Forest certification: An examination of the compatibility of the Canadian Standards Association and Forest Stewardship Council systems in the Maritime region

Societal concern for forests has been growing, particularly regarding the traditional economic management of forests for timber. The concept of sustainable forest management has been developed to support the recognition of both timber and non-timber values of forests. Systems of forest certification are evolving to advance the practical application of sustainable forest management. The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) are two organizations that are developing forest certification systems in the Maritime region of Canada. This study investigates whether the CSA and FSC forest certification systems are compatible, through the identification of similarities and differences between the systems. The case studies for this comparison are the Southern New Brunswick Forest Products Marketing Board's CSA system, and the FSC Maritime Regional Standards Initiative. A literature review, semi-structured interviews, observation of meetings, and documentation were used to collect information for this comparison. Results indicate that both systems of forest certification share the overall goal of improving forest management, value public participation for determining forest values, and emphasize the need for continual revision of criteria, indicators and standards. Interview results reveal that most participants perceive the certification systems as compatible. The interview results also indicate that there are many potential benefits and problems with forest certification, and that each system can improve. Finally, suggestions are made on how the development of forest certification can proceed in the Maritimes, and how the CSA and FSC can address some of the challenges facing forest certification.