Sustainable forest management certification: An auditor's perspective

The Canadian Standards Association is in the final stages of developing a standard for the certification of a Sustainable Forest Management System. Certification requires an independent third party verification, commonly called an audit, to ensure that all components of the certification standard have been met. Auditors of these systems face a number of challenges, including determining the right mix of technical and auditing skills, developing an audit process that can adapt to changes in science and interpreting performance criteria. Another key issue is choosing the proper balance between systems evaluation and field verification. Key words: forest certification, auditing, sustainable forestry