Forest Conservation Program

SCS developed its Forest Conservation Program in 1991 and has since emerged as a leading certifier of forest management operations and wood product manufacturers. In 1996, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) accredited SCS as a certification body, enabling it to evaluate forests according to the FSC Principles and Criteria for Forest Stewardship. Through a well-developed network of regional representatives and contractors, SCS offers timely and cost-effective certification services around the world.

Over the past 12 years, SCS has certified more than 23.8 million acres of natural forests and plantations in North, Central, and South America, Europe, Asia, and New Zealand through its Forest Management Certification division. Certified operations have ranged from small 100-hectare parcels to 2.5-million hectare forests. SCS also offers a group certification format, such as certified resource managers, to lower certification costs for small landowners. For each certification audit, an interdisciplinary evaluation team of experts in forest science and management is assembled.

Since the mid-1990s, SCS has also offered FSC certification to wood product manufacturers. Our Chain-of-Custody Certification division has audited and certified over 500 manufacturers, distributors, and retailers who make or carry certified wood products. SCS has issued chain-of-custody certificates in over 29 countries spanning 5 continents.

In addition to FSC certification, SCS offers an independent, non-aligned certification program for clients seeking an alternative to existing, potentially polarizing certification schemes. SCS also offers wood product manufacturers the option of pursuing single attribute claims (e.g., recycled, recovered, salvaged wood, etc.) certification.

As of February 4, 2008, SCS is a CCX-approved verifier for >forestry offset projects.

Chain-of-Custody Certification

Before a product may carry an FSC or SCS label, all stages of the production, distribution, and sale of the product must be independently evaluated. Wood must be tracked from the certified forest to the finished product.

Through our Chain-of-Custody Certification Division, SCS certifies wholesalers, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, who handle wood coming from forests certified according to FSC standards. For FSC Chain-of-Custody certification SCS also provides group and multi-site certification. To become certified, these entities must meet six principles of chain-of-custody, such as maintaining adequate inventory control systems that allow for separation and identification of certified product.

SCS requires the tracking of certified products throughout the production process to ensure the validity of the certified claim. If a wood product carries the FSC or SCS logo, a customer can have confidence that it was made from wood harvested from an FSC-certified forest.

LINK to Forest Conservation Program CERTIFIED CLIENTS

For a searchable database of all forests and products certified according to the rules of the Forest Stewardship Council, visit the Forest Certification Resource Center.


CONTACT:
Scientific Certification Systems
2200 Powell Street, Suite 725
Emeryville, California 94608
Phone: 510-452-8000
http://www.scscertified.com/forestry/index.html