Are Toilet Paper and Paper Towels Sustainable? (afandpa.org)

The Regional FSC Forest Stewardship Standard (RFSS) for Smallholders in India has now been approved by FSC. This standard is for the use in plantations by smallholders in India (Management Units smaller than 20 ha) and applies to rough wood and Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs). For more details on the scope, please refer to sections C and E of the standard. The standard has been written in a simple language and provides realistic and achievable indicators relevant to the circumstances of smallholders in India. Another key feature of the RFSS is that in many cases, a group manager or an external organization (a purchaser or an NGO) can assist the smallholder to achieve conformity with the standard.

Stakeholders from around the world are invited to give feedback on the Hungarian Forest Certification System. Deadline for comments is 4 April. Give your feedback. The Hungarian Forest Certification Non-profit revised the country’s national forest certification system to ensure its forest management standard is up-to-date and continues to meet stakeholder demands and expectations. The Hungarian system was submitted to PEFC after being revised in line with PEFC requirements. The system is now undergoing the PEFC assessment process, carried out by an independent PEFC Registered Assessor. It must pass this assessment to maintain its PEFC endorsement. An important aspect of the assessment process is the public consultation. Over the sixty-day consultation, stakeholders from around the world can give their comments and provide feedback on any aspect of the system. The Registered Assessor will use the information received from this consultation in their assessment of the system.

Derik Frederiksen has been selected as the president of Forest Stewardship Council US, concluding an extensive national search process conducted by executive search firm Odgers Berndtson on behalf of the FSC US Board of Directors. An Alaska Native from the Tsm'syen Nation of Southeast Alaska and British Columbia, Derik brings to the role decades of business experience, a deep commitment to forest conservation and a lifelong passion for helping advance Indigenous culture to protect ancestral homelands. “As we got to know Derik, we were so impressed by the way he has tied together commitments to forests and people throughout his career,” said Sarah Billig, FSC US board co-chair. “Coupled with his business experience at Sealaska, Derik’s vision and demonstrated ability to successfully grow organizations is the right fit for a moment when FSC is presented with so much opportunity.” Derik has spent much of his career at Sealaska, the Native Corporation for Southeast Alaska. He founded Sealaska Environmental Services, growing the organization over 11 years to 110 employees with contracts valued at more than $1.3 billion. Most recently, Derik served as Sealaska’s vice president, leading corporate communications, shareholder services and education, and workforce development. During this time, Derik helped develop a 165,000-acre forest carbon bank that generated 9.3 million tons of carbon credits.