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Sunday, 25 January 2015
Revision to the FSC Chain of Custody Standard

(© Sebastian Hillig via Compfight cc)© Sebastian Hillig via Compfight cc

January 26, 2015

While FSC is best known for world-class forest management, far more companies (nearly 29,000 at latest count) are certified to the FSC Chain of Custody Standard.

To streamline the standard, incorporate the results of recent pilot projects, and include direction given by the FSC General Assembly, FSC has been in the process of reviewing and revising the Chain of Custody Standard (FSC-STD-40-004) over the past two years, with the help of the Chain of Custody Working Group.  

While there have been delays in the process, the first public consultation has begun and the draft of the revised Chain of Custody Standard is now available for public review. Comments are due by February 28, 2015.

FSC US has developed a webpage dedicated to the Chain of Custody Revision that can be found here. This page provides all relevant consultation documents and will be updated periodically throughout the public consultation.

Participation and feedback from stakeholders is essential during the revision process, and all are encouraged to comment on the changes to the standard. There will also be a second consultation period later in 2015. 

To assist stakeholders during the consultation, FSC has provided a “crosswalk” that identifies the changes between the current Chain of Custody Standard and the revised draft.  

FSC also invites interested stakeholders to participate in a webinar to learn more about the first draft of the revised Chain of Custody Standard. Webinars will be available in English and Spanish, and have been scheduled to meet the needs of Certificate Holders globally. Webinars are available in English and Spanish. Times listed in Central Standard Time. 

  • January 28, 2015 (SPANISH), 9:00 am – 10:30 am CST – REGISTER NOW
  • January 28, 2015 (ENGLISH), 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm CST – REGISTER NOW
  • February 11, 2015 (SPANISH), 4:00 am – 5:30 am CST – REGISTER NOW
  • February 12, 2015 (ENGLISH), 11:00 am – 12:30 pm CST – REGISTER NOW 

If you have questions about the revised Chain of Custody Standard, please contact Lori Knosalla, FSC US Chain of Custody Manager (l.knosalla@us.fsc.org).

For more information, visit the CoC Revision webpage.