CLIMATE ADAPTATION – AFFORESTATION

1. Afforestation plan and subsequent forest management plan or equivalent instrument (h) consideration of societal issues (including preservation of landscape, consultation of stakeholders in accordance with the terms and conditions laid down in national law);

Performance Measure 1.1. Certified Organizations shall ensure that forest management plans include long-term harvest levels that are sustainable and consistent with appropriate growth-and-yield models.

1. Afforestation plan and subsequent forest management plan or equivalent instrument 1.3. When the area becomes a forest, the afforestation plan is followed by a subsequent forest management plan or an equivalent instrument, as set out in national law or, where national law does not define a forest management plan or equivalent instrument, as referred to in the FAO definition of ‘forest area with long-term forest management plan’ (9). The forest management plan or the equivalent instrument covers a period of 10 years or more and is continuously updated.

Performance Measure 1.1. Certified Organizations shall ensure that forest management plans include long-term harvest levels that are sustainable and consistent with appropriate growth-and-yield models.

1. Afforestation plan and subsequent forest management plan or equivalent instrument 1.3. When the area becomes a forest, the afforestation plan is followed by a subsequent forest management plan or an equivalent instrument, as set out in national law or, where national law does not define a forest management plan or equivalent instrument, as referred to in the FAO definition of ‘forest area with long-term forest management plan’ (9). The forest management plan or the equivalent instrument covers a period of 10 years or more and is continuously updated.

Performance Measure 1.1. Certified Organizations shall ensure that forest management plans include long-term harvest levels that are sustainable and consistent with appropriate growth-and-yield models.

1. Afforestation plan and subsequent forest management plan or equivalent instrument 1.4. Information is provided on the following points that are not already documented in the forest management plan or equivalent system: (a) management goals, including major constraints (10);

Performance Measure 1.1. Certified Organizations shall ensure that forest management plans include long-term harvest levels that are sustainable and consistent with appropriate growth-and-yield models.

1. Afforestation plan and subsequent forest management plan or equivalent instrument (b) general strategies and activities planned to reach the management goals, including expected operations over the whole forest cycle;

Performance Measure 1.1. Certified Organizations shall ensure that forest management plans include long-term harvest levels that are sustainable and consistent with appropriate growth-and-yield models.

1. Afforestation plan and subsequent forest management plan or equivalent instrument c) definition of the forest habitat context, including main existing and intended forest tree species, and their extent and distribution;

Performance Measure 1.1. Certified Organizations shall ensure that forest management plans include long-term harvest levels that are sustainable and consistent with appropriate growth-and-yield models.

1. Afforestation plan and subsequent forest management plan or equivalent instrument (d) definition of the area according to its gazetting in the land registry;

Performance Measure 1.1. Certified Organizations shall ensure that forest management plans include long-term harvest levels that are sustainable and consistent with appropriate growth-and-yield models.

1. Afforestation plan and subsequent forest management plan or equivalent instrument (e) compartments, roads, rights of way and other public access, physical features including waterways, areas under legal and other restrictions;

Performance Measure 1.1. Certified Organizations shall ensure that forest management plans include long-term harvest levels that are sustainable and consistent with appropriate growth-and-yield models.

1. Afforestation plan and subsequent forest management plan or equivalent instrument (f) measures deployed to maintain the good condition of forest ecosystems;

1. Afforestation plan and subsequent forest management plan or equivalent instrument (g) consideration of societal issues (including preservation of landscape, consultation of stakeholders in accordance with the terms and conditions laid down in national law);

1. Afforestation plan and subsequent forest management plan or equivalent instrument 1.5. The activity follows the best afforestation practices laid down in national law, or, where no such best afforestation practices have been laid down in national law, the activity complies with one of the following criteria: (a) the activity complies with Delegated Regulation (EU) No 807/2014;

Performance Measure 1.4. Certified Organizations shall not afforest in locations which negatively impact ecologically important natural communities, threatened and endangered species, or native natural communities which could be at risk of becoming rare.

Indicator 1. Any afforestation activity must include an evaluation of the proposed site to determine the presence of: a. ecologically important natural communities, or b. threatened and endangered species, or c. native natural communities that could be at risk of becoming rare.

Indicator 2. Afforestation shall not occur on that location if the evaluation determines a negative impact to: a. ecologically important natural communities, or b. threatened and endangered species, or c. native natural communities which could be at risk of becoming rare.

1. Afforestation plan and subsequent forest management plan or equivalent instrument (b) the activity follows the ‘Pan-European Guidelines for Afforestation and Reforestation with a special focus on the provisions of the UNFCCC’ (11).

Performance Measure 1.4. Certified Organizations shall not afforest in locations which negatively impact ecologically important natural communities, threatened and endangered species, or native natural communities which could be at risk of becoming rare.

1. Afforestation plan and subsequent forest management plan or equivalent instrument 1.8. The afforestation plan and the subsequent forest management plan or equivalent instrument provides for monitoring that ensures the correctness of the information contained in the plan, in particular as regards the data relating to the involved area.

Performance Measure 1.1. Certified Organizations shall ensure that forest management plans include long-term harvest levels that are sustainable and consistent with appropriate growth-and-yield models.

There is no conversion of habitats specifically sensitive to biodiversity loss or with high conservation value, or of areas set aside for the restoration of such habitats in accordance with national law.

Performance Measure 1.2. Certified Organizations shall not convert one forest cover type to another forest cover type unless an assessment has been conducted to determine ecological impacts and provide appropriate justification.

Performance Measure 1.3. Certified Organizations shall not have within the scope of their certification to this SFI Standard, forest lands that have been converted to non-forest land use.

Performance Measure 4.2. Certified Organizations shall protect threatened and endangered species, critically imperiled and imperiled species (Forests with Exceptional Conservation Values), and natural communities, and old-growth forests.

(f) excluding the conversion of high-biodiverse ecosystems into less biodiverse ones;

Performance Measure 1.2. Certified Organizations shall not convert one forest cover type to another forest cover type unless an assessment has been conducted to determine ecological impacts and provide appropriate justification.