NEPCon, State Forest Service and Forest Owners Consulting Centre Won the World Bank’s Project Contest

Can the market mechanism be used to fight illegal logging and trade, while at the same time ensuring larger profit for small private forest owners? It sounds too good to be true, but NEPCon, State Forest Service and Forest Owners Consulting Center seem to have found the magic formula – auction sales of standing stock from private forest owners. The World Bank (WB) found the idea so promising that they will provide funding for setting up and testing the system.

NEPCon, State Forest Service and Forest Owners Consulting Centre Won the World Bank’s Project Contest

Can the market mechanism be used to fight illegal logging and trade, while at the same time ensuring larger profit for small private forest owners? It sounds too good to be true, but NEPCon, State Forest Service and Forest Owners Consulting Center seem to have found the magic formula – auction sales of standing stock from private forest owners. The World Bank (WB) found the idea so promising that they will provide funding for setting up and testing the system.

Last week, 47 projects from 27 countries received some 6 million USD in seed money to fund creative ideas for tackling local developmental challenges at the Development Marketplace (DM) Global Competition held at the World Bank headquarters in Washington. The competition is organized every 18-24 months, the theme of this year’s Marketplace was: “Making Services Work for Poor People”. Selected from more than 2,700 applications, this year’s 183 finalists represent new approaches in different fields, including biodiversity conservation, HIV/AIDS prevention, education, small and medium enterprise (SME) development, rural development, health, energy, and more. Together with its partners, NEPCon became one of the 47 winners of the DM global project ideas competition, the joint project called “Conserving Biodiversity though Wood Sale Auctions” received 213,000 USD for implementing the innovative approach. From 47 competition winners, only three projects came from Europe: Latvia, Romania and Turkey.

The winner project’s objective is to encourage private forest owners in Latvia to conduct harvest and timber sales on a legal basis by introducing and kick-starting an auction system for selling standing stock on private forestland. According to non-official estimations, the prices paid for wood sold as standing stock at auctions are significantly higher than timber sold to illegally operating companies on the black market in Latvia.

By establishment of an auction system, the income of the private forest owners after tax is expected to increase. At the same time, the government will get increased tax revenues from the forest sector while the logging companies, operating on a legal basis will get increased access to timber on private forest land. Besides contribution to the social and economic well-being of especially small scale forest owners, the project will indirectly secure forest for the continued and sustainable use by poor people as a source of firewood, clean water, food, and hunting as an income. Major logging companies in Latvia support the project idea.

Latvia’s forests are rich in biodiversity and illegal harvesting and trade is a key factor in the destruction of forest biodiversity. At the same time, Latvia has comprehensive and advanced laws related to biodiversity conservation, but private owners often neglect legal requirements and harvest their forests without legal permissions and a proper inventory. The project aims to motivate forest owners to harvest and sell their forest in a sustainable and legal manner and thus, protect forest biodiversity.

NEPCon has the overall responsibility in implementing the project due to its extensive experience in working with forestry and biodiversity conservation issues in Eastern Europe, and especially in the Baltic countries. Latvian State Forest Service will make private forest owners aware of the benefits of the auction sales system and assist in explaining auction sales procedure to them, its staff has direct contact with many forest owners. Forest Owners Consulting Centre (FOCC) will prepare an inventory of the forest areas planned for sales prior to auctions, assist in developing procedures and rules for the auction sales system, and conduct the actual auctions. FOCC is the largest producer of management plans in Latvia for private forest owners and is FSC-certified.

For more information, please visit the website: http://www.worldbank.org or contact Kristjan Tõnisson, krt@nepcon.dk or mob.: +372 56 918 728.

NEPCon will assess the last fourteen State Forest Enterprises in Lithuania

Vilnius, Lithuania – NEPCon - the certification partner of the SmartWood Program of the Rainforest Alliance - and General Forest Enterprise (GFE) announced today that they have signed contracts to go forward with Forest Management certification assessments of the last, not yet assessed fourteen state forest enterprises (SFE) in Lithuania. These enterprises manage approximately 320,000 hectares of forestland, and will all be certified under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) system.

NEPCon will assess the last fourteen State Forest Enterprises in Lithuania

Vilnius, Lithuania – NEPCon - the certification partner of the SmartWood Program of the Rainforest Alliance - and General Forest Enterprise (GFE) announced today that they have signed contracts to go forward with Forest Management certification assessments of the last, not yet assessed fourteen state forest enterprises (SFE) in Lithuania. These enterprises manage approximately 320,000 hectares of forestland, and will all be certified under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) system.

Forestland in Lithuania comprises about 2 million ha, approximately 31% of the entire country. State forests account for nearly half of the country’s forest area. Lithuanian State forests are managed by 42 State forest enterprises, coordinated and supervised by GFE.

The FSC certification process of Lithuania’s state forests was started in 2001, when two state forest enterprises were certified by SGS Qualifor. The process continued on a larger scale by the end of 2002, when NEPCon and sixteen SFEs signed contracts to go forward with the FSC assessment process. The assessments were carried out in three steps between January and March 2003 by three assessment teams. As of now, these next sixteen assessed forest enterprises have been certified and can sell wood bearing the FSC trademark.

