FSC Forest Management Certification

RFS Principals have a combined total of over 40 years’ experience with the certification of well-managed Forestry against the Principles & Criteria developed by the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®). Marcelo Levy established the National Initiative of the FSC in Canada in 1996, and led the development of FSC Standards in Canada, including the Great-Lakes-St.-Lawrence, Boreal, Maritime, and BC standards; meanwhile Nick Moss Gillespie has experience of FSC Forest Management (FM) auditing going back to 2003 in Canada (earlier in Mexico). Both RFS Principals have led and participated in numerous FSC FM audits on behalf of SGS, the major global certification body (headquarters in Geneva), in Canada, the US, Uruguay, Peru, and Argentina (both RFS Principals are fluent in Spanish).

In September 2013, RFS accepted the opportunity to manage SGS’ FSC® FM certification business in North America (Canada, the US, and Mexico), under the global accreditation held by SGS’ Qualifor Program, located at SGS-South Africa (FSC® A000522). RFS is now in its third successful year of operation of this program, retaining previously existing FSC FM clients held by SGS, and taking on new business. FSC® FM audits are conducted by multi-disciplinary and highly-qualified audit teams managed and in some cases led by RFS; audits are performed in English and/or French, as required (the latter in northern Ontario and Québec).

RFS’ management of the FSC® FM program falls under the global Quality Management system of SGS as one of the very first, and one of the leading Certification Bodies offering FSC® certification services around the world. RFS currently serves clients in Ontario and Québec, and is working on expanding this portfolio into other parts of North America in the near future.
Details on SGS’ global offerings to the Forestry sector, including FSC® FM certification, can be found at the following link:

http://www.sgsgroup.us.com/en/Agriculture-Food/Forestry/Forest-Management-Certification.aspx