Steve Sinclair, State Forester for the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation has been named chair of a new Independent Standards Review Panel (ISRP) by the American Tree Farm System System® (ATFS) which will be comprised of a body of 14 forest stakeholders. The ISRP is charged with reviewing the American Forest Foundation (AFF)’s current Standards of Sustainability for Forest Certification and recommending revisions to the AFF Board of Trustees based on public review.
Announcement of the ISRP begins the first of two public review periods. The first 60-day review of the existing Standards will run through March 7, 2014. A second review of any revisions to the Standards will be scheduled for later this year. Interested members of the public are invited to participate by submitting comments online.
The ISRP will continue to review public comments and work collaboratively with stakeholders through 2014 for presentation of revised Standards to the AFF Board of Trustees in November. Upon adoption, the ATFS community and certificate holders will have a year to transition to any revisions to the Standards.