“The FSC certification process has required a lot of work from all of us. Many have doubted if this is the right way to go, and alternative certification systems have been proposed to make the process easier,” commented Benjaminas Sakalauskas, Director General of GFE. “Still, we can see that only FSC can be a reliable proof to the rest of the world, verifying that Lithuanian state forests are managed sustainably and to the highest standards.”

As of early November 2003, NEPCon has completed the field assessment of ten more SFEs. Certification teams will submit draft certification reports to the forest enterprises to comment on by the end of this year. NEPCon expects certification decisions on these enterprises in the first quarter of 2004.

The assessment process of the remaining fourteen SFEs is planned to start on 9th of February 2004. Assessment will be based on the Draft SmartWood Baltic Interim Standards, which are available on NEPCon's homepage (http://www.nepcon.net). NEPCon appreciates any comments on the Standards and on the forest management conducted by State forest enterprises that might be relevant for the certification evaluation. Anyone with related information or comments is encouraged to contact NEPCon – see below for contact details.

Additional information on the assessments can be found here.

NEPCon hands over FSC certificate to STF Strug in Pskov Oblast, Russia

Tartu, Estonia – NEPCon, the certification partner of the SmartWood Program of the Rainforest Alliance, has completed the Forest Management certification of STF Strug. Assessed and certified under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) system, the Strug forest certification area covers 18,444 hectares, located in the European part of Russia.

NEPCon hands over FSC certificate to STF Strug in Pskov Oblast, Russia

Tartu, Estonia – NEPCon, the certification partner of the SmartWood Program of the Rainforest Alliance, has completed the Forest Management certification of STF Strug. Assessed and certified under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) system, the Strug forest certification area covers 18,444 hectares, located in the European part of Russia.

NEPCon carried out the pre-assessment of Strug, which is a subsidiary company of Stora Enso in October, 2002. In April 2003, an international team lead by Kristjan Tõnisson, with additional experts from Sweden and Russia participating, conducted the final assessment of the company.

The total forest area in Russia is nearly nine hundred million hectares, and this is the second certificate that the SmartWood Program has issued in Russia this year. The first was granted to Priluzje Leskhos, which manages an area of 800,000 ha. Both certified areas operate as “model forests” with special Model Forest Projects set up to support and develop environmentally responsible forest management practices. So far, seven forest management operations throughout Russia have been assessed and certified under the FSC system.

“This certification was successful only because substantial preparatory work has been done over the past three years with support of the Pskov Model Forest Project and Stora Enso,” commented Kristjan Tõnisson, Director of NEPCon’s Estonian office. “The Model Forest Project helped to establish ecological, social and economic credibility by implementing complex forest resource and biodiversity mapping program and launching strong local stakeholder consultation regarding management of the STF Strug forests. Stora Enso introduced modern logging techniques and equipment and improved efficiency of forest management.”

Mr. Tõnisson presented the FSC certificate to representatives of STF Strug during an official ceremony at the recent conference on independent forest certification in Pskov. Many key persons attended the event, including the Vice-Minister of Natural Resources of Russia, Valeri Roschupkin, the director for developing forestry industry business from Iljim Pulp Enterprise, Dmitri Tchuiko, and Director of WWF Russia, Jevgeni Schvartz. Additionally, representatives from Stora Enso, the Worldbank and the Pskov Oblast administration participated in this important event.

“Russia’s forest is the world’s best product. Unfortunately, economic problems related to wood production are currently not being solved. Only two million hectares of forest are certified so far in Russia, and unprincipled forest users are profiting by it. Russia needs certification,” concluded Russia’s Vice-Minister of Natural Resources, Valeri Roschupkin. “Certification standards will help to legalize social, economic and ecological requirements towards working in forestry sector.”

NEPCon has been commissioned by a private estate owner in Poland to elaborate a management plan for a land near Suwalki in the north-eastern part of Poland. A team of Polish, Lithuanian and Danish biologists Led by Dr. Andrzej Czech has conducted detailed field studies and is currently producing a management plan. The area comprises meadows, forest, springs, fish ponds and farmlands.

NEPCon has completed the pre-assesment of Experimental Forest in Krynica, Poland

Krakow, Poland – NEPCon, the representative of the SmartWood Program of the Rainforest Alliance in Poland, has completed the Forest Management and Chain of Custody pre-assessment of Experimental Forest in Krynica. This Experimental Forest, covering 6,480 hectares, is a subdivision of the Krakow Agricultural University’s Forestry Faculty (KAR) located in the legendary Carpathian Mountains of Poland.

NEPCon has completed the pre-assesment of Experimental Forest in Krynica, Poland

Krakow, Poland – NEPCon, the representative of the SmartWood Program of the Rainforest Alliance in Poland, has completed the Forest Management and Chain of Custody pre-assessment of Experimental Forest in Krynica. This Experimental Forest, covering 6,480 hectares, is a subdivision of the Krakow Agricultural University’s Forestry Faculty (KAR) located in the legendary Carpathian Mountains of Poland.

The Experimental Forest in Krynica was established in 1968 as a supplementary holding of the Krakow Agricultural University. Today, it consists of a forest district and a Center for Game Breeding. The major functions of the Experimental Forest in Krynica are carrying out scientific and economic research, providing facilities for training Krakow Agricultural University students, and conducting forest management.

