Forest Certification

Did you know that approximately half of all the major industrial raw materials we use in the U.S. come from forests? And because forests are renewable, this CAN be the most responsible choice!  But how do you know that the materials you choose come from forests that are managed with consideration of all the ecological, sociological, and economic issues involved?

Forest certification provides assurance that your concerns are being addressed. For over 10 years, forest certification systems have provided oversight to assure that issues like biodiversity, habitat protection, and indigenous peoples' rights are included in the land management plans and activities of forest owners.

There are more than 50 different forest certification systems in the world today, with several major certification systems used in North America, including:

•   American Tree Farm System (ATFS),
•   Canadian Standards Association (CSA),
•   Forest Stewardship Council (FSC),
•   Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and,
•   Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (PEFC).

These brief case studies provide examples of forest certification efforts in Minnesota and were developed by the Upper Mississippi Forest Certification Group with the support of the McKnight Foundation.

• Aitkin County Land Department Sets Standard for Environmental Responsibility (pdf 176 kb)
• Minnesota Companies Provide FSC-Certified Products and Services (pdf 2.1 Mb)
• Cass County Land Department Shows Leadership through Environmental Stewardship (pdf 6.4 Mb)
• Headwaters Forestry Cooperative Offers Benefits for Family Forest Owners (pdf 532 kb)
• Northwoods Forestry Cooperative Offers Responsible Forest Management Opportunities (pdf 860 kb)
• Minnesota DNR's Planning and Leadership Enable Largest FSC Certificate in the U.S. (pdf 3.4 Mb)
• Community Forestry Resource Center Promotes Responsible Management (pdf 452 kb)
• Masconomo Forestry Brings FSC Certification to Privately Owned Minnesota Forests (pdf 472 kb)
• ReUse Center Pioneers FSC-certified Retail Sales (pdf 3.6 Mb)
  
  

Minnesota's Lakes & FSC Certified Forests

This flyer about protecting water quality was developed by the Upper Mississippi Forest Certification Group with the support of the McKnight Foundation. To download the flyer, click here (pdf 13.5 Mb)

FSC Family Forests Alliance
Dovetail is a partner in the FSC Family Forests Alliance.  The FSC Family Forests Alliance has been created to provide a national mechanism for bringing together individuals and organizations committed to promoting responsible forest stewardship through FSC standards. By creating a forum for communication, cooperation, and information sharing, participants in the Alliance can pursue issues of common interest, learn from one another, and enlarge the community of landowners and small businesses practicing responsible forestry.