FSC principles and standards

Revised in September 2000 Introduction

    The management of forest resources and land should meet the social, economic, cultural and spiritual needs of present and future generations. This view has been widely recognized. Moreover, as the public pays more and more attention to the destruction and degradation of forests, the BSCI factory audit has made consumers demand that the timber and other forest products they purchase will not only not cause damage to the forest, but also help save future forest resources. In order to meet such requirements, certification and voluntary certification systems for wood products have emerged on the market.

    The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international organization that recognizes certification bodies to ensure the authenticity of certification bodies. In any case, the certification process is voluntarily initiated by forest owners and operators, and they only require certification agencies to provide related services. The goal of FSC is to promote global forest management activities that are environmentally responsible, socially beneficial, and economically feasible by formulating standards and related forest management principles that are widely recognized worldwide.

    As stated in Principle 9 and the related glossary, FSC principles and standards apply to all tropical, temperate and frigid forests. Many principles and standards are also applicable to artificial forests and some artificially replanted forests. More detailed standards applicable to various types of forest vegetation can be drafted at the national and regional levels. FSC principles and standards should be incorporated into the audit systems and standards of all certification bodies seeking FSC accreditation. Although the principles and standards of FSC are mainly formulated for forest management for the production of wood products, they can also be applied to forest management for the production of non-wood forest products and other services to a large extent. The principles and standards are a complete whole, and there is no distinction between primary and secondary. This document should be used in conjunction with FSC regulations, accreditation procedures and certification body guidelines.

     FSC and its accredited certification bodies do not necessarily require full compliance with the principles and standards, but there is a significant distance on any principle that is usually considered as unqualified or leads to cancellation of certification. This requires an independent certification body to make a decision based on the degree of satisfaction of each standard and the significance of the distance and its consequences, and may allow some flexibility in accordance with local conditions.

     In all certification audits, the scale and intensity of forest management operations, the uniqueness of affected resources, and the ecological vulnerability of related forests must be considered. The forest management standards of various countries and regions will point out the differences and difficulties in the interpretation of FSC principles and standards. These standards will be formulated with the participation of various countries and regions, and certified by certification bodies and other participating and affected parties one by one. Audit. If necessary, FSC's dispute resolution mechanism also advocates the use of this approach during the review process. For more information and guidelines on certification and accreditation procedures, please refer to FSC regulations, accreditation procedures and certification body guidelines.

     The principles and standards for using FSC must comply with national and international legal systems. FSC is intended to complement, not replace, other initiatives that support responsible forest management globally.

FSC will carry out educational activities to increase public awareness of the importance of the following issues:

     Improve the level of forest management;

     Include operating and production costs in the price of forest products;

     Promote better utilization of forest resources;

     Reduce damage and waste;

     Avoid over-consumption and over-harvesting.

    FSC will also provide guidance to decision makers on these issues, including improving forest management regulations and policies.

    Principle 1: Comply with the law and FSC principles

    Forest management should abide by the laws of the country where it is located and the international conventions and agreements signed by the country, and abide by all the principles and standards of FSC.

1.1 Forest management shall comply with all national and local laws and administrative regulations.

    1.2 All reasonable fees, royalties, taxes and other fees as required by law shall be paid.

    1.3 Respect the relevant provisions of all binding international agreements (such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the International Labour Organization Convention, the International Tropical Timber Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity) of the signatory countries.

    1.4 The certification body and the parties involved or affected shall assess the conflicts between relevant laws and regulations and FSC principles and standards on a case-by-case basis around the purpose of certification.

    1.5 Forest management areas should avoid illegal logging, settlement and other unauthorized activities.

    1.6 Forest managers should commit to long-term compliance with FSC principles and standards.

    Principle 2: Ownership, use rights and responsibilities

    The long-term ownership and use rights of land and forest resources should be clearly defined, documented and legally documented.

    2.1 There is solid evidence to prove the long-term use of land and forest resources (such as land ownership, traditional rights or concession agreements).

