Toronto, May 19, 2009 – Canadian Standards Association (CSA), a leading developer of standards and codes, today officially announces the availability of the third edition of the CSA Z809 Sustainable forest management standard. The standard is designed to provide organizations with a system for continual improvement of their sustainable forest management (SFM) programs.
The newest version of the Z809 SFM standard includes updated requirements for sustainable forest management (SFM) of a defined forest area (DFA), including public participation, understanding and incorporation of Aboriginal rights and title, performance (ie. sustainable harvest levels and reforestation, understanding the net carbon uptake in a particular forest, protection of water and soil, etc), management systems, review of actions, monitoring of effectiveness, and continual improvement. It outlines the auditing process used to determine whether SFM requirements are effectively implemented.
The third edition of the standard has undergone significant revision to better address the interests of environment, aboriginal and community groups. The concept of continual improvement in SFM is central to the standard. This standard uses adaptive management procedures that recognize SFM as a dynamic process that incorporates new knowledge acquired through time, experience, and research, and also evolves with society’s changing environmental, social, and economic values. Changes to the third edition include:
- A new set of 35 mandatory indicators have been added under each SFM element to bring a core level of consistency to SFM plans. Locally-applicable indicators are still to be identified through the public participation process.
- The adoption of Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM) criteria and an adaption of the elements to ensure their applicability at the local level. These broad criteria and elements apply to all of Canada. Local public advisory committees then develop indicators and targets for each element that are adapted to local conditions. These elements address important Canadian forest and sustainability values, including: biological diversity, ecosystem condition and productivity, soil and water, role in global ecological cycles, economic and social benefits, society’s responsibility and aboriginal community concerns.
- Revisions to the public consultation requirements including the addition of key topics for discussion during the public consultation process. Revisions also include the addition of a mechanism to measure participants’ level of satisfaction with the process, and a transparency section that identifies information requiring full public disclosure.
- Alignment of the systems component with CAN/CSA-ISO 14001 environmental management requirements to ensure goals are reached, and then improved upon, remains as a foundation of the standard.
The standard is based on the internationally recognized Helsinki and Montreal processes. It is also is complementary to the international ISO 9001 for quality management and ISO 14001 for environmental management standards. By being complementary, there is no need to have several different systems in place in order to be certified to all of these standards, saving costs in implementation and auditing.
As with previous versions, this edition of CSA Z809 was developed in an open, inclusive forum. It reflects the ideas, positions, and concerns of a wide array of individuals and groups from across Canada with an interest in SFM, including academics, scientists, technical experts, Aboriginal Peoples, the forest industry, woodlot owners, governments, unions, consumer groups, and conservation, environmental, and social organizations. A Canada-wide public review of this standard was conducted during the revision process. Public advisory committees operating in CSA certified forests across Canada were also engaged, along with a broad group of stakeholders with environmental and social interest in forest operations.
A separate Aboriginal Working Group was formed within the Technical Committee to review the requirements and guidances relating to Aboriginal Peoples. The group used feedback from Aboriginalorganizations, resource documents and expert advice, and proposed changes that resulted in new or strengthened requirements. Those requirements include the understanding of applicable Aboriginal rights and title, as well as forest values, knowledge, and uses identified through the Aboriginal input process, and incorporating them into forestry plans.
The standard specifies requirements for full public disclosure of all SFM plans developed under the standard, annual reports on progress against SFM plans, and results of independent certification and surveillance audit reports. While the standard provides guidance to users regarding certification, requirements for certification and decisions regarding approval rest with the certification bodies. CSA does not conduct audits to the standard. Certification to the standard involves regular and rigorous independent, third-party certification audits.
The standard forms a part of an expanding suite of products and training provided by CSA that help address global environmental management issues such as greenhouse gas quantification, life cycle assessment, the labelling of products that have a reduced negative impact on the environment, and corporate social responsibility. The CSA Z809, Sustainable Forest Management standard may be downloaded at no cost by visiting www.shopcsa.ca.
About CSA
Canadian Standards Association (CSA) is a membership association serving industry, government, consumers and other interested parties in Canada and the global marketplace. As a leading solutions-based standards organization providing standards and codes development, application products, training and advisory services, CSA aims to enhance public safety, improve quality of life, preserve the environment and facilitate trade. The Canadian Standards Association is a division of CSA Group, which also consists of CSA International, which provides testing and certification services for electrical, mechanical, plumbing, gas and a variety of other products; and OnSpeX, a provider of consumer product evaluation, inspection and advisory services for retailers and manufacturers. For more information visit www.csa.ca.
Version française disponible
Contact: Anthony Toderian
Senior Media Relations Officer
CSA Group
T: 416-747-2620
E: anthony.toderian@csagroup.org