What is responsible forest management?
Responsible forest management practices aim to strike a balance amongst the environmental, social, and commercial interests in a forest. FSC’s vision for responsible forest management is healthy forests providing an equitable sharing of benefits from their use, while respecting natural forest processes, biodiversity and harmony amongst their inhabitants. All FSC-certified forests worldwide are evaluated against FSC’s 10 Principles and 57Criteria for responsible forest management. FSC’s Principles and Criteria form the guiding framework for developing regional forest stewardship standards appropriate to local social, ecological and economic conditions. The on-the-ground impact of FSC certification is that: • Waterways are protected; • Wildlife habitat and species are protected; • High conservation value forests are preserved; • Forest management practices are monitored annually; • Genetically modified trees are not used; • Pesticide use is reduced; • Local people are involved in forest
