small and low intensity managed forests

The FSC recognizes the difficulties faced by forest operations which are either small or are not managed intensively for production. In order to provide equal access to certification for all forest owners, the FSC system includes two options which each reduces the costs of certification for these types of operations:  The application of streamlined certification procedures (so-called SLIMF procedures) and group certification.

Operations that fulfill the criteria of SLIMF may take advantage of both options, thus reducing the costs of certification to a minimum. 

  

The SLIMF procedures

The streamlined FSC requirements to small and low intensity forests (SLIMF) help the owners of such forests to obtain FSC certification at reduced costs. The use of these procedures enables the team of assessors to complete their work more efficiently. As a result, small areas can be FSC certified at costs that are more competitive compared to the cost of certifying larger areas.

In order to be eligible for SLIMF certification, a forest operation has to be either 'small' or 'low intensity managed' according to the definitions of the FSC.

A small forest operation is globally defined as an operation with a size of maximum 100 hectares, however in some countries the limit is higher based on the recommendations of the national FSC working group. For example, the maximum size of operations eligible for SLIMF certification is defined as 500 hectares in Estonia and 1,000 hectares in Denmark.

A low intensity managed forest operation must comply with at least one of the following two criteria:

1) The rate of harvesting is less than 20% of the mean annual increment  within the total production forest area, and the annual harvest from the total production forest area is no more than 5000 cubic metres (m3).

2) All natural forests being managed exclusively for non-timber forest products (with the exception of NTFP plantations) are also considered 'low intensity'.

You can learn more about SLIMF at www.fscorg/SLIMF/

        
 

Group certification

The FSC system also enables a group of forest owners to join in obtaining FSC certification. Group certification reduces the cost and work load related to FSC certification substantially for the individual forest owner. A group of SLIMF forest owners may join to obtain a group certificate according to the SLIMF procedures.