FSC News: Director Kevin O’Grady Resigns

Subject: FSC Strengthens Presence in China

18 February 2010

The weekly eNewsletter of Responsible Forest Management Australia
In This Issue

FSC Board Reviews Governance

Director Kevin O’Grady Resigns

Board election due at April 27 AGM

Workshop on Revised Trademark and Labelling Standard

Group of Japanese paper companies to consult on controlled wood

New advice for FSC CoC contractors

Marketing opportunites

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Workshop on New Trademark and Labelling Standard – Sydney

Workshop on New Trademark and Labelling Standard – Melbourne

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CONTACT US:

FSC Australia
PO Box 152
MELBOURNE VIC 3001
(03) 8636 2661
www.fscaustralia.org
Twitter Feed: @FSCaustralia

Chief Executive Officer:
Michael Spencer

Email: info@fscaustralia.org

FSC Australia is a not-for-profit organisation, operating with the generosity of members, donors and sponsors.

FSC Facts & Figures

AUSTRALIA
Forest Managers
7

Hectares Certitfied
443 617
Chain of Custody Certificates
194

INTERNATIONAL
Forest Management certificates
993
Hectares Certified
123.7 million
Chain of Custody certificates
16,235

For more details

FSC Board Reviews Governance

FSC Australia is pleased to note that responsible industry participants are increasingly recognising the value of FSC certification. We have seen a significant increase in organisations seeking certification to FSC standards and membership of FSC Australia. As part of the FSC Australia Board’s commitment to achieving and maintaining the highest standards of governance, the Board has reviewed a number of issues in relation to how the organisation interacts with entities that are certified or are seeking FSC certification. With growing demand for advisory services in relation to FSC, the Board was particularly concerned about the boundary between services it could provide as an organisation and services it should not provide in order to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interests.

As a result of its review, the Board has decided that FSC Australia (including paid and unpaid staff acting on behalf of FSC or in a private
capacity) will not provide consultancy services to certified entities or entities seeking certification. Consultancy services are distinguished in this context from educational or facilitation services which include the provision of information on the requirements of the FSC system or the facilitation of interaction between FSC members and stakeholders.
Facilitation services can only be provided where there is no potential for these services to be perceived as endorsement for an entity or favouring one stakeholder group over another.

The Board also considered the potential for Directors providing consultancy services to be perceived as a conflict of interest where those Directors are also acting on behalf of FSC Australia (for instance in a standards development process). The Board agreed that Directors should not be asked to act on behalf of FSC Australia in standards development processes or other activities where stakeholders would rightly expect independent facilitation.

Director Kevin O’Grady Resigns

Following the Board’s deliberation on governance issues, long-term FSC Director and former Board Chair, Kevin O’Grady, has decided to resign from the FSC Australia Board. Kevin felt that his growing consultancy business, especially working with companies seeking FSC certification, could be perceived as being in conflict with his role as a Director. Kevin has made the judgement that responding to or managing such perceptions may distract the Board from their primary function of getting an FSC national standard in place. By standing down he felt that any issues surrounding any conflict of interest would be removed.

The Board of FSC Australia paid tribute to the important and valuable role Kevin has played in the development of FSC Australia. He was a founding Director and initial Chair; he led the development of the Pesticides Policy Advisory Group (a world first in the FSC system); he Chaired FSC Australia’s Controlled Wood Risk Assessment Team (that produced the word’s first accredited risk assessment matrix); he worked on the Draft 00 of an FSC Australian Forest Management Standard, and; he built a strong network of companies, organisations and individuals in the economic chamber of FSC. He is respected by all members and all chambers on the FSC Board of Directors. Kevin will continue to play a prominent part in the work of FSC Australia as an economic chamber member of the organisation.

Board election due at April 27 AGM

FSC Australia will hold its Annual General Meeting in Melbourne on the 27th of April. The purpose of this meeting will be to hold elections for
the Board and to receive the annual accounts. A formal notice will be
sent to members shortly. Board vacancies will be filled at that time.

Workshop on Revised Trademark and Labelling Standard Sydney 9 March and Melbourne 11 March

Recent changes to the FSC trademark use and labelling standard have aroused considerable interest among certificate holders wanting to make sure they understand the new requirements and system for issuing and preparing labels. FSC Australia has organised two workshops (one in Sydney and one in Melbourne) directed at certificate holders and potential certified organisations so they have an opportunity to discuss these issues directly with staff from FSC Global Development in Germany.

