Public Briefing Paper for
Forest Management Certification Assessment of
Gunns Limited in Tasmania, Australia
15th of June, 2012
Introduction – The Rainforest Alliance is conducting forest management and chain of custody
certification assessments of Gunns Limited located in Tasmania. The assessment will be
implemented from 30th of July to 3rd of August of 2012.
Scope of the Certification Assessment – The forest management certification assessment will
assess the environmental, silvicultural and socioeconomic aspects of the plantations managed by
Gunns Ltd, using the Rainforest Alliance Interim Standards for Assessing Forest Management in
Australia (FM-32). To obtain a copy of the applicable guidelines or to make comments about these
standards, please contact Rainforest Alliance by telephone, FAX, email or website listed below. FSC
is continuously seeking input from stakeholders, and it is taken into account at the periodic standard
revisions. Rainforest Alliance is accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and this
assessment process must follow procedures which have been approved by the FSC.
The forest under evaluation contains areas either identified as High Conservation Value Forests or
where high conservation values, as defined by the FSC, are likely found. RA evaluates the
identification, management and protection of these High Conservation Values and collects related
comments from stakeholders.
Assessment Team Composition – The assessment team will be led by Addis Tsehaye, Mr. Addis
Tsehaye, (PhD & MSc Forestry). The team members will be: Chris Weston, (BSc PhD Botany), Anita
Neville (BA, journalism, social aspects) and Malory Weston (MSc Botany).
,b>Assessment Steps and Schedule – Following is a short description of the certification process and a
tentative agenda:
♦ Assessment organization – The Rainforest Alliance team will assemble in Launceston on 30th of
July, 2012
♦ Field assessments – The team will visit sites managed by Gunns Ltd from 31st of July to 3rd of
August.
♦ Stakeholder consultation – Throughout the fieldwork, the team will contact local stakeholders
regarding Gunns forest management. This may include private interviews and discussions, or
open stakeholder meetings.
♦ Final assessment briefing – Prior to departure the team will meet with FME managers to finalize
their data collection and present preliminary findings.
♦ Draft report production – The assessment team will produce a confidential draft report that will be
circulated for comment to FME and a minimum of 2 independent peer reviewers. This should
occur around 30 – 45 days after completion of the assessment.
♦ Certification decision – Upon receipt of comments on the draft report from FME forest managers
and independent peer reviewers, and other general stakeholder comments, a final report will be
completed and Rainforest Alliance will reach a certification decision.
Your Input Sought – As a part of the forest certification assessment process we invite stakeholders
to offer comment and feedback on Gunns forest management in relation to conformance with the
requirements of the forest management standard referenced above as well as comments on the
FME’s management and protection of High Conservation Values within the area under evaluation. We
welcome input, either public or confidential, in whatever form is easiest and most secure for you.
Your input will be valuable at any stage of the assessment process, but we would prefer to receive
your comments either prior to the assessment, during the assessment, or prior to 10th of August so
that we can take them into consideration in reaching a certification decision. Your options for
communicating your observations to us are as follows.
1. Meet with an audit team member during or shortly after the fieldwork. Please, contact Anita
Neville, Representative and Communications Advisor for the Rainforest Alliance in Australia
for arrangements.
2. Call and give comments to Anita Neville. If this person is not in the office, please contact
Rainforest Alliance Task Manager for Australia, Maria R Gismero.
3. Submit written comments by mail, fax or email to Anita Neville. Unless you request otherwise,
your comments will be kept confidential and are solely for the purposes of assessing Gunns
Ltd.
The source of any information provided will be kept confidential available to only the FSC and
Rainforest Alliance staff.
Stakeholders who may wish to dispute any aspect of the forest certification process or decision can
access Rainforest Alliance’s Complaints, Appeals and Dispute resolution procedures at
www.rainforest-allaince.org,
