FSC certification and the small business

[Tom at Heartwood]

We have an order for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified milled beech timber from a prospective customer. We do have beech as standing timber that we have bought from FSC certified woodland. We will fell and extract this ourselves and either mill on site in the forest or haul back to the yard and cut it there.

 

As I understand it there are two aspects to FSC certification, the accreditation of woodland management and the verification of the 'chain of custody', i.e. the stages in the processing and distribution of the timber to the final point of sale.

 

Does anyone have thoughts on how a small business, with sawmilling as one aspect of woodland management and arboricultural contracting, can provide customers with FSC certified timber without prohibitive expense or bureaucracy? Your views and experiences would be good to hear.

 

Best wishes,

 

Tom

[Mike Dempsey]

You cant with out piles of tedious paperwork. I lasted about 4 years with one of the first group Chain of Custody schemes in the country. After the company I originally was with was taken over several times, I ended up with more paper work and bigger bills. Thats when I said no chance and left it. All the trees I mill up are windblown and fell into part recycled or something like that instead of virgin timber. I believe its all changed now but I cant be arsed getting into it again. All my business and personal customers understand I am using 99.9% windblown trees and therefore they are eco-friendly and are more than happy with that. Suits me fine.

[Wood wasp]

FSC in the UK is a total pain in the arse, given illegal felling in UK is negligible and coupled with an all encompassing felling licence process it's simply not necessary.

 

If you like I can pm contact details for UK FSC chap who will be able to give you accurate info

[wills-mill]

Edit- Without prohibitive cost and paperwork, you CAN provide legal and sustainably sourced timber (with a traceability/ chain of custody paper trail). You can't provide FSC timber without coughing up.

It's a bit like selling fruit and veg that is grown without chemicals- unless you jump in with the Soil Association, you can't legally label anything with the magic 'organic' word, even if it is as clean as a whistle.

 

There's Government advice on timber procurement and the definition of a legal source. The people to talk to are at CPET (Central Point of Expertise on Timber). From what I remember from a few years back, there was no need to be locked into a costly scheme like FSC. To keep most people happy you just had to define the scope and geographical range of your timer buying. I wrote up a little statement about legalities and the normal sources for my timber, with a bit about felling licences and replanting/management conditions, it seemed to satisfy most people.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/making-sustainable-development-a-part-of-all-government-policy-and-operations/supporting-pages/timber-procurement-policy-tpp-for-public-sector-procurers-and-suppliers-of-timber

 

I've been looking into the Grown in Britain scheme, which mainly uses the FC felling licence as documentary evidence of legality. Very sensibly priced.

Edited April 1, 2015 by wills-mill

[Ukulian]

 

There's Government advice on timber procurement and the definition of a legal source. The people to talk to are at CPET (Central Point of Expertise on Timber). From what I remember from a few years back, there was no need to be locked into a costly scheme like FSC. To keep most people happy you just had to define the scope and geographical range of your timer buying. I wrote up a little statement about legalities and the normal sources for my timber, with a bit about felling licences and replanting/management conditions, it seemed to satisfy most people.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/making-sustainable-development-a-part-of-all-government-policy-and-operations/supporting-pages/timber-procurement-policy-tpp-for-public-sector-procurers-and-suppliers-of-timber

 

I've been looking into the Grown in Britain scheme, which mainly uses the FC felling licence as documentary evidence of legality. Very sensibly priced.

 

Good link, thanks

[Wood wasp]

That's interesting info Wills but with so many customers demanding FSC certified and sawmills locked into the 70/30 ratio of FSC/non FSC I don't see any way around it currently.

 

The FSC scheme is being reformed but not for a year or so.

[wills-mill]

I (personally) feel it is an unsustainable system that suits producers with logging rights on huge areas overseas, or massive plantations in the developed world. It's a bit of a joke for small woodland holdings and individual trees, and I'm very happy to explain to my customers why my timber is not FSC.

Today I'm milling a big Sycamore from a North London park and some Thuja logs from a garden in Haslemere. Neither are remotely acceptable as FSC produce, but I can document a full chain of custody down to the last cough and bum scratch. The end user is always happy to know the story- it's usually the rubber stamping dudes in the middle who don't want the hassle.

[the village idiot]

I (personally) feel it is an unsustainable system that suits producers with logging rights on huge areas overseas, or massive plantations in the developed world. It's a bit of a joke for small woodland holdings and individual trees, and I'm very happy to explain to my customers why my timber is not FSC.

Today I'm milling a big Sycamore from a North London park and some Thuja logs from a garden in Haslemere. Neither are remotely acceptable as FSC produce, but I can document a full chain of custody down to the last cough and bum scratch. The end user is always happy to know the story- it's usually the rubber stamping dudes in the middle who don't want the hassle.

 

:lol:

 

What's the general consensus on 'Grown in Britain'? Do you think it will become the accepted standard? Should I be joining up?

[ben_inthewoods]

My take is that FSC certification for small processors MUST be refined in a similar way to the proposals for small woodland owners. The cost per m3 is well out of line with the risk of damage to woodlands or the brand.

 

At present if you manage a wood under FSC you cannot sell firewood or sawn timber as FSC certified without going through a separte Chain of Custody process. As has been said this is a very bad state of affairs and seriously undermines the 'localism' ethos of the FSC.

 

Grown in Britain may be simpler and assist producers, but there are a few things to consider: Grown in Britain and the Union flag is somewhat toxic to some in Scotland and Wales (not for me, but i am not a Nationalist more an Internationalist!), but it would put some customers off, however churlish that is.

 

Is GiB a robust enough standard to make is worthwhile? I am not too sure and would need persuading that it is not just a Little Red Tractor equivalent.

 

Certification over load is an issue - too many standards of various flavours undermind the value of certification and consumer confidence. Perhaps an wholesale swap from FSC to PEFC might also be an option?

 

Not an easy one to crack!

[the village idiot]

My take is that FSC certification for small processors MUST be refined in a similar way to the proposals for small woodland owners. The cost per m3 is well out of line with the risk of damage to woodlands or the brand.

 

At present if you manage a wood under FSC you cannot sell firewood or sawn timber as FSC certified without going through a separte Chain of Custody process. As has been said this is a very bad state of affairs and seriously undermines the 'localism' ethos of the FSC.

 

Grown in Britain may be simpler and assist producers, but there are a few things to consider: Grown in Britain and the Union flag is somewhat toxic to some in Scotland and Wales (not for me, but i am not a Nationalist more an Internationalist!), but it would put some customers off, however churlish that is.

 

Is GiB a robust enough standard to make is worthwhile? I am not too sure and would need persuading that it is not just a Little Red Tractor equivalent.

 

Certification over load is an issue - too many standards of various flavours undermind the value of certification and consumer confidence. Perhaps an wholesale swap from FSC to PEFC might also be an option?

 

Not an easy one to crack!

 

Any significant quantity of wood felled in Britain has to be under a felling license. These are there, in theory, to protect the Woodland resource.

Does the GiB standard have to be overly robust? I would argue that any timber felled in the UK under license should qualify for the GiB stamp.