Tuesday, 18 February 2014
International Generic Indicators: Second Public Consultation Open
© MN DNRFebruary 18, 2014
The International Generic Indicators (IGIs) are a suite of auditable metrics that define a starting point for FSC Forest Management (FM) Standards based on the new version 5 of the FSC Principles and Criteria (P&C).
Currently, the second public consultation about the IGIs is open for comment until March 31, 2014. FSC-US encourages stakeholders to review and comment on the IGIs, since they will influence FSC forest management in the US and around the world.
To support stakeholder engagement, FSC-US has created an IGIs page on our website. FSC International has also established an IGI website where all information can be found.
The main goal of the International Generic Indicators is to promote consistency across all FSC Forest Management (FM) standards in the world. In the US, the IGIs will serve as the starting point for our FM standard. Related to the IGIs, FSC has also developed a Transfer Procedure to guide how the IGIs will be incorporated into new and existing national standards, which includes options to adopt IGIs directly, adapt IGIs to a specific national context, or omit IGIs from a National Standard with justification. These options – adapt, adopt, or omit – will help to ensure that the IGIs are relevant and valuable when incorporated into the US Forest Management Standard.
In countries and regions that currently rely on Certification Body developed standards, the IGIs will serve as interim FM standards.
During the first public consultation, FSC received extensive and detailed input on the first draft of the IGIs from stakeholders across the US and around the world. As a direct result of this input the IGIs have been significantly revised. Among the revisions, the IGIs have been greatly simplified, the number of IGIs has been substantially reduced, and the IGIs have been limited to only those that express explicit elements of the FSC Principles and Criteria.
Given the central role that IGIs will play in fostering global consistency and rigor in the FSC system, dedicated public consultation is vital to ensuring that the IGIs are robust and functional. We welcome your input on the IGIs during the current second consultation. Specific information about the current consultation including webinars, consultations materials, and the transfer procedure can be found on the FSC-US IGIs website.
Comments for the second public consultation are due March 31, 2014.