"We have operated for thirty-five years, combining scientific approaches and Forestry Faculty research workers' guidelines with daily practice and realities," commented Józef Bogacz, director of Experimental Forest in Krynica. "In my opinion, in order to ensure that we manage to do this properly, there is no better opportunity than to become part of the FSC certification process, which is recognized throughout the world”.

The FSC certification process in Poland started in 1996, when two Regional Directorates of State Forests (RDSF) in Gdañsk and Szczecinek were certified. Year by year Poland has increased the area of certified forest to over 6 million ha, which constitutes almost 80% of the country's forest area. SmartWood has certified RDSFs in Poznañ, Pi³a, £ódŸ and Radom, and Experimental Forests in Rogów and Siemianice. Poland is also leading in chain-of-custody certification: close to 150 companies have now been awarded the FSC certificate.

“I am glad to participate in certification process of the next subdivision of the Forestry Faculty and hope that the certification experience gained by students and scientists will be useful in their future work in Poland and united Europe”- said Dr. Andrzej Czech, director of Natural Systems/NEPCon.

The certification assessment of Experimental Forests in Krynica will be based on the Draft SmartWood Baltic Interim Standards, which are available on NEPCon's homepage at: http://www.nepcon.net. The main certification assessment is scheduled to start on the first week of December, 2003. NEPCon team will appreciate any comments on the Standards and forest management conducted by Krynica Experimental Forest. Anyone with related information or comments is encouraged to contact NEPCon – please see the contact details below.

See also the public briefing paper on the certification process.

The Danish Cooperation for Environment in Eastern Europe (DANCEE) grants a four-month extension of the project: “Implementation of Natura 2000 network on Regional and National level in Lithuania”.

The Danish Cooperation for Environment in Eastern Europe (DANCEE) grants a four-month extension of the project: “Implementation of Natura 2000 network on Regional and National level in Lithuania”. The project which started early in 2002 was scheduled to finish by December 31,2003. Due to the fact that Lithuania is not going to join the European
Union until May 1st, 2004 DANCEE granted a project extension until that date. This will allow NEPCon to help the Lithuanian Ministry of Environment designate sufficient number of pSCIs (areas protected under the Habitat Directive).

NEPCon is a partner for two new projects focusing on bird studies and windmill farms

The aim of the first project is to evaluate the quality of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) of an offshore windmill park in the Baltic Sea. A German consortium elaborated an EIA for a proposed windmill farm near Adlergrund, situated south-west of R¸nne Banke between Rügen and Bornholm. An international panel of experts will critically review the quality of the conducted EIA for the German Government. NEPCon’s project manager and consultant Jan Durinck is participating in the panel to evaluate the ornithological chapters of the EIA.

NEPCon is a partner for two new projects focusing on bird studies and windmill farms

The aim of the first project is to evaluate the quality of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) of an offshore windmill park in the Baltic Sea. A German consortium elaborated an EIA for a proposed windmill farm near Adlergrund, situated south-west of R¸nne Banke between Rügen and Bornholm. An international panel of experts will critically review the quality of the conducted EIA for the German Government. NEPCon’s project manager and consultant Jan Durinck is participating in the panel to evaluate the ornithological chapters of the EIA.

NEPCon has entered an agreement with the Danish company DHI-Water and Ecology and will participate in the EIA of a windmill park near Thyboron at the Danish West coast. Jan Durinck is responsible for monitoring the impact of the windmills on birds for two years using sophisticated techniques such as night vision scope, laser range finder and radar. In addition he will map the presence of bird key species in the area.

SmartWood grants FSC certificate to sixteen state forest enterprises in Lithuania

Vilnius, Lithuania -- The SmartWood Program of the Rainforest Alliance has completed the Forest Management certification of sixteen state forest enterprises (SFE) in Lithuania under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) system. The total state forest area covered by recently granted certificates is 375,000 ha. The smallest SFE assessed occupies 15,000 ha, while the largest is 37,000 ha.

SmartWood grants FSC certificate to sixteen state forest enterprises in Lithuania

Vilnius, Lithuania -- The SmartWood Program of the Rainforest Alliance has completed the Forest Management certification of sixteen state forest enterprises (SFE) in Lithuania under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) system. The total state forest area covered by recently granted certificates is 375,000 ha. The smallest SFE assessed occupies 15,000 ha, while the largest is 37,000 ha.

Forestland in Lithuania comprises about 2 million ha, approximately 31% of the entire country. State forests account for nearly half of the country’s forest area. The Lithuanian state forest is managed by 42 individual state forest enterprises, coordinated and supervised by General Forest Enterprise (GFE).

In 2002, more than one quarter of the roundwood that was produced (close to 1 mln m³) was exported to Nordic countries, Poland and Russia. Pulpwood constituted 75% and logs - 15% of the export. Sawmill logs (34%), pulpwood and fuel wood comprised the main assortments produced both for export and local markets.

“FSC certification means acknowledgement of responsible forest management to our forest enterprises,” commented Benjaminas Sakalauskas, Director General of GFE. “It is also an effective way of assessing our activity according to the principles of sustainable forest management, because forest certification is, in fact, a system to secure the preservation of forest and regeneration of healthy and integral ecosystems. For these reasons, certification has recently become one of the priority issues in our forest management activities.”

