Monday, 06 October 2025
FSC US Announces Revised Forest Stewardship Standard Approved
Version 2.0 approved by FSC International and set for official publication January 1, 2026
Forest Stewardship Council US (FSC US), announced today the approval of the revised Forest Stewardship Standard 2.0.
“The revision aligns the U.S. standard with FSC International’s updated Principles & Criteria (V5) and International Generic Indicators (IGIs), while also addressing key stakeholder priorities,” says Amy Clark Eagle, FSC US Director of Science and Certification.
Key updates under the new FSC US Forest Stewardship Standard include:
- The ability for forest management certificate holders to certify an extensive list of non-timber forest products (NTFPs).
- Additional alternate indicators and streamlined conformance help make standard requirements more practical for family forests.
- New regional requirement addresses salvage harvests on the Pacific Coast following catastrophic natural disasters.
- Traditional knowledge is explicitly recognized in the definitions for both “expert” and “best available information.”
- New vulnerability assessment, planning and monitoring considerations that are incorporated into the standard’s adaptive management approach will help foster more resilient forests.
“This marks the culmination of seven years of development, public consultation, and collaboration with FSC International,” said Sarah Billig, FSC US President.
January 1, 2026 will be the official publication date for Version 2.0 of the FSC US Forest Stewardship Standard and the revised standard will become effective April 2, 2026. This will be followed by an 18-month transition period in which both the current (Version 1.1) and revised standards (Version 2.0) will be valid.
FSC US forest management certificate holders must fully comply with the standard by or before September 30, 2027 when the transition period ends in order to maintain certification.
Learn more about the new standard and the transition period here.