Thursday, 15 May 2003
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy Awarded Certification
Partner Profile: Upper Midwest Landowners to Benefit From Program
FSC International has certified the Community Forestry Resource Center (CFRC) of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP). The new designation will make it easier for Minnesota and Upper Midwest landowners to access forest certification.
Over the past three years, the CFRC has been developing and piloting an “umbrella certification system" as an innovative way to help private landowners overcome some of the economic and capacity barriers of FSC certification. The certification for IATP’s Community Forestry Resource Center allows the program to certify private woodland owners as practicing responsible forestry management. The FSC certification was issued by the SmartWood program of the Rainforest Alliance.
The umbrella certification program was developed with a pilot group of about 10 landowners representing just under 1,000 acres. There is additional interest from the members of at least three forestry co-ops to apply for membership in the umbrella. The agreement with SmartWood allows CFRC to offer membership to landowners in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
In nearly all situations, landowners themselves have absorbed the costs to obtain certification. Under the new system CFRC holds the certification and landowners work under the umbrella system. This model of 'group certification’ will make it less costly for landowners to participate in FSC, while providing the benefit of access to CFRC staff for help with tracking and evaluating management planning and implementation in relation to the FSC standards. Costs and risk are reduced by CFRC bearing the direct assessment responsibility and fees.
“This certification by SmartWood is a major step forward in our efforts to increase the number of landowners and acreage of forests that are responsibly managed," says Phil Guillery, director of the CFRC program at IATP. “This new certification should directly benefit small landowners interested in the ecological, social and economic benefits of sustainably managed forests."
Since 1998, the CFRC has also been helping to develop and provide access to the forest management and market benefits of FSC certification for private woodland landowners. The FSC is the internationally recognized standard setting body that accredits and monitors forestry certifiers worldwide. FSC certification provides assurance that the forestry being practiced meets the highest available economic, social, and environmental standards of good forestry. Forest products from certified forests are marketed using the FSC trademark.
Currently, CFRC assists 17 forestry cooperatives or non-profit organizations, and 14 other groups in various stages of exploring and developing landowner associations committed to practicing sustainable forestry.
For more information see www.forestrycenter.org.