High conservation value forests (HCVF) – Taking special care of particularly conservation worthy forests

FSC certification prioritizes the protection of particularly valuable forest ecosystems. This includes both ecological and social values. To this end, FSC has developed a new concept, called High Conservation Value Forest (HCVF). This is defined in principle 9 of FSC’s 10 Principles and Criteria. Besides the particular attention given to HCVF, FSC certification does also protect biodiversity more generally on the whole forest areas managed in accordance with FSC requirements.

Principle 9 requires that forests with high conservation values increase or at the very least maintain these values. All FSC certified operations must have a forest management plan that includes an inventory for high conservation values. If such values are found, the management plan has to include concrete actions on how these values will be maintained and enhanced. The classification of HCVFs is highly dependent on the particular socio-cultural and ecological context. To strike a balance between conservation and use, low-impact management procedures must be adopted so as not to degrade, but to improve the forest through management. Yearly surveillance audits prescribed by the FSC system control its effectiveness and implementation.

Geographical implementation of FSC Principles and Criteria

Tropical forests are particularly rich in biodiversity. This makes the protection of tropical forests the prime challenge when talking about biodiversity conservation. Globally, around 12% of all forest areas certified to FSC standards lie within the tropics or the subtropics. About 60% of these are natural forests. Other FSC certified forest areas are about equally divided between the temperate and the boreal regions. 12% of FSC certification in tropical forests might appear a small percentage. This is partly due to the major changes that need to be implemented in many forest operations in the tropics, before they can comply with FSC requirements. In this context, more changes often mean greater positive change and impact. Also, among all forest certification schemes FSC certifies by far the most forests in the tropics.  The FSC Global Strategy (2007) recognizes the need to develop further tools and mechanisms to increase FSC certification in the tropics.

Impacts of FSC certification

Studies about the direct on the ground impacts of FSC certification in the forest are scarce. In some FSC certified operations in the tropics, higher prices from the export of FSC certified products provide the necessary capital to maintain the forest and prevent conversion to other uses. FSC is also increasingly recognized for its contribution to increase democratic elements in forest policy processes.

An examination of Corrective Action Requests (changes required of operations in order to become FSC certified or maintain their FSC certificate) of FSC accredited certification bodies raised to forest management operation concludes that in Germany alone, FSC certification improved soil, water and biodiversity values in 90% of FSC certified areas. A similar assessment for Russia concludes that the large majority of Corrective Action Requests relates to the conservation and improvement of biodiversity.