Published on Thursday, 20 April 2023 at 1:46:27 PM
As part of an upcoming Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certification evaluation, SCS is currently seeking stakeholder input regarding the forest management program and practices of WA Chip & Pulp Co. Pty Ltd trading as WAPRES. Please comment via email or contact our offices (contact information below).
In pursuit of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) endorsed forest management certification, WA Chip & Pulp Co. Pty Ltd trading as WAPRES will be undergoing an audit on week of 10th April 2023. The audit will be conducted by SCS Global Services, a FSC-accredited certification body. The Forest Stewardship Council is a non-profit organization devoted to encouraging the responsible management of the world’s forests. FSC sets standards that ensure forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial, and economically viable way.
Marubeni Corporation formed WA Plantation Resources Pty Ltd as the holding company for the woodchip and plantation businesses, bought from Wesfarmers Ltd in September 2000. WAPRES plantation establishment and maintenance services are responsible for approximately 15,000 hectares of blue gum resource around the South West region of Western Australia, with an annual establishment program (first and second rotation) of about 1000 hectares.
Scope and Certification Evaluation Process
SCS Global Services (SCS), a FSC-accredited certification body based in California, will conduct this FSC Recertification Evaluation.
Performance will be evaluated against the FSC Australia Forest Stewardship Standard V1-0. A copy of the standard is available from http://www.scsglobalservices.com/certification-standards-and-program-documents or SCS upon request.
The evaluation process includes the following components:
- Public notification: distribution of the standard and solicitation of comments on the certification applicant; Audit planning and document review;
- Field assessment: A representative sample of field sites and operations within the defined forest area are inspected by a team of auditors;
- Stakeholder consultation is carried out prior to and during the field assessment;
- Synthesis of findings: conformity to the standard is ascertained and the certification decision is formulated;
- Reporting: a draft report describing the evaluation process, findings, and certification decision is produced;
- Peer review: the draft evaluation report is peer reviewed by independent natural resource professionals;
- Finalization of the report and conveyance to the SCS Certification Committee for the final certification decision;
- Certification decision: the final report and certification decision is conveyed to the applicant; a public summary of the certification report is released if certification is awarded.
Call for Public Participation
SCS is seeking comments on the forest management of WA Chip & Pulp Co. Pty Ltd trading as WAPRES or other topics pertinent to their seeking FSC certification, such as whether WA Chip & Pulp Co. Pty Ltd trading as WAPRES complies with the legal, social, technical, and environmental requirements of the standard or identification of high conservation value forests[1] within the lands managed by WA Chip & Pulp Co. Pty Ltd trading as WAPRES. Comments can be submitted via email to FSCConsultation@scsglobalservices.com, standard mail, or facsimile. All comments and sources will be kept in strict confidence at the request of the commenter. Also, please feel welcome to forward this message on to other stakeholders that you think may have an interest in sharing their perspective on this assessment.
Date of the Evaluation
The field evaluation is scheduled to start of the week of 10th April. When possible, SCS will make arrangements to meet with interested parties during the evaluation if appropriate, but it is preferred that comments are submitted before the field evaluation commences.
Dispute Resolution Procedure
As provided by the FSC Interim Dispute Resolution Protocol and the SCS Forest Conservation Program Quality Manual, dispute resolution procedures are in place and available to interested parties at http://www.scsglobalservices.com/your-feedback.
Additional Information
More information about FSC and SCS can be obtained from www.fsc.org and www.SCSglobalServices.com. Information about WA Chip & Pulp Co. Pty Ltd trading as WAPRES can be found at http://www.wapres.com.au/.
[1] Principle 9, in the FSC Principles and Criteria.
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