The FSC certification process of Lithuania’s state forests was started in 2001, when two state forest enterprises were certified by SGS Qualifor. The process continued on a larger scale by the end of 2002, when NEPCon, SmartWood’s certification partner in Denmark and the Baltic countries, and sixteen SFEs signed contracts to go forward with the FSC assessment process. The assessments were carried out in three steps from January to March 2003 by three assessment teams.

In May 2003, SmartWood completed their first certification of a Lithuanian SFE - Druskininkai SFE. During spring and summer, the other 15 SFEs followed. By now all assessed forest enterprises have been certified and can sell FSC-certified wood.

“We can already see the first benefits from certification, as our enterprise has received business proposals from companies looking for certified pine and we do hope to get more of such proposals in future”, - commented Violeta Kupriene from Anyksciai SFE. Dubrava SFE pointed out that FSC certification would improve the quality of forest management activities, including the use of proper work safety equipment, absorbents and biodegradable oil. "These are all now essential elements when seeking to ensure sustainable development in the forestry sector," added scientific engineer Gediminas Kazlovas.

“The certification of sixteen additional state forest enterprises in Lithuania is a great opportunity for the many FSC certified wood processing industries in the country,” said Peter Feilberg, Director of NEPCon. “The industries have faced difficulties in getting sufficient certified supply, but this bottleneck seems to be solved now.” Feilberg is expecting a growth in the number of FSC chain-of-custody certified companies in the near future.

The Lithuanian state forests are moving ahead with FSC certification - ten more state forest enterprises have signed contracts for assessment by NEPCon. The assessments will start on October, 13 and will last for four weeks. SmartWood expects to reach certification decisions by the end of 2003.

SmartWood grants FSC certificate to Druskininkai State Forest Enterprise


Trakai, Lithuania - the SmartWood Program of the Rainforest Alliance has completed the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification of Druskininkai State Forest Enterprise (SFE) in Lithuania. Fifteen more Lithuanian forest enterprises have been assessed and are in the final stages of the certification process. The total area of the state forests seeking FSC certification is 375,000 ha; Druskininkai SFE is one of the smallest in area and production volumes. Situated in the southern part of Lithuania and bordering Byelorussia, Druskininkai is famous for its mineral springs and health resort, and the forests surrounding it have high recreational value.

SmartWood grants FSC certificate to Druskininkai State Forest Enterprise


Trakai, Lithuania - the SmartWood Program of the Rainforest Alliance has completed the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification of Druskininkai State Forest Enterprise (SFE) in Lithuania. Fifteen more Lithuanian forest enterprises have been assessed and are in the final stages of the certification process. The total area of the state forests seeking FSC certification is 375,000 ha; Druskininkai SFE is one of the smallest in area and production volumes. Situated in the southern part of Lithuania and bordering Byelorussia, Druskininkai is famous for its mineral springs and health resort, and the forests surrounding it have high recreational value.

Forestland in Lithuania comprises about 2 million ha, about 31% of the entire country. State forests account for nearly half of the country’s forest area. Lithuanian state forest is managed by 42 individual State forest enterprises, coordinated and supervised by General Forest Enterprise (GFE). The certification process of the state forest was started in 2001 when two State forest enterprises were certified by SGS Qualifor.

“Forest enterprises were positively impressed by the intense and hard work of the SmartWood teams. They were also amazed that the assessors were so dedicated to their work and did not seem to mind working irregular hours or weekends,” noted Petras Kanapienis, the head of the forest regeneration and protection department at GFE.

The assessment of sixteen enterprises was carried out in three steps from January to March 2003 by three certification teams lead by Peter Feilberg, Andrzej Czech and Kristjan Tõnisson of NEPCon, SmartWood's certification partner in Denmark and the Baltic countries. The assessments were based on the Draft SmartWood Baltic Interim Standards, which are available on NEPCon's homepage.

“This is the first time SmartWood is assessing so many forest management operations in such a short time span. Druskininkai SFE was one of the first forest operations assessed by SmartWood in Lithuania. I was impressed to find a forest enterprise so well prepared and showing a clear commitment to FSC principles and criteria,” said Peter Feilberg, Director of NEPCon. SmartWood expects to finalize the certification process of the other fifteen SFEs by September 2003.

“For us it’s a great honor and a big challenge at the same time,” commented Saulius Adomavièius, Deputy Director of Druskininkai SFE. “We will do our best to maintain and improve the quality of forestry practices in the future. The cooperation with the SmartWood/NEPCon team during the assessment was very fruitful and helped to broaden the outlook of our company’s staff. We are also glad to notice the growing market demand for certified timber, so we are sure all our investments will return in short time.”

Robert Beer, Director of the SmartWood program, presented the certificate to Druskininkai SFE during an informal ceremony held in Trakai, Lithuania last month. The certificate can be seen on the Forest Enterprise’s homepage.

The Regional Directorate of State Forest in Krosno has entrusted
certification process to Smartwood


Krakow, Poland -- The SmartWood Program of the Rainforest Alliance has completed the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Forest Management pre-assessment of the last non-certified Regional Directorate of State Forest (RDSF) in Krosno. The pre-assessment was carried out May 12-14, 2003. The actual assessment is planned to start in the beginning of July.