    2.2 Local communities with legal and traditional ownership and use rights should maintain control over forest operations, to some extent out of the need for their rights and resource protection, unless they knowingly delegate control rights to them voluntarily Other institutions.

    2.3 Appropriate mechanisms should be used to resolve disputes concerning ownership and use rights. In the certification audit, the environment and state of affairs of any outstanding disputes must be considered. A large number of disputes involving many interests usually result in the loss of certification for a forest management activity.

    Principle 3: Rights of Indigenous Residents

    The legal and traditional rights of indigenous residents to own, use and operate their land, territories and resources should be recognized and respected.

3.1 Indigenous residents should control their land and forest management on their territories, unless they voluntarily delegate control to other agencies with the knowledge.

    3.2 Forest management cannot directly or indirectly destroy resources or weaken the use rights of indigenous residents.

    3.3 Forest managers should cooperate with the indigenous residents to clearly delineate sites with special cultural, ecological, economic or religious significance to them, and confirm and protect them.

    3.4 When using the traditional knowledge of the indigenous inhabitants in the use of forest tree species and the management system of forest operations, they should be compensated accordingly. Before the start of forest management activities, the original residents should formally agree on these compensation conditions with the willingness and knowledge of the original residents.

    Principle 4: Community relations and workers’ rights

    Forest management activities should maintain or enhance the long-term social and economic benefits of forest workers and local communities.

    4.1 The communities in the forest management area and adjacent areas should have opportunities for employment, training and other services.

    4.2 Forest management shall meet or exceed all applicable laws and/or regulations related to the health and safety of employees and their families.

    4.3 According to the "International Labor Organization Convention 1987" and "International Labor Organization Convention 1998", it is necessary to ensure that employees have the right to establish organizations and negotiate with employers spontaneously.

    4.4 The results of the social impact assessment should be integrated into the forest management plan and implementation plan, and consultations with individuals and groups directly affected by forest management activities should be maintained.

    4.5 If the loss and damage caused by forest management affect the legal or traditional rights, property, resources or life of local people, appropriate mechanisms should be used to solve them and reasonable compensation should be provided.

    Principle 5: Benefits from forests

    Forest management activities should encourage the effective use of a variety of forest products and services, so as to ensure the economic benefits of the forest and a wide range of social and environmental benefits.

    5.1 Forest management should strive to achieve economic benefits, and at the same time comprehensively consider the environmental, social and operating costs of production, and ensure the necessary inputs to maintain the productivity of the forest ecosystem.

5.2 Forest management and marketing should encourage better utilization and on-site processing of a variety of forest products.

    5.3 Forest management should minimize the waste caused by logging and on-site processing, and avoid destroying other forest resources.

    5.4 Forest management should promote and diversify the local economy and avoid relying on a single forest product.

    5.5 Forest management activities should recognize, maintain and increase the value of forest services and resources (such as watersheds and fisheries areas) where appropriate.

    5.6 The harvesting rate of forest products shall not exceed the level allowed for long-term sustainable use.

    Principle 6: Environmental impact

    Forest management should protect biodiversity and its related values, such as the value of water resources, soil, and unique and fragile ecosystems and landscapes, in order to maintain the ecological functions and integrity of the forest.

    6.1 The environmental impact assessment should be completed. The assessment should be compatible with the scale and intensity of forest management and the uniqueness of the resources affected by it, and should be fully integrated into the forest management system. The assessment should include considerations at the landscape level and the impact of on-site processing facilities, and an environmental impact assessment should be carried out before carrying out activities that have an impact on the forest area.

    6.2 There must be measures to protect rare, threatened and endangered species and their habitats (such as nesting areas and feeding grounds). It is necessary to establish protected areas that are compatible with the scope and intensity of forest management and the uniqueness of the resources required to be protected, and restrict unsuitable hunting, fishing, trapping and gathering activities.

    6.3 The ecological function and value shall be maintained, improved or restored, including:

     (a) Forest regeneration and succession;

     (b) Diversity of genes, species and ecosystems;

     (c) Natural cycles that affect the productivity of forest ecosystems.

