One of CFRC’s initiatives has been the development of an Umbrella Certification System to provide private landowners with access to forest management and certification to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards.

The Forest Stewardship Council is the leading initiative in forest certification. This international, non-profit organization has established ten principles and criteria that define well-managed forestry. These ten principles address a broad spectrum of issues involving environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world’s forests.

Regional standards have been developed based on the ten principles and are used by third-party certifiers to assess whether forest management qualifies for FSC certification.

Forest certification programs provide assurance of responsible forest management. However, cost and accessibility present obstacles to small, private landowners seeking certification under FSC guidelines. The Umbrella Certification System provides a method for a group manager—like CFRC—to be responsible for the costs and risks of maintaining the certificate, while providing oversight, assistance and training to local resource managers serving the landowner members of CFRC’s certified pool.

Currently, 32 landowners and over 2500 acres in Minnesota and Wisconsin have been certified through CFRC’s Umbrella Certification System.

SW-FM/COC-247 FSC Trademark © 1996 Forest Stewardship Council
The FSC Logo identifies well managed forests that are certified in accordance with the principles of the Forest Stewardship Council

Jon Michaels, IATP's Jedd Ungrodt and Eric Jackson review a forest management plan