The sessions will feature presentations on the new requirements but will be highly interactive to allow time for questions on issues certificate holders may have with current labelling requirements. Registration at both sessions will be from 5.30pm with the sessions starting promptly at 6.00pm. The sessions will last one our with time after the conclusion of the formal sessions for informal interaction with FSC accredited auditors.
The venue in Sydney will be the Fuji Xerox epicentre in the Australian Technology Park, Garden Street, Everleigh and in Melbourne the venue will be The Mecure, Spring Street, Melbourne. Cost for the session and light refreshment will be $70 for members of FSC Australia and $120 for non-members.

To book the Sydney event click here
To book Melbourne event click here
Contact James for further information: James Taylor

Japanese Paper Companies Consult Stakeholders on Controlled Wood

A group of Japanese paper companies will visit Tasmania in the week of 22 March to undertake a verification audit and consult stakeholders on sourcing controlled wood from Gunns Limited in Tasmania. Members of the delgation are still being finalised. Stakeholders will have an opportunity to discuss the proposed verification program with the companies at meetings on the 23rd and 24th of March. The FSC Controlled Wood standard for companies requires stakeholders to be consulted where there is an unspecified risk to High Conservation Values (HCVs) and develop a process to exclude material from areas where HCVs are threatened. The FSC Australia Controlled Wood Risk Assessment tool has identified all forest areas as having an unspecified risk to HCVs. The verification team also needs to develop a process for ensuring wood sourced as controlled wood does not include material from areas where forests are being converted to plantations; from areas being logged illegally, from areas of social conflict with indigenous people, and from genetically modified organisms. To express and interest in participating contact James Taylor: james@fscaustralia.org

New advice for FSC CoC contractors

The FSC Policy and Standards Unit has released a new Advice Note
(FSC-ADV-40-017) that deals with contract work provided by FSC certified Chain of Custody (CoC) contractors. In particular the Advice Note clarifies the conditions under which contract work for an FSC certified product can be provided for non-certified organizations. Effective from 9 February 2010, the Advice Note is particularly relevant for the print industry where larger publishing organizations that do not hold an FSC Chain of Custody certificate often purchase the paper but outsource the print process to certified operations. The new Advice Note will ensure that relevant safeguards are consistently applied by Certification Bodies and the Certificate Holders. The advice note can be downloaded from the Certification Documents section of the FSC International Resource Centre at [click here]

FSC strengthens presence in China

FSC and Accreditation Services International (ASI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Certification Administration of the People’s Republic of China (CNCA), which will foster stronger relations between FSC and CNCA to promote the development of forest certification in China. The MOU highlights information exchange, training, technical collaboration and coordination in the development of certification standards as some of the areas in which FSC and CNCA will cooperate. The MOU strengthens FSC’s presence in China, which has over 1.3 million hectares of forest certified to FSC standards and 1,250 companies with FSC Chain of Custody certification.

Report says logging makes forests more flammable

Commercial logging of moist native forests creates conditions that increase the severity and frequency of bushfires, a study by Australian, Canadian, and American researchers has found. They found the removal of trees by logging creates canopy openings which in turn alters microclimatic conditions, causing an increased drying of understory vegetation and the forest floor. One study found that an uncut native forest would not burn after less than 30 rainless days, but a selectively logged forest would burn just 6-8 days without rain. According to Prof.
Lindenmayer of the Australian National University, logging in the moist eucalyptus forests of East Gippsland has shifted vegetation composition to that of one more characteristic of a drier forest which tends to be more fire prone. He said the logging industry needs to think more strategically about where they log and rethink buffer zones and how big they need to be.

Source: CBC

Loan supports Tas. forest workers

Tasmanian forest contractors hit by the downtown in the commodities market will be able to apply for assistance from a $600,000 support package.
Beginning the end of this week, the Forest Contractors Support Program will help Tasmanian contractors meet interest payments on existing loans for a period of three months.

Source: Weekly Times

FSC at Melbourne Sustainable Living Festival

FSC Australia will again be represented at the annual Sustainable Living Festival in Melbourne from Friday 19 February to Sunday 21 February in Federation Square. Last year the festival attracted more than 124,000 people. Members are invited to come along and help out answering questions about FSC and certificate holders are invited to place brochures and other material at the booth (in return for a small contribution toward costs).

FSC corporate gifts & apparel

FSC Australia and 3Fish have developed a range of corporate gifts and apparel. The range includes high quality timber goods – pinch bowls set, bread dipping board cheese board. As well as t-shirts, polo shirts and the RM Williams Brigalow shirt with FSC label. All apparel is designed to be co-branded with your logo.

Contact 3Fish direct on 03 54271175 or md@3fish.com.au

Marketing opportunities

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