It’s important that we regularly review our standards to make sure they remain relevant and effective. A review of the UK standard was carried out last year by the chamber-balanced UKWAS Working Group, taking into account stakeholder feedback and recent changes to the FSC system. The Working Group concluded that, while the standard is fundamentally sound and major changes are not needed, a degree of revision is necessary to address specific issues such as carbon, soil protection, and the possibility of including specific non-timber forest products in the scope.
Two public consultations on drafts of the standard are planned, one beginning in March and one beginning in October. Anyone is welcome to contribute to these consultations, and we will share details via Forest Matters, but you can also be kept informed directly if you join the stakeholder forum. You can also get in touch with us any time with thoughts or questions by e-mailing Forest Standards Manager Dr Owen Davies at owen@fsc-uk.org.
The anticipated effective date of the revised National Forest Stewardship Standard is 1 April 2023, five years after the effective date of the current version.