The Regional Directorate of State Forest in Krosno has entrusted
certification process to Smartwood


Krakow, Poland -- The SmartWood Program of the Rainforest Alliance has completed the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Forest Management pre-assessment of the last non-certified Regional Directorate of State Forest (RDSF) in Krosno. The pre-assessment was carried out May 12-14, 2003. The actual assessment is planned to start in the beginning of July.

Situated in southeastern Poland, the RDSF Krosno covers 415,000 ha of forestland. This is a region of high average forest density - 38 % - with some districts, especially mountain areas, reaching 90%. Krosno encompasses the Bieszczady and Beskid Niski mountains, the Przemyskie foothills, and parts of the Roztocze and Sandomierz valleys. The region has high environmental and cultural values, which makes it attractive as a tourist destination.

The RDSF Krosno is one of 17 Regional Directorates of State Forest in Poland. The Directorates are divided into 438 forest districts, which are the management units in the system. The forest districts all have independent forestry management plans. The State Forest administers more than 7.54 million ha, or almost 25% of Poland’s land, with forestland occupying close to 6.94 million ha - 78.4% of all the forestland in Poland.

Since SmartWood started to work in Poland in mid 2002, an area of 1,400,00 ha of Polish public forest has been assessed and FSC certificates granted to their management by SmartWood. The next assessments are on the way: the first of them will take place in the Siemianice Experimental Forests in the first week of June.

The certification assessment of the RDSF Krosno will be based on the Draft SmartWood Baltic Interim Standards. The SmartWood team will appreciate any comments on the Standards and on the forest management conducted by RDSF Krosno. Anyone with related information or comments is encouraged to contact Andrzej Czech from Natural Systems/NEPCon, SmartWood's certification representative in Poland. phone +48 601 91 29 65, email: ac@nepcon.dk.

For more information, please see also the public announcement on certification process.

300,000 more hectares of public forestland certified by SmartWood

Krakow, Poland – SmartWood Program of the Rainforest Alliance has finalized the process of FSC certification of Regional Directorate of State Forest (RDSF) in Radom, Poland. The RDSF Radom is situated in central Poland, between Warsaw and Krakow, and covers 324,535 ha of forests.

300,000 more hectares of public forestland certified by SmartWood

Krakow, Poland – SmartWood Program of the Rainforest Alliance has finalized the process of FSC certification of Regional Directorate of State Forest (RDSF) in Radom, Poland. The RDSF Radom is situated in central Poland, between Warsaw and Krakow, and covers 324,535 ha of forests. The main species in the Radom forests are pine (more than 60 %), birch and alder (20 %) and oak (5%). The total wood volume harvested is close to 1 million cubic meters per year. RDSF Radom is selling mostly large logs and pulpwood. Although the Polish forests have undergone significant changes, they are still very rich in biodiversity. Habitats such as mesotrophic beech forests, mixed oak-hornbeam forests and dry-ground forests, are commonly found in RDSF Radom.

“All parties benefit from certification: foresters appreciate the correlation of forest management with the international criteria of sustainable development, while wood buyers use certification as a tool for environmental marketing. The additional effect is ecological awareness-raising within society,” explained Adam Wasiak, the director of the RDSF in Radom.

The certification assessment of the Radom RDSF was conducted according to the Draft SmartWood Interim Standards for The Baltic Region. The main assessment took place from January 27 to February 7, 2003. The international multidisciplinary team conducted the assessment to verify that the forest is managed in accordance with good management practices, taking into consideration the environmental, social and economical benefits. SmartWood scored the Radom RSDF high for efforts to increase the share of noble hardwoods and the limited use of chemicals, while finding that there is still room for improving the monitoring system for protected species, increasing the amount of deadwood in the forest, and enlarging areas with no human intervention.

Radom is one of the 17 Regional Directorates of State Forests in Poland, covering the total of 7 million hectares of forestland. 16 RDSFs are already FSC-certified, and the certification assessments of the Krosno RDSF and the Experimental Forest in Siemianice are scheduled to start soon. Poland is also leading in chain of custody certification, with more than 140 companies having been granted certificates. FSC products from Poland are sold mainly in Western Europe, however about 40% of companies support promotion of FSC product sales within their own country.

"I strongly believe that the successful certification of RDSF Radom will be beneficial not only to foresters and the wood industry, but will also be an effective communication tool between forest management stakeholders. Forests in the Radom area are quite fragmentized and are under strong pressure of local communities and visitors. FSC certification can be used as an effective communication tool between many stakeholders in forest management,” commented Dr. Andrzej Czech, director of Natural Systems/NEPCon, SmartWood's certification representative in Poland.

SmartWood started to work in Poland in mid 2002 when an office in Krakow was opened in cooperation with NEPCon and Natural Systems. Since then SmartWood has granted certificates to four Regional Directorates of State Forests, covering the total of 1,400,000 ha, the Experimental Forest in Rogów, and close to 20 wood processing companies.

For further information, please contact Andrzej Czech from Natural Systems/NEPCon, SmartWood's certification representative in Poland, phone +48 601 91 29 65, email: ac@nepcon.dk

SmartWood has certified the Regional Directorate of State Forest in Lodz

Krakow, Poland – Finalizing three months of the certification process, the SmartWood Program of the Rainforest Alliance has granted a Forest Management and Chain-of-custody certificate to the Regional Directorate of State Forest (RDSF) in Lodz, Poland.

