In 2023, FSC introduced an exciting new component to its normative framework (i.e., the set of policies, procedures and standards that govern FSC certification), aligned with its strategic goal to work toward more streamlined processes. This new procedure gave countries with FSC Forest Stewardship Standards (FSS) the opportunity to develop a Forest Stewardship Standard Risk Assessment (FSS RA), that would provide a framework for FSC Forest Management auditors to implement risk-based auditing for certificate holders. This would allow auditors to focus on the elements of a Forest Stewardship Standard where FSC can have the greatest impact.
Until 2026, no country had been able to take advantage of this opportunity – but we now have three countries in the process of developing FSS RA: France, Finland and….the United States! For the U.S., the FSS RA will evaluate evidence associated with each indicator within the revised Forest Stewardship Standard (Version 2, published January 1 2026) and result in risk designations that will determine the frequency at which indicators will be audited in the U.S. moving forward. Some indicators will be “low risk” which means that they only need to be audited once, and then never again (unless the auditor has evidence suggesting there is a need to look more closely). Others will be “specified risk,” resulting in the need to audit that indicator every year. Many will be in the middle, between these two, with a need to audit multiple times during a 5-year certification cycle, but not every year.
This new procedure combined with the standard that governs how FSC Forest Management audits are conducted, also provide a mechanism for auditors to recognize the continuous improvement in the performance of forest managers in implementing their Forest Stewardship Standard (in addition to other contextual elements that may affect the risk for a particular indicator). After a certificate holder becomes established in the FSC system (i.e., after their first 5-year certification cycle), auditors will be able to further customize the risk assessment to reflect risk at the level of an individual organization – although, any changes will have to be well justified. This means that auditors will be able to recognize how audit history, local legislation, intensity of management, and other factors affect risk for a particular certificate holder. The FSS RA will include a set of factors that could affect risk at an organizational level, which auditors are required to consider as they evaluate whether to make any risk designation changes for a specific certificate holder (consideration of additional information is also possible).
The U.S. technical working group (formed by the FSC US Board of Directors) has been evaluating evidence for each indicator to help them assess the potential for nonconformances in the U.S. for that indicator, and also the severity of potential impacts if a nonconformance were to occur. The U.S. is lucky that we have a long history of audits (over 1200 annual audits!) that were conducted under our previous Forest Stewardship Standard that is available (when there are corresponding indicators to the revised standard) to evaluate the potential for nonconformances.
FSC is currently inviting feedback on a draft FSS RA for the U.S. through a public consultation that is accessible via the FSC Consultation Platform. This consultation is open through June 1 2026 and asks respondents to share input regarding whether the risk designations are adequately supported by the evidence presented, whether there is additional evidence that should be considered, and also any feedback on the proposed organizational-level risk factors.
We are thrilled to be able to implement this process aligned with the implementation of our revised Forest Stewardship Standard and bring additional value to FSC Forest Management certification in the U.S., especially for those long-standing certificate holders who have repeatedly demonstrated the quality of their management practices and associated positive environmental, social and economic outcomes.