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Domtar receives approval from FSC for certification of Ontario forest

Domtar says it has successfully completed a surveillance audit on the Wabigoon Forest in northwestern Ontario for the new Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) National Standard for Canada.

The audit took place the week of July 13, ending with the auditor’s recommendation for certification to be maintained under the new Canadian standard.

This new standard replaced the previous FSC Boreal standard.

The new FSC National Standard for Canada requires a comprehensive audit of legal compliance, protection of high conservation values, environmental impacts, management planning and community relations including free prior and informed consent.

The audit process, which is designed to identify opportunities for improvement, found what the mill says were four minor non-conformance issues, all of which have since been addressed with action plans and approved by the auditing body.

“Our on-the-ground management practices, coupled with a rigorous provincially mandated forest management planning process, helps to hit the mark with FSC,” says Marie Cyr, general manager of the Dryden pulp mill, in a statement.

“We are proud of our record of sustainable forest management. The fact that the Dryden mill has been operating in this forest area for over 100 years demonstrates that we are managing our forests sustainably.”

The Wabigoon Forest was first certified to the FSC standard in 2008. Domtar is also licensed to manage the Trout Lake forest in Ontario, which is on target to undergo an FSC pre-assessment audit later this year.