SmartWood has certified the Regional Directorate of State Forest in Lodz

Krakow, Poland – Finalizing three months of the certification process, the SmartWood Program of the Rainforest Alliance has granted a Forest Management and Chain-of-custody certificate to the Regional Directorate of State Forest (RDSF) in Lodz, Poland. The certification was granted under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) system, and covers 292,628 ha of forestland. The main species in the Lodz forests are pine (more than 80 %), birch and alder (8 %) on very poor, sandy soils. The total wood volume harvested is about .8 million cubic meters per year. The Lodz RDSF is selling mostly large logs and pulp wood.

Tadeusz Baryla, vice-director of the RDSF in Lodz commented that they “perceive certification as a marketing tool for environmental protection. Certification helps to develop the entire chain of companies dependent on wood originating from the forest and ending up with the client who is seeking environmentally friendly final products. Nowadays, when wood processing companies are under strong and competitive pressure by wood substitute producers, this is a very crucial issue.”

The certification assessment of the Lodz RDSF was conducted according to the Draft SmartWood Interim Standards for The Baltic Region. The main assessment took place from January 27 to February 7, 2003. During cold winter days the international, multidisciplinary team conducted the assessment to ensure that the forest is managed in accordance with good management practices, taking into consideration the environmental, social and economic benefits. The forest was scored high by SmartWood for the efforts to increase the share of noble hardwoods and the limited use of chemicals, whereas there is still room for improving the monitoring system for protected species, increasing the amount of deadwood in the forest and enlarging the areas with no human intervention.

"It was a really great pleasure to cooperate with all employees of the RDSF in Lodz during the certification assessment. I am sure that granting the FSC certificate has initiated the process of continuous improvement in complying with increasingly higher environmental, social and economical forestry management standards. Moreover, the wide, green gate has been opened to the numerous wood processing companies, which now have the opportunity to become FSC-certified and conquer many new, world markets with their wood products,” commented Dr. Andrzej Czech, director of Natural Systems/NEPCon, SmartWood's certification representative in Poland.

Roman Malinowski, the manager of the Plock District in the RDSF Lodz, agrees with Dr. Czech on the benefits of mutual cooperation: "For me and my co-workers, the assessment carried out by SmartWood was a very interesting experience. The problems brought up by the auditors, apart from the very innovative attitude towards forest management, mainly concerned nature protection aspects. A very nice accent of the certification assessment was a strong commitment of contractors operating in our area to present their work in the best possible way, including environmentally friendly forest operation practices. It is undoubtedly very advantageous for our organization to have a different view at what and how we operate and how others perceive our activities.”

SmartWood began work in Poland in mid 2002 when an office in Krakow was opened in cooperation with NEPCon and Natural Systems. Since then SmartWood has granted certificates to four Regional Directorates of State Forests, covering the total of 1,400,000 ha, the Experimental Forest in Rogów, and close to 20 wood processing companies. Currently SmartWood is working on the forest management assessment of the RDSF in Krosno and the Experimental Forest in Siemianice.

First Experimental Forest In Poland Received FSC Certificate

Krakow, Poland -- SmartWood has granted a forest management and a chain of custody certificate to the Experimental Forest in Rogów, a subdivision of the Forestry Faculty of the Warsaw Agricultural University (SGGW). The experimental Forest is managing 3.600 ha of forest, and is yearly visited by 40, 000 students, foresters, teachers and local communities.

First Experimental Forest In Poland Received FSC Certificate

Krakow, Poland -- SmartWood has granted a forest management and a chain of custody certificate to the Experimental Forest in Rogów, a subdivision of the Forestry Faculty of the Warsaw Agricultural University (SGGW). The experimental Forest is managing 3.600 ha of forest, and is yearly visited by 40, 000 students, foresters, teachers and local communities.

The Experimental Forest (EF) in Rogów was established in 1919 as a supplementary holding of the University. Nowadays it consists of five organizational units: Arboretum, Center for Nature-Forest Education, Forest District, Nursery Center, and Center for Game Breeding. The major functions of the Experimental Forest are: carrying out research and experiments; providing training to a wide range of students and specialists; implementing scientific solutions and know-how in forestry practice.

The final assessment of the forest management of EF was conducted during the second week of February 2002, and their five-year certificate was issued on the 1st of April 2003. SmartWood’s certification team evaluated the ecological, economic and social sustainability of the forest operations. EF’s practice of very limited use of chemicals, and the increased quantity of hardwood species scored high in the assessment; whereas safety of forest workers, amount of deadwood left in the forest, and monitoring of nature elements and exotic species needs improvement.

"FSC certification will testify our many years work for sustainable development of forestry through research, education and management of our forest resources. It is also a chance for keeping our place in wood producers' market on the way to United Europe", - commented Janusz Falkowski, director of Experimental Forest in Rogow.

There are four experimental forests in Poland with total area of ca 24,400 ha. All of them are subdivisions of Polish Universities. The next Experimental Forest - in Siemianice of Poznan Agricultural University is currently under SmartWood assessment.

