Certifying Your Forest

Fee Structure

PF Olsen's FSC fee structure has been designed to be flexible to scale and complexity of operations and also to reflect the degree to which FSC requirements will be met in the course of any management activities already undertaken by PF Olsen's professional managers (i.e. Group or Resource Member categories).

Because they will vary according to your specific circumstances, you are advised to discuss the particulars of your situation with PF Olsen to get an estimate of the costs involved and any other issues that may make your situation abnormally complex.

As a general indication see the Group Scheme Fees Handout

Within the framework, fees comprise the following categories.

Category	Payable
Processing Fee (Manual and Checklists)	To accompany application.
Initial Audit plus Smartwood Audit	Within 10 days of receipt of tax invoice following initial audit.
Annual Fee ongoing FSC scheme management, programmed audits, annual FSC surveillance audit	Annually - Within 10 days of receipt of tax invoice issued on or about the anniversary of joining the Scheme.
Forest Product Sales	Within 10 days of invoice - Sales based on log docket returns or annual FSC declaration.

Starting the Process

If you want to start the process you need to apply to PF Olsen either by making contact with your nearest PF Olsen branch office, PF Olsen's Environment Manager or using the Application Form link below.

Click the icon to download the FSC Groups Scheme Application Form

Certification Process (1st Year)

Once an application has been received along with the application processing fee, you will be sent PF Olsen's FSC Kit and a formal FSC Agreement.
You will need to either return the completed contract or all the material, if you choose not to proceed further.
You will need to use the documents to comply with FSC in your forest. Follow the instructions provided and once you have completed the required tasks you can contact PF Olsen's Environment Manager.
At this stage PF Olsen will arrange an audit to check your compliance. This is when your Initial Audit fees will be payable.
Should the forest management comply with the FSC requirements it will then be included as a Certified Group Member and forest products from that forest will be able to carry the FSC Logo in a certified chain of custody. There is a process to allow the forest owner to address any non-compliance. The forest cannot be certified until the non-compliance is cleared.

Certification Process (subsequent years)

Once a new member has been included in the Group Scheme retention of certified status is dependant upon verification of management. As administrators of the group scheme PF Olsen needs to ensure that forests are being managed. Verification checks are done annually, based on checklists and submission of estate information to PF Olsen, backed up through sample field audits by PF Olsen staff of approximately one third of the group members each year. Non-compliance's will require corrective action and major non-compliance's could result in expulsion from the scheme.

Other Auditing

The certification body will, on an annual basis, audit the PF Olsen FSC Group Scheme including a sample of forests. This is also subject to corrective action and identified consistent or major non-compliance must be rectified, to maintain the scheme.

We believe that our scheme is robust enough to ensure obligations are met and that our auditing process will deter or correct any major non-compliance.

What PF Olsen Provides

The fee structure covers PF Olsen's costs in the provision of:

A contract detailing responsibilities of each party.
The PF Olsen FSC Kit - containing the following documents or electronic equivalents or interfaces:
- FSC Manual
- PF Olsen FSC Group Scheme Contract
- Template Forest Management Plan
- Template Fire Plan
- Best Management Practices
- Health and Safety Plan Template
- Conservation and Ecology Management Plan
- Integrated Pest and Weed Management Plan
- Checklists and forms to assist with compliance
- Electronic versions of templates, checklists and forms
Initial audit plus monitoring audits from time to time including one or more during harvesting depending on levels of compliance and activity, and not less than once every 5 years.
Audit by SmartWood (accompanied by PF Olsen) from time to time as determined by SmartWood.
Follow-up resolution of audit findings in the form of office-based review of Corrective Action Requests from either PF Olsen and SmartWood audits.
Telephone and e-mail support -up to 10 calls or e-mails per annum.

Administration of group certification scheme

Maintenance of group records.
Co-ordination between group members.
Auditing of members forest management and records.
Communication with the certification body.
Group forestry policy documentation.
Appropriate consultation on national and some regional issues that are not specific to individual Group Members.
Representation on national bodies involved in FSC issues and to FSC International in relations to policy issues affecting NZ Certification Initiatives.
General information and problem solving.

Group Member Responsibilities

The forest owner or manager will also have many responsibilities, such as:

Operation control to ensure that forest level requirements of the FSC Principles and Criteria are met. This will mean implementing all the relevant procedures and requirements of the FSC Manual.
Consultation over operational activities with neighbours, iwi (PF Olsen may undertake this in some situations) Dept of Conservation and other stakeholders and documentation of this is also a requirement of the forest manager or owner.
Documentation of management plans and associated plans and actions specific to the forest.
Supply of the information to PF Olsen that is required to administer the PF Olsen FSC Group Scheme.
Meeting specified minimum standards of record keeping.

Benefits of Joining the Group Scheme

The Group Scheme system was introduced by FSC to enable economies of scale and cost sharing to substantially reduce costs to members from figures as high as $34/ha annually, plus periodic additional costs, to just a few dollars per hectare per year. PF Olsen's Group Scheme can provide cost effective FSC certification:

Providing the potential for preferential market access, transport differentials and marke flexibility.
Our Staff routinely operate to ISO14001 Environmental management standards that cover many components required of FSC.
A group scheme with many participants creates economies of scale.
We already have a well integrated skills base covering forestry, engineering, and harvest management.
With offices and staff throughout the country PF Olsen can provide a cost effective and personal approach to management and administration of FSC certification.
Both membership categories get the benefit of access to PF Olsen's Forest Information and Planning System (FIPS). Integrity of records is an essential component of FSC certification and FIPS has had specific capabilities developed to administer FSC certification.