scope:

About This Handbook

The objective of this handbook is to provide forest managers and forest management practitioners with a user-friendly guide with information and ideas to assist in implementing the requirements found in Canada's national sustainable forest management (SFM) Standard, CAN/CSA-Z809, Sustainable Forest Management: Requirements and Guidance.

This handbook includes all of the requirements and guidance found in the 2002 edition of CAN/CSA-Z809, but it also provides further information and implementation ideas on specific components of the Standard that are

• new to the 2002 edition of CAN/CSA-Z809, the CSA SFM Standard; or

• considered challenging by companies, based on their implementation experience.

Hence, extra implementation information and ideas have been provided in the areas of public participation, Aboriginal engagement, CSA SFM Element 1.4 (newly introduced in the 2002 edition) on protected areas and sites of special biological significance, and the identification of values, objectives, indicators, and targets.

It is hoped that providing additional ideas and information on some of the more complex parts of the Standard will help organizations to be better prepared to proceed with implementation. However, it is essential to remember that this document is only an information document; its contents should not be interpreted as setting out requirements beyond those of CAN/CSA-Z809. The sole requirements of the Standard are those found in text boxes extracted directly from CAN/CSA-Z809.

The sequence of this handbook is generally aligned with the sequence of the requirements set out in CAN/CSA-Z809. However, the handbook also includes a compilation of information taken from a variety of sources. The following legend will assist the reader in using the book to provide maximum benefit.