The total forest area in Poland is 8.7 million ha, covering approximately 28 pct of the country's area. About 6 million ha and 13 from total 17 Regional Directorates of State Forests (RDSF) are already FSC certified. Currently RDSF Warsaw is under assessment by SGS; SmartWood also finished final assessment of RDSF in Ùódê and RDSF in Radom, covering 600 000 ha. Until the end of this year also the last RDSF in Krosno (450 000 ha) will be assessed according to the FSC Principles and Criteria. Poland is also leading in chain-of-custody certification: more than 150 companies have been awarded the FSC certificate.

"Objectives of Experimental Forest perfectly fit into three-side structure and philosophy of FSC: balance of ecological, social and economical aspects of forest management. I strongly believe that certification will be beneficial also for thousands of visitors and researchers who will see how FSC idea works in practice”, - says Dr. Andrzej Czech, director of Natural Systems/NEPCon, SmartWood's certification partner in Poland.

SmartWood and Siemianice Experimental Forests have signed contracts for certification

Krakow, Poland -- SmartWood has signed contracts for forest management certification assessment of the Experimental Forest in Siemianice, a subdivision of the Forestry Faculty of the Poznan Agricultural University (AR). The experimental Forest (EF) is managing 6 000 ha of forest.

SmartWood and Siemianice Experimental Forests have signed contracts for certification

Krakow, Poland -- SmartWood has signed contracts for forest management certification assessment of the Experimental Forest in Siemianice, a subdivision of the Forestry Faculty of the Poznan Agricultural University (AR). The experimental Forest (EF) is managing 6 000 ha of forest.

The Experimental Forest in Siemianice was established in 1951 as a supplementary holding of the University. Nowadays it consists of four organizational units: Forest District, Nursery, Experimental Sawmill, and Scientific-Didactic Center. The major functions of the Experimental Forest are: carrying out research and experiments; providing training to a wide range of students and specialists; implementing scientific solutions and know-how in forestry practice. Besides that, EF in Siemianice is hosting the first and only “School of Forest Entrepreneurs” in Poland, established for training purposes and to ensure the high quality of forest works. The School is under patronage of the Director General of the State Forests and the Society of Forest Entrepreneurs.

" There are two main reasons for decision of Experimental Forest in Siemianice to go forward with certification according to FSC Principles and Criteria. First, we want to expose our forest management to independent assessment from ecological, social and economical point of view. Second, certification will ensure better sale of wood and wooden products produced in Siemianice Experimental Forest. Experimental Forest, as integral part of Agricultural University in Poznan must face bigger and bigger challenges of polish forestry", - commented Iwo Gaùecki, director of Experimental Forest in Siemianice.

There are four experimental forests in Poland with total area of ca 24,400 ha. All of them are subdivisions of Polish Universities.

The FSC certification process in Poland started in 1996, when two Regional Directorates of State Forests (RDSF) in Gdañsk and Szczecinek were certified. Year by year Poland has increased the area of certified forest to 5 million ha, which constitutes almost 70% of the country's forest area. Assessment of Radom and Lodz RDSFs with the total area of 600,000 ha of forestland is just finished. SmartWood also certified 440 000 ha of RDSF in Poznan, which is neighbor of Experimental Forest. Poland is also leading in chain-of-custody certification: close to 150 companies have been awarded the FSC certificate.

SmartWood started to work in Poland in June 2003 when an office was opened in Krakow in cooperation with Natural Systems/NEPCon. "Decision of Siemianice Experimental Forest shows that FSC certification is avaible not only for big forest managers but also for relatively small, but well organized forest enterprises. It also confirms that Polish foresters are not afraid of new challenges and possibilities from a third party certification according to internationally agreed standards. I am also glad that SmartWood will assess forests serving the function of a testing field for the School of Forest Entrepreneurs, for high quality of forest works is crucial in fulfilling the FSC requirements, - says Dr. Andrzej Czech, director of Natural Systems/NEPCon, SmartWood's certification partner in Poland.

The certification assessment of Siemianice Experimental Forests will be based on the Draft SmartWood Baltic Interim Standards, which are available on NEPCon's homepage. The main certification assessment is scheduled to start on first week of June in 2003. SmartWood team will appreciate any comments on the Standards and on the forest management conducted by Siemianice Experimental Forest. Anyone with related information or comments is encouraged to contact SmartWood - see the contact details page.

Model Forest certification more than triples Russia’s certified forest area

Richmond, Vermont - The SmartWood program of the Rainforest Alliance announced today that Priluzje Leskhoz has been granted Forest Management certification under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) system. This is the first SmartWood forestry certification in Russia. Priluzje Leskhoz, located in the Komi Republic in Russia, comprises an area of nearly 800,000 hectares. This certification is more than triple the area of Russia’s previously FSC-certified forestland.

Model Forest certification more than triples Russia’s certified forest area

Richmond, Vermont - The SmartWood program of the Rainforest Alliance announced today that Priluzje Leskhoz has been granted Forest Management certification under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) system. This is the first SmartWood forestry certification in Russia. Priluzje Leskhoz, located in the Komi Republic in Russia, comprises an area of nearly 800,000 hectares. This certification is more than triple the area of Russia’s previously FSC-certified forestland.

Priluzje Leskhoz’s head office is located in the capital village of Obyachevo, approximately 185 km south of Syktyvkar, the capital of the Komi Republic. The Priluzje Leskhoz is structurally divided into seven forest districts: Zanulskoje, Loemskoje, Lopjinskoje, Matjashskoje, Noshulskoje, Objachevskoje and Spasporubskoje.

