New Zealand Forest Management Companies go the extra mile in world first initiative for transparency
In an effort for transparency, FSC certified Forest Managers have created a high-resolution map showing the location and borders of the forests they harvest. This is timely in a context of a broader discussion to develop spatial data, at FSC but also in the forestry sector in general. The map has come a long way. It was created according to a request from different environmental organisations, community associations, individuals and companies. As per the FSC Principles and Criteria, any stakeholder must be able to contact Forest Management companies to share any supported concerns if they think companies are not managing the land in a responsible way. Forest Managers came together to discuss the matter and agreed to provide relevant data on a voluntary base in order to create the map. Although not all companies have shared their data, we hope they will be encouraged to follow the same path. Click Read More below for additional detail.