Case study and evaluation of the dominant certification protocols

In this chapter, eight protocols will be reviewed that have been developed by some of the most active certifiers. The choice of protocols for this exercise was made on the basis of availability and of their applicability to temperate forests. The information will be quite detailed in order to inform the reader about the protocols’ basic structures and information needs (e.g., their criteria, indicators, and implementation approaches). This will be followed by a discussion of the goals and values of each certifying organization and, finally, the student evaluation of the protocols. The student evaluation will identify whether Yale Toumey Forest was certifiable based on their assessment; the reasons for the decision to certify or not to certify Toumey; what criteria were satisfied during the assessment; and finally, the strengths and weaknesses within each protocol that determined how each could be operationalized. This discussion will conclude with an analysis for each protocol of the amount and types of data needed (e.g., generality and uniformity of data, weighting of data); how values for a desired standard forest condition drive the choice of indicators; how social factors were integrated in the protocols; and how each was structured to deal with small vs. large landholding sizes.

Duke Scholars

Author Alex Finkral Environmental Sciences and Policy