Since 1996, the Priluzje Leskhoz has been a “Model Forest”, with the main goal being to provide a positive example of forestry, leading to sustainability and the economic development of the local communities. Priluzje Leskhoz and the Model Forest Project team jointly decided to seek FSC certification to validate the innovative approaches and practices of the Model Forest Project by being assessed against internationally recognized standards of good forest management.

The certification process started in 1999 when SmartWood received a grant from John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Program on Global Security and Sustainability to carry out test certification of Priluzje Leskhoz forest management. In 1999, the test audit of Priluzje Leskhoz was carried out by a SmartWood team of experts headed by Alan Calfee, from the United States. The 1999 test audit resulted in nine preconditions and 29 conditions indicating that Priluzje Leskhoz, at that time, had major shortcomings in meeting the FSC requirements. With invaluable support from Komi Model Forest Project staff, WWF-Russia, Government of the Komi Republic and financial support from the Swiss International Development Agency, Priluzje Leskhoz launched a program of implementing the certification requirements.

After more than two years of work, SmartWood was invited by Priluzje Leskhoz to carry out a preconditions verification audit. The first preconditions audit was carried out in March 2002 by SmartWood assessors Kristjan Tõnisson, from Estonia, and Keith Moore, from Canada. The SmartWood assessment team confirmed that eight of nine original preconditions were met by the Leskhoz, and the number of conditions was reduced to 21. In October 2002, a second preconditions audit was carried out by the same SmartWood assessors, focusing specifically on the protection of soil and water during harvest operations. After careful evaluation of findings and extensive consultation with prominent local, national and international stakeholder groups, including among others: Greenpeace Russia, Biodiversity Conservation Centre in Moscow, Social and Ecological Union, Russian FSC working group and WWF International, SmartWood reached a positive certification decision in February 2003.

SmartWood found that the management of the forests by Priluzje Leskhoz meets the certification standards and should be certified as well-managed with associated conditions. Forest management in Priluzje Leskhoz is based on natural mixed forests and natural regeneration. No chemicals, GMOs or exotic species are used in the course of management activities.

For more information on the assessment and for a public summary of the assessment report, please contact Mr. Kristjan Tõnisson, NEPCon/SmartWood, email: kt@nepcon.dk, phone: +372 7 380 723. For more information on the SmartWood program, please look at http://www.smartwood.org/ or contact NEPCon, P.O.Box 520, 50002 Tartu, Estonia, phone: +372 7 380 723, fax: +372 7 380 724, email: info@nepcon.dk. For more information on Priluzje Leskhoz, please contact Mr Vassily Maximovitch Osipov, phone + 7 82133 22265, Fax: +7 82133 22889, E-mail: inngroup@mail.ru.

SmartWood certifies close to 350,000 hectares in Pila, Poland

Krakow, Poland - The SmartWood Program of the Rainforest Alliance has granted Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Forest Management and Chain-of-Custody certification to the Regional Directorate of State Forests (RDSF) in Pila, Poland. The total area managed by RDSF Piùa comprises 346,882 ha. This forest sells close to 1 million cubic meters of mostly pine, birch and beech as logs and pulp.

SmartWood certifies close to 350,000 hectares in Pila, Poland

Krakow, Poland - The SmartWood Program of the Rainforest Alliance has granted Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Forest Management and Chain-of-Custody certification to the Regional Directorate of State Forests (RDSF) in Pila, Poland. The total area managed by RDSF Piùa comprises 346,882 ha. This forest sells close to 1 million cubic meters of mostly pine, birch and beech as logs and pulp.

Final assessment of the forest management of RDSF Pila was conducted during the last week of November 2002, and their five-year certificate was issued the first of January 2003. SmartWood’s certification team evaluated the ecological, economic and social sustainability of the forest operations. Pila’s standards of forest management scored high in the assessment, as did their limited use of chemicals, the presence of exotic species, and the increased quantity of hardwood species.

Janusz Adam Sterczewski, the director of RDSF Pila commented that Pila “...began the certification process in order to expand the market for RDSF Pila products, and to adjust its forestry to the requirements of the European Union.”

The FSC certification process in Poland started in 1996, when two regional directorates in Gdansk and Szczecinek were certified. Year by year Poland has increased the area of certified forest to 4.5 million ha, which constitutes more than half of the country's forest area. Furthermore, SmartWood has approved 440,000 ha of forestland of RDSF Poznañ for certification. Two other RDSFs - Radom and Ùódê - with the total area of 600,000 ha of forestland, are currently under assessment. SmartWood expects to reach the certification decision by the middle of March 2003. Poland is also leading in chain-of-custody certification: close to 130 companies have been awarded the FSC certificate

"Certification by SmartWood clearly demonstrates the standards of FSC certification, which is driven by the global market and is a voluntary tool for improving forest management,” says Dr. Andrzej Czech, director of Natural Systems/NEPCon, SmartWood's certification representative in Poland.

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For further information, please contact Andrzej Czech from Natural Systems/NEPCon, SmartWood’s Certification representative in Poland, phone +48 601 91 29 65, email: ac@nepcon.dk; homepage http://www.nepcon.dk.