Sustainable management of forestry resources is the main condition for the development of national forestry sector and increasing of the quality and competitiveness of forest products in external markets. 
      The association carries out forests certification that secures the productivity and stability of timber stand, increases biological variety in the forests, minimizes negative impact of forest inductry on the environment, increases export potential of forestry sector and eliminates technical hindrances in the international trade. The certification is carried out in the framework of the National system of conformity confirmation and in accordance with the main international schemes of forests certification, that is, the scemes of Forest Stewardship Coincil (FSC). 

      8 forestry establishments of the association possess FSC certificates for forest management and forest use systems and forest products supply chains:

• Berezino,
• Borisov experimental,
• Vileyka experimental,
• Logoysk,
• Starobin,
• Starye Dorogi experimental,
• Stolbtsy experimental,
• Cherven.

     The audit of a group of forestry enterprises (in Slutsk, Luban, Pukhovichi, Kopyl, Kletsk) will be carried out in 2011 in order to confirm their conformity with the principles and criteria of international FSC certification. 

     The systems of forestry management and use of all forestry enterprises of the association as of 01.01.2011 are certified within the framework of the System of forests certification of the National system of conformity confirmation of the Reppublic of Belarus.  

     All forestry enterprises of the association are state-owned (state establishments), registered in the Republic of Belarus and are independent legal entities. Woodworking workshops that constitute structural departments of forestry enterprises are not legal entities in accordance with the Statute of property. 

     The evaluation of forestry enterprises is carried out by NEPCon organization, the partner of Rainforest Alliance.
     NEPCon is a non-profitconsulting organization working in the sphere ofenvironment protection, sustainable development and the relations of nature, ecology and people.  
    Evaluation and certification of forests management  and use system and the certification of forest products supply chains of forestry enterprises included into the association are carried out in accordance with SmartWood program developed by Rainforest Alliance.
      Please reser to the office of NEPcon in Estonia for further information regarding FSC certification.

Postal address: p.o.box 520, 50002 Tartu
Office: Veski 15 - 1, Tartu
Estonia
Tel.:    +372 7 380 723
Fax:  +372 7  380 724
E-mail: estonia@nepcon.net

Headquarters of SmartWood in the USA:
65 Millet St. Suite 201
Richmond, VT 05477 USA
Tel: 802-434-5491
Fax: 802-434-3116
www.smartwood.org

Regional representative office of SmartWood:
NEPCon,  Dennmark:
Odensegade 4b, DK8100 ?rhus
Denmark
tel.: +45 86180866
fax: +45 86181012
Contact: Peter Feilberg
E-mail: pf@nepcon.net