• FSC is a stakeholder owned system for promoting responsible management of the world’s forests. Through consultative processes, it sets international standards for responsible forest management.It accredits independent third party organizations who can certify forest managers and forest product producers to FSC standards.Its trademark provides international recognition to organizations who support the growth of responsible forest management. Its product label allows consumers worldwide to recognize products that support the growth of responsible forest management worldwide.FSC undertakes marketing programs and information services that contributes to the mission of promoting responsible forestry worldwide.
• Over the past 10 years, over 73 million hectares in more than 72 countries have been certified according to FSC standards while several thousand products are produced using FSC certified wood and carrying the FSC trademark. FSC operates through its network of National Initiatives in more than 34 countries.

For more information about the Forest Stewardship Council and the Forest Stewardship Certification (FSC) go to http://www.fsc.org/en

What does FSC mean for Craigpine?

FSC consists of 10 principles. For Craigpine to become and maintain their FSC certification the company has produced specific policies and procedures for each FSC principle.  The FSC principles are as follows:

1. Compliance with FSC laws and principles
• Craigpine shall respect all applicable laws of the country in which they occur and international treaties and agreements to which the country is a signatory, and comply with all FSC principles and criteria.

2. Tenure and Use Rights and Responsibilities
• Craigpine must ensure that all owned forests have a long term tenure and use rights to the land and forest resources.  This shall be clearly defined, documented and legally established.

3. Indigenous Peoples Rights
• Craigpine is to ensure that the legal and customary rights of indigenous peoples to own, use and manage their lands, territories, and resources shall be recognized and respected

4. Community Relations and Workers Rights
• All Craigpines forest management operations shall maintain or enhance the long term social and economic well being of forest workers and local communities.

5. Benefits from the Forest
• Craigpine shall ensure that all forest operations encourage the efficient use of the forest’s multiple products and services to ensure the economic viability in a wide range of environmental  and social benefits

6. Environmental Impact
• Craigpine will ensure that the forest management conserves biological diversity and its associated values, water resources, soils, and unique and fragile ecosystems and landscapes, and by doing so, maintain the ecological functions and integrity of the forest.

7. Management Plan
• Craigpine will complete a management plan, which is appropriate to the scale and intensity of the operations.  The management plan is to be implemented and kept up to date.  The long term objectives of management and the means of achieving them shall be clearly identified and stated.

8. Monitoring and Assessment
• Craigpine must ensure that monitoring is being completed, which is appropriate to the scale and intensity of the forest management.  The monitoring which is conducted is to assist the condition of the forest, yields of forest products, chain of custody, management activities and thei social and environmental impacts.

9. Maintenance of Natural Forests
• Craigpine is to ensure the maintenance of any natural forest.  This principle does not apply to Craigpine as they do not own any natural forests.

10. Plantations
• Craigpine shall ensure that all plantations are planned and managed in accordance with Principles and Criteria 1-10.  While plantations can provide an array of social and economic benefits, and can contribute to satisfying the worlds needs for forest products, they should complement the management of, reduce pressures on, and promote the restorations and conservation of natural forests.

How does Craigpine achieve the 10 Principles of FSC?

Craigpine has developed policies in relation to all 10 of the FSC Principles.  The policies are based on how Craigpine is going to achieve and implement the principles and their criteria.
Craigpine outlines their commitment to FSC through their Forest Management Plan, which is updated each year.  A summary of the Forest Management Plan is available on this website.
Through Craigpines policies and Forest Management Plan, the company is now leading into its 10th year of being FSC certified.  This is a great effort.  Over time the Craigpine team has developed and maintained sustainable and low impact practices on their forest resources.
Craigpine operates an environmental management system that identifies the processes and procedures and whom is responsible for these.  It incorporates both internal and external communications, and an audit and review process.  Specific environmental policies and procedures include (but are not limited to):

• Streamside managementWater monitoringPest, Plant and Wildlings Management
• Ecological Management

Craigpine Timber is a private company, established in 1923. The Company is owned by Amalgamated Holdings Ltd (the Black family from Melbourne). In addition to its forestry assets, the Company has one sawmill, based in Winton.

Management Objectives:

The rationale behind Craigpine Timber Ltd having its own forest estate is to supply high quality radiata pine saw logs for the Winton sawmill. This in turn creates employment for both forest contractors and sawmill personnel, and also indirectly in the local community.

Forest Resource:

The forest estate comprises five forests of 3,302 hectares of freehold land. This is situated in the Southland province of New Zealand. The net stocked area of forestry is 2,689 hectares, of which 2,618 hectares is planted in radiata pine, with 66 hectares in douglas fir and 5 hectares in macrocarpa. There are 324.4 hectares of native bush and scattered areas of cut over native scrub, remaining as streamside buffers and on steep areas throughout all blocks.In addition, Craigpine Timber has two joint venture interests with private landowners, with total land of 291 hectares, with 252 hectares planted in radiata pine.All forests owned by Craigpine Timber Ltd are in close proximity to the Winton sawmill. The Waitane forest, which has a net stocked area of 739 hectares, and the Castledowns forest has a net stocked area of 47.7.Both forests are in full production.

Species and Silviculture:

The rationale behind the choice of radiata pine timber is that, due to its white appearance, its ease of use for working, and relatively short term growth rates, it meets the market demand for this type of product. Markets are continuing to expand in South East Asia, as radiata pine is an environmentally friendly substitute for their rain forest species.This objective has resulted in the establishment of a silviculture regime to meet the above requirements. The policy is to produce primarily small branched saw-logs with a component of pruned material, which enables the sawmill to produce clear wood and cuttings grades, primarily for the export market.

Annual Harvest:

8:34 a.m. 19/10/2011 Craigpine forests are operated on a sustained yield basis to ensure continuity of supply. The rotation and harvesting period is 28 years for radiata pine, which is the most appropriate, to produce logs to the required specification.
Harvesting is undertaken in Craigpine forests using low ground pressure machines or Skyline haulers. This is to minimise the impact on soil and water in the forest.

Monitoring Forest Growth and Dynamics:

Craigpine Timber Ltd adopts a variety of techniques to monitor forest growth and dynamics. Permanent Sample Plots (PSP) are used to monitor growth rates, which are measured annually. All stands and forest operations are recorded on a computerised stand record system.
Most stands are assessed at pre-harvest using MARVL (Method of Assessment of Recoverable Volume by Log-Type) inventory.

Environmental Performance:

Craigpine Timber Ltd operates an environmental management system that identifies our processes and procedures and who is responsible for these. It incorporates both internal and external communication and an audit and review process. Specific environmental policies and procedures include (but are not limited to) Streamside Management, Water Monitoring, Pest, Plant and Wildlings Management and Ecological Management.

FOREST MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATION REPORT

Maps of each of the forests are available at the Craigpine Offices, Florence Road, Winton.