Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification is the most widely recognized certification system for sustainability in forestry. FSC’s management standards establish clear guidelines for forest management that protects the health of forest ecosystems while producing timber and other forest products. Private landowners (who own most of the forestland in the US) and local mills and manufacturers (who keep the economic benefits from forestry in local communities) are eager to use FSC certification as a tool for building sustainable forest-based economies in their communities. However, FSC certification is not adequately accessible to private landowners and small mills and manufacturers due to the costs and complexities of certification and a lack of access to information and support related to certification.

We are collecting signatures for a petition calling on the Board and Staff of FSC to make a strong commitment of resources to working with community forestry organizations to facilitate access to certification for private landowners and small mills. This petition will be used to demonstrate the large and growing interest in FSC certification and to cultivate support for community-based efforts to facilitate certification for small producers. PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION!