Resolute Forest Management - FSC Must Do More to Protect Intact Forests

Oct 3, 2026

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Case study 05, Resolute Forest Management, examines how FSC certification has failed to protect Intact Forest Landscapes (iFLs). It describes iFLs as large, unfragmented forests with high conservation value, critical carbon storage, and essential ecosystem services, while noting damage from industrial logging and road building. The report highlights Resolute operations suspended in January 2014 for indigenous conflict, habitat mismanagement, and inadequate protection, yet explains that wood still enters FSC’s Controlled Wood stream.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

Resolute Forest Management

Purpose and background of FSC certification

What iFLs are and why fragmentation is harmful

FSC gaps in iFL protection and needed reforms

Other certification systems versus FSC

Under threat: non-compliance and certificate suspensions

Resolute Forest Products overview and sourcing context

CASEstudy05 Resolute Forest Management \#05 workING together to improve FSC FSC at Risk RESOLUTE FOREST MANAGEMENT: FSC MUST DO MORE TO PROTECT INTACT FORESTS, species at risk and indigenous rights in canada May 2014 CASEstudy05 Resolute Forest Management the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) was founded 20 years ago to promote environmentally sound, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world’s forests, without compromising their health for future generations. Unfortunately, this balance has not been achieved in all FSC-certified forests, particularly in large Intact Forest Landscapes (iFLs) . iFLs are the world’s remaining large unfragmented forest areas undisturbed by roads and industrial development.1 they have extremely important conservation value as they store a disproportionately high amount of global forest carbon, are large enough to sustain their biological diversity, and are critical for the livelihoods of forest-dependent peoples living within and adjacent to them. they are large enough to host both far-ranging top predators as well as other wildlife, and enable many plant and animal species to adapt to climate change. they also provide crucial ecosystem services such as regulating water and nutrient cycles. the values and ecosystem services that iFLs provide are being exposed to severe and often irreversible damage when fragmented and/or destroyed through continued expansion of industrial logging and its infrastructure. Furthermore, nearly all deforestation begins with logging, road building and fragmentation. As the science on the extent of the vulnerabilities of iFL values to fragmentation is still limited, a precautionary forest management approach must assume the risk of severe or even irreversible damage in every fragmentation situation. The FSC currently certifies logging that fragments and degrades IFLs, although its Principle 9 requires that management activities in high Conservation value (hCv) forests maintain or enhance the attributes that define such forests. Unfortunately, the FSC still has no clear guidelines, steps and restrictions for forest management to ensure the maintenance of iFL values. The FSC urgently needs to adopt clear thresholds for IFL protection to prevent FSC certification of forest management operations that are leading to IFL fragmentation and, ultimately, their loss. At the same time, the FSC should broaden its services to include certification of forest conservation and restoration, protected areas and ecosystem services (e.g. water sources/quality, soil stability, carbon storage), as well as economic opportunities for forest-dependent communities who rely on IFLs. This will help bolster FSC credibility as well as increase FSC’s relevance in many regions. 2 image: Massive clearcuts in the habitat of threatened woodland caribou have been approved by FSC.© Greenpeace OTHER CERTIFICATION SYSTEMS Greenpeace does not believe that other forest certification systems, such as PEFC (The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification), SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative) and MTCS (Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme), can ensure responsible forest management. While the FSC faces challenges, we believe that it contains a framework, as well as principles and criteria, that can guarantee socially and ecologically responsible practices if implemented correctly. the other systems lack robust requirements to protect social and ecological values. ~~ ~~ Wo R king togethe R to i M p Rove FSC ~~ ~~ 3 image: the pristine Montagnes Blanches forest is one of the few remaining intact forest landscapes (iFLs) in Quebec’s forest management zone, and provides critical habitat for the threatened woodland caribou.© Markus Mauthe / greenpeace UNDER THREAT High conservation value forests Rare, threatened, and endangered SPECIES INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’RIGHTS FSC CERTIFICATES SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN APPROVED This case study hig

FAQs

What are Intact Forest Landscapes (iFLs) and why do they matter?

iFLs are the world’s remaining large unfragmented forest areas, undisturbed by roads and industrial development. They hold disproportionately high global forest carbon, sustain biodiversity, support wide-ranging predators and other wildlife, and provide ecosystem services such as regulating water and nutrient cycles.

Why does the report argue FSC must change its approach to iFL protection?

It says the FSC currently certifies logging that fragments and degrades iFLs, while still lacking clear guidelines and thresholds to ensure maintenance of iFL attributes. It calls for stronger protection thresholds and broader certification services covering conservation, restoration, protected areas, ecosystem services, and community economic opportunities.

What happened to Resolute Forest Products’ FSC certificates in January 2014?

The report states Resolute’s operations faced a suspension of certificates effective January 1, 2014 due to unresolved conflict with indigenous peoples, improper habitat management for a species at risk, and insufficient protection of old-growth forests and intact forests. It also notes that wood from formerly certified areas still enters FSC’s Controlled Wood stream.

Oct 3, 2026

Upload by Mabel