Sustainable forest management - goes hand in hand with certification

By Donal Magner

There is still some confusion among timber growers about forest certification in Ireland. Certification is an independent environmental and market-oriented scheme to certify that forests are managed sustainably or according to the principles of sustainable forest management (SFM). SFM is the proper stewardship of forests to meet the needs of society and to safeguard the needs of future generations. Certification and SFM therefore go hand in hand: to achieve certification, forests need to fulfil environmental, social and economic functions.

Voluntary scheme

Certification is a voluntary scheme but more and more growers are having their forests assessed for certification because timber processors and manufacturers need to demonstrate to an environmentally conscious public that forest products originate in well-managed forests. They can only do this if their products are stamped by an independent certification accredited body.

As a result, sawmills, panelboard mills, furniture manufacturers and others are opting for certification or chain of custody certification. At the moment timber processors can only receive chain of custody certification if they can prove that at least 70% of raw material - logs or woodchips - is sourced in forests that have certification. In the future they may have to demonstrate that all their raw material is sourced in certified forests which could mean that they would only purchase logs from certified forests.

Who certifies forests?

There are a number of international accredited bodies that provide certification for forests and woodlands. In Europe the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Pan European Forest Certification (PEFC) are the two independent certification groups.

There are now in excess of 45 million hectares of woodland certified under the FSC scheme in 53 countries while PEFC claim 122 million hectares certified under their scheme which is the largest in the world.

Certification in Ireland

Irish growers that have opted for FSC certification include Coillte, SWS Forestry Services and Northern Ireland Forest Service while all the main timber processors have FSC chain of custody certification.

Now a new group has been formed in Ireland that will make forest management certification available to timber growers, especially small-scale owners. Known as An GrÇpa Dubh Dara (GDD) - which translates to the group of the black oak - it is carrying out its certification programme in association with INDFOR a UK based certification company.

GDD assists companies and forestry consultants to formulate procedures and management plans for private forest owners in preparation for FSC certification According to GDD Auditor Tony Mannion, the group provides cost effective certification and in addition it will identify issues on the ground and put forward practical solutions to help growers achieve certification. GDD has assisted Tipperary Forestry Service Limited in achieving FSC certification for five of its clients in counties Waterford and Tipperary and the company plans to add a further 10 growers to that list later this year.

All growers should look at the certification option according to Jim Kinsella of Tipperary Forestry Services Limited, especially growers who have forests at the production stage. Mr. Kinsella said that he has been looking at certification for his clients over the past few years but felt that it would be too costly but now GDD offers an affordable and accessible scheme which is ideal for owners of small plantations. Jim Kinsella said that the scheme will cost the grower with up to 15 hectares a basic fee of €600 in year one and €14 per hectare as an annual fee thereafter.

For this, the grower will be provided with a 10-year management plan and will have his forest managed by a professional company. This will be audited annually by FSC so growers will not only achieve certification but will also have their plantations managed on a professional basis for 10 year periods.

He also maintains that timber sales in certified forests are much more attractive to buyers and has managed to secure a premium on log sales from these plantations.

GDD was launched by John Browne, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food recently in Mount Melleray. "The central focus of the scheme is the sustainable management of our forests and the public can be assured that timber from woodlands certified under this process originate from well-managed forests", he said.

While the Minister acknowledged the importance of producing timber, he said that forests provide a wide range of non-timber products, benefits and services, which are also a central part of sustainable forest management.

"These include biodiversity and habitat creation, carbon sequestration, the protection and enhancement of landscape and water quality, and the provision of amenity and recreation with knock-on benefits regarding public health and the development of recreational-based enterprises."