Forest Certification in Malaysia - Yale University

forest certification in malaysia
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In formulating the activities, the NCSFM reviewed the P&C for Forest
Management of the FSC and those of the Tropenwald Initiative (TI), and also took
into account the Principles and Recommendations enshrined in ITTO’s “Guidelines
on the Conservation of Biological Diversity in Tropical Production Forests.”
National Level
At the national level, the MTCC used the ITTO’s five Criteria and 27 Indicators as a
starting point to develop a total of 206 management specifications and 92 activities.
The five criteria cover the forest resource base, continuity of flow, level of
environmental control, socio-economic effects and institutional framework. Two new
indicators were added to the MTCC at the national level, while two original ITTO
indicators were omitted. The two new indicators were on Plantation Establishment of
Non-wood Forest Produce and Annual Planting Targets under the ITTO’s criterion
on the Forest Resource Base and on Expenditure Budgets for Forest Administration
under the ITTO’s criterion on Socio-Economic Effects.
The indicators omitted were on the Availability of Environmental Assessment
Procedures under the criterion Socio-Economic Effects and on the Relationship of
National Policy to ITTO Guidelines under the criterion on Institutional Frameworks.
The former was omitted since this indicator was already included under the criterion
on the Level of Environmental Control, which the Committee deemed to be more
appropriate. The latter was omitted because the National Forestry Policy of Malaysia
had adequately met the objectives of the ITTO guidelines in terms of sustainable forest
management.
Forest Management Unit Level
To ensure effective monitoring and evaluation of the criteria and indicators in the
field, Malaysia established activities at the level of the FMU. A total of 84 activities
were identified to be implemented at the FMU level under six criteria and 23
indicators. The six field-level criteria covered resource security, the continuity of
timber production, conservation of flora and fauna and other forest resources, an
acceptable level of environmental impact, socio-economic benefits, and planning and
adjustment to experience. Of the 84 activities identified for implementation on a state
basis, a total of 70 activities (or 83 percent) were identical to those identified at the
national level.
In its development, seven additional indicators beyond those identified at the
national level were added to the FMU level. These were:
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Length of cutting cycle;
Areas of Protection Forests and Production Forests within the PFE;
Establishment of forest plantations for wood production;
Establishment of forest plantations for non-wood production;
Availability of environmental assessment procedures;
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