    6.4 The natural state of the existing and representative ecosystem sample plots within the landscape should be protected and marked on the map. The typical sample plots should be consistent with the scale and intensity of forest management activities and the uniqueness of the affected resources. adapt.

    6.5 Written guidelines should be prepared and implemented to control erosion, minimize the damage to forests caused by logging, road construction and all other mechanical disturbance activities, and protect water resources.

    6.6 The forest management system should promote the development and use of environmentally friendly non-chemical methods for pest management, and try to avoid the use of chemical pesticides. It is forbidden to use substances listed in the World Health Organization 1A and 1B categories and hydrochloride pesticides, long-acting, toxic and derivatives with biological activity and pesticides that accumulate in the food chain are prohibited, and international conventions prohibit the use of pesticides Insecticide used. If chemicals are used, appropriate equipment and training should be provided to minimize health and environmental risks.

    6.7 Any chemicals, containers, liquid and inorganic solid wastes (including fuels and oils) should be disposed of in areas outside the forest using methods that meet environmental requirements.

    6.8 The application of biological control agents should be recorded in accordance with national laws and internationally recognized scientific protocols, limited to a lower amount, and their use should be supervised and strictly controlled. The use of genetically modified organisms is prohibited.

    6.9 Carefully control and actively monitor the use of alien species to avoid causing adverse ecological impacts.

    6.10 Except for the following conditions, avoid turning forests into artificial forests or non-forest land:

     (a) Only a small part of the forest management unit is involved;

     (b) Does not occur in high conservation value forest areas;

     (c) It can ensure the production of obvious, significant, additional, reliable and long-term protection benefits in the entire forest management unit.

    Principle 7: Business Planning

    A forest management plan commensurate with the scale and intensity of forest management should be formulated and implemented, and revised at any time. The long-term goals of the business and the means to achieve them should be clearly stated.

7.1 The business plan and related documents shall include:

    (a) Business purpose.

    (b) Explain the management of forest resources, environmental constraints, land use and ownership status, socio-economic conditions, and an overview of adjacent land.

    (c) Explain the forest management and/or other management systems based on the ecological conditions of the forests involved and the information obtained through resource surveys.

    (d) Annual harvest rate and reasons for tree species selection.

    (e) Measures to monitor forest growth and dynamics.

    (f) Environmental protection measures based on environmental assessment.

    (g) Confirmation of plans to protect rare, threatened and endangered species.

    (h) An atlas describing the basic information of forest resources such as protected areas, planned management activities, and land ownership.

     (i) Explain the logging techniques and equipment used, and the reasons for use.

    7.2 Combining monitoring results or new scientific and technological information, as well as changing environmental, social and economic conditions, regularly revise the forest management plan.

    7.3 Necessary training and guidance should be provided to forestry workers to ensure that they correctly implement the forest management plan.

    7.4 While respecting the confidentiality of information, forest managers should provide the public with the main points of the basic content of the forest management plan, including the content listed in Standard 7.1.

    Principle 8: Monitoring and Evaluation

    Monitoring should be carried out in accordance with the scale and intensity of forest management to assess forest conditions, forest product output, production and marketing chain of custody, management activities and their social and environmental impacts.

    8.1 The frequency and intensity of monitoring should be determined according to the scale and intensity of forest management activities, as well as the relative complexity and vulnerability of the affected environment. The monitoring procedure should be uninterrupted and repeatable so that the monitoring results are comparable to assess changes.

    8.2 Forest management should include scientific research and data collection required for monitoring, and at least the following indicators:

   (a) The yield of all forest products that can be harvested.

   (b) Growth rate, regeneration rate and forest condition.

   (c) Composition of flora and fauna and observed changes.

   (d) The environmental and social impacts of logging and other activities.

   (e) Cost, productivity and efficiency of forest management.

    8.3 Forest managers should provide documents to enable monitoring agencies and certification agencies to trace the source of each forest product. This process is the so-called "chain of custody".

    8.4 The monitoring results should be reflected in the implementation and revision of the forest management plan.

    8.5 While respecting the confidentiality of information, forest managers should provide the public with a general summary of the results of monitoring indicators, including the contents listed in Standard 8.2.

