The overall purpose of the guidebook is to inform private forest landowners about certification, to help them decide if it is a path worth pursuing, and to highlight the steps and considerations involved in the process of becoming certified.

While there are a number of existing resources that examine various aspects of forest certification, private forest landowners continue to raise numerous questions regarding the various forest management certification efforts currently underway throughout the country. These questions express concerns over issues including: the costs and benefits of certifying, the process of undertaking certification, and the potential ramifications of not getting one’s land certified.

In an attempt to provide private forest landowners with pertinent, timely information about certification, the Pinchot Institute for Conservation, in cooperation with the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, has developed a guidebook to forest management certification for private forestlands in the U.S. The overall purpose of the guidebook is to inform private forest landowners about certification, to help them decide if it is a path worth pursuing, and to highlight the steps and considerations involved in the process of becoming certified.

This guidebook is a valuable resource for private landowners seeking relevant information about certification. Not only does it serve as a general introduction to forest management certification, it was written specifically with an eye toward addressing issues of interest to private, non-industrial forest landowners. As such, the guidebook profiles the basic components (as of June 2002) of four major certification programs operating in the U.S.: the American Tree Farm System, the Forest Stewardship Council, Green Tag Forestry, and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. It does not evaluate or endorse any of these programs. Instead, the guidebook functions as an objective source of information on certification options and considerations for private landowners.

Simply stated, this guidebook addresses the what, who, why, and how of certification. Section One offers an overview of certification’s development over time. Section Two highlights the various certifying organizations that currently operate in the United States. Section Three explores the considerations for deciding whether or not to pursue certification, especially the costs and benefits. Section Four reviews the process of preparing for certification and the expected requirements. And finally, the Appendix lists a number of resources that can be consulted for further information.

http://www.pinchot.org/publications/policy_reports/guidebook_summary.htm