users of wood want to insure that the fiber used in their products is from sustainably managed lands. The development of this program, and Time Inc.'s qualification that it meets the standards of our Certified Sustainable Forestry program, represent an important step in increasing the supply of certified products into the marketplace." "Time Inc's decision gives a big boost to our efforts to address three major challenges", said Peter deMarsh, President of the Federation. We need to maintain access to markets for our forest products. "We need to provide recognition for woodlot owners who are doing a good job caring for their land. And thirdly, woodlot owners are making an important contribution to the health of the economy and environment right across the settled areas of Canada. The problem is, the majority of Canadians who live in our cities are pretty much unaware of our contribution. We've got to find ways to raise their awareness and a recognized certification program will help us do that." Chris Cunningham is First Vice President of the Federation. His family's woodlots near Kamloops, B.C. were the subject of the first trial third-party audit of the Pan-Canadian Program. "Time Inc's decision will increase interest by woodlot owners in British Columbia in the Pan-Canadian Program. Up to now, it appealed to some of us who are proud of the way we manage our land and want to have that recognized. Being accepted by such a major force in the market place will give our Pan-Canadian Program greater credibility with those who are even more impressed by the ways in which certification can improve the financial viability of their operations", said Mr. Cunningham. The Hon. Keith Ashfield, Minister of Natural Resources in New Brunswick has supported the development of the Pan-Canadian Program. "Our government made certification of Crown Land a requirement several years ago. It is encouraging to see this major development that will help promote certification by woodlot owners who own 30% of our forests in New Brunswick. The future viability of forestry in New Brunswick depends on the sustainable management of all our forests, both Crown and private", said Minister Ashfield. Pierre-Maurice Gagnon is President of La Fédération des Producteurs de Bois du Québec, the largest woodlot owner organization in Canada. "I'm very happy to see this recognition of our efforts to establish a method to give reassurance to our fellow citizens that the management of our woodlots is sustainable. This public education is badly needed. That is why we have put so much effort into creating the Pan-Canadian program. We look forward to implementing the Program in Québec and anticipate that other companies will follow the example of Time Inc.", said Mr. Gagnon. Composed of nine provincial associations, the Federation is the voice of woodlot owners at the national level in Canada. It undertook the development of the Pan-Canadian Program in 2003 in response to increasing interest from the pulp and paper and sawmilling industries to obtain certified forest products from woodlot owners. After a review of available Certification Standards, the Federation determined that it was essential to provide Canada's 450,000 woodlot owning families with a new Standard that is appropriate for the size of our forests, typically 40 hectares, and is affordable. The Pan-Canadian Program sets forth requirements for sustainable management of woodlots. Among key commitments, participating woodlot owners must protect water quality, maintain wildlife habitat, ensure timely forest renewal, and act as good neighbours to adjacent landowners and First nations. The Program also sets out the requirements for third-party audits to provide an independent assessment of the management carried out by participating owners. For more information, please contact: Peter deMarsh, tel.: 506 459 2990 David Refkin, email: david_refkin@timeinc.com

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