Principle 9: Maintain high conservation value forests

    To conduct management activities in high conservation value forests, the characteristics of these forests should be maintained or strengthened, and various decisions about high conservation value forests should always be considered in a preventive way.

    9.1 Evaluation of the characteristics and performance of forests with high conservation value in accordance with the scale and intensity of forest management.

    9.2 The consultation part of the certification process should focus on determining the protection features and the options for maintaining their features.

    9.3 The business plan should include and take special measures that are consistent with preventive measures and that can maintain and strengthen the characteristics of adaptive protection. These measures should be specifically listed in the key points of the business plan provided to the public.

    9.4 Annual monitoring should be conducted to evaluate the effects of measures taken in protecting and strengthening these adaptive protection features.

 Principle 10: Plantation

    Planted forests should be planned and operated in accordance with Principles and Standards 1-9 and Principle 10 and their standards. Planted forests can provide a series of social and economic benefits and help meet the world’s demand for forest products. The forest forms a kind of supplement, reduces the pressure on the natural forest, and promotes the restoration and protection of the natural forest.

    10.1 The management purpose of the planted forest should be clearly stated in the forest management plan, including the protection and restoration goals of natural forests, and this should be clearly displayed during the implementation of the plan.

    10.2 The design and layout of plantation forests should promote the protection, restoration and maintenance of natural forests, rather than increase pressure on natural forests. In the layout of plantation forests, wildlife corridors, buffer zones along the banks of streams and rivers, and stand combinations of different forest ages and different rotation periods that are compatible with the scale of forest management activities should be adopted. The layout and scale of the artificial forest plots should be consistent with the types of forest stands appearing in the natural landscape.

    10.3 It is better to diversify the composition of planted forests to enhance their economic, ecological and social stability. This diversity may include the size and spatial distribution of management units in the landscape, the number and genetic composition of species, age class and structure.

    10.4 The selection of afforestation tree species should be based on the adaptability to the site and the suitability for the management purpose. In order to strengthen the protection of biodiversity, priority should be given to the use of native tree species rather than exotic tree species in the construction of artificial forests and the restoration of degraded ecosystems. Exotic tree species can only be used when their performance is better than native tree species, and they should be carefully monitored to detect abnormal mortality, disease and insect outbreaks, and adverse ecological effects.

    10.5 It is necessary to reserve a certain area within the entire forest management area (adapted to the scale of afforestation land, and the size of the area can be determined according to local standards) in order to restore the natural forest cover rate.

    10.6 Measures should be taken to protect and improve soil structure, fertility and biological activities. The harvesting technology and harvesting rate, the construction and maintenance of roads and forest roads, and the selection of tree species should not cause soil degradation in the long term, or adversely affect water quality and volume, and major changes in stream drainage methods.

    10.7 Measures should be taken to prevent or minimize the occurrence of pests and diseases, fires, and the entry of invasive plants. Comprehensive management of plant diseases and insect pests should become an important part of business planning, relying mainly on preventive and biological control measures, rather than chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Plantation management should do everything possible to avoid the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, including not using them in the nursery. Standards 6.6 and 6.7 also involve the use of chemicals.

    10.8 In order to adapt to the scale and diversification of forest management, in addition to those elements proposed in Principle 8, Principle 6, and Principle 4, the monitoring of plantation forests should also include regular assessment of its internal and external potential ecological and social impacts (such as natural regeneration). , The impact on water resources and soil fertility, as well as the impact on local and social welfare). Unless local experiments or practices prove that a certain tree species is ecologically suitable for this area, is not invasive, and does not have a significant negative ecological impact on other ecosystems in the area, it should not be planted on a large scale. Special attention should be paid to the social issues of land acquisition for planted forests, especially the protection of local ownership, use rights and access rights.

    10.9 Plantations established on natural forest logging sites after November 1994 generally do not meet the certification requirements. If the operators or owners of plantation forests have sufficient evidence to convince the certification body that they have no direct or indirect responsibility for this land use change, certification can be allowed in this case.