Forest Management Certification Public Summary Information
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Number AD 65 QUALIFOR PROGRAMME Title FM Main Assessment Report Page 1 of 32 Associated Documents Issue 05 Q U A L IF O R Issued by Darius Sarshar Q U A L I T Y F O R E S T M A N A G E M E N T Date 05 April 2002 Forest Management Certification Public Summary Information Project Number: 7623-CH Client: Waldwirtschaftsverband St. Gallen und Fürstentum Liechtenstein WVSFL (Forest Owner Association of St. Gallen and Fürstentum Liechtenstein) Country: Switzerland Scope: Wälder im Kanton St. Gallen, Wälder in Besitz von St. Galler Waldeigentümern und Bewirtschaftung des St. Galler Forstdienstes Forests in the Canton of St. Gallen, forests owned by group members and managed by the St. Gallen Forest Service. Assessment date: 30 September 2002 Certificate Number: SGS-FM/CoC-1299 Date of Issue: 18.06.2003 Duration: 5 Years Forest type: Semi-natural Forest composition: Mixed broad-leaved dominant Species composition: All naturally occurring tree species Land Tenure: Communal, state and private Biome type: Temperate forest Annual production/Annual Approx. 200,000 m3 (average of preceding years) Allowable Cut: Forest products: Round timber, industrial and firewood, chips, benches, tables, fountains, posts, Christmas-trees from thinnings and plantations Forest-plants (indigenous tree-species and shrubs) Forest-honey, -fruits, berries and herbs Contacts: WVSG-FL Name: Mr. Christoph Kuhn Address: Waldwirtschaftsverband St. Gallen und Fürstentum Liechtenstein WVSG-FL Arbeitsgruppe Zertifizierung Gallusstrasse 14, CH 9000 St. Gallen SGS QUALIFOR, 58 St Aldates, Oxford, OX1 1ST, United Kingdom. Email: [email protected] Number AD 65 QUALIFOR PROGRAMME Title FM Main Assessment Report Page 2 of 32 Associated Documents Issue 05 Q U A L IF O R Issued by Darius Sarshar Q U A L I T Y F O R E S T M A N A G E M E N T Date 05 April 2002 Tel: 0041 (0)71228 85 71/ 0041 (0)79 286 24 30 Fax/Email: 0041 (0)71 228 85 75/ [email protected] For Office Use Only 1. Report prepared by Initials FMK Date 2 October 2002 2. Report approved by Initials GM Date 1 May 2003 3. Report revisions Required? Complete 4. Logo pack Required? 5. Next surveillance Date due Log updated by SGS QUALIFOR, 58 St Aldates, Oxford, OX1 1ST, United Kingdom. Email: [email protected] QUALIFOR Program Project 7623-CH Number FOREST MANAGEMENT MAIN ASSESSMENT REPORT Company WVSG-FL TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION I - PUBLIC SUMMARY REPORT ................................................ 1 1. INTRODUCTION AND SCOPE........................................................................................... 1 2. COMPANY BACKGROUND................................................................................................ 3 3. FOREST MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.................................................................................... 4 3.1. Bio-physical setting.................................................................................................... 4 3.2. History of use............................................................................................................. 5 3.3. Planning process ....................................................................................................... 6 3.4. Harvest and regeneration .......................................................................................... 6 3.5. Silviculture ................................................................................................................. 7 3.6. Monitoring processes................................................................................................. 7 4. SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT .................................................. 8 4.1. Social aspects............................................................................................................ 8 4.2. Environmental aspects .............................................................................................. 8 4.3. Regulations................................................................................................................ 9 5. LOCAL STANDARDS ......................................................................................................... 9 6. THE ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................................... 9 6.1. Schedule.................................................................................................................... 9 6.2. Team ......................................................................................................................... 9 6.3. Peer Reviewers ....................................................................................................... 10 6.4. Process.................................................................................................................... 10 6.5. Sampling.................................................................................................................. 11 7. ASSESSMENT RESULTS ................................................................................................ 14 7.1. Issues related to the QUALIFOR Group Certification Program (Requirements for the Group Representative) ..................................................................................................... 15 7.2. Findings related to the general QUALIFOR Program and the Local Standard ........ 16 7.3. Issues raised by Stakeholders................................................................................. 23 7.4. Issues raised by Peer Reviewers............................................................................. 25 8. STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES ................................................................................. 26 8.1. Strengths ................................................................................................................. 26 8.2. Weaknesses............................................................................................................ 26 9. CERTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION............................................................................ 28 AD 65, Issue 4 Page i QUALIFOR Program Project 7623-CH Number FOREST MANAGEMENT MAIN ASSESSMENT REPORT Company WVSG-FL SECTION II - DETAILED ASSESSMENT FINDINGS QUALIFOR CHECKLIST APPENDICES I. ITINERARY II. ASSESSMENT TEAM CVs III. NATIONAL STANDARD USED IV. CORRECTIVE ACTION REQUESTS V. STAKEHOLDERS CONSULTED AD 65, Issue 4 Page ii QUALIFOR Program Project 7623-CH Number FOREST MANAGEMENT MAIN ASSESSMENT REPORT Company WVSG-FL SECTION I - PUBLIC SUMMARY REPORT 1. INTRODUCTION AND SCOPE This report presents the results of an assessment of forest management operations in the Canton of St. Gallen for the forests owned by group members and managed by the St. Gallen Forest Service. The assessment was carried out by SGS QUALIFOR during the period September 2 – 6, 2002 and finished with a visit at the office of the Forest Owner Association of the Canton of St. Gallen at September 30, 2002. The purpose was to assess all operations according to the requirements of the QUALIFOR Program, the SGS Group’s forest certification program accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council. The assessment covered all forest management operations in the following forest areas. See the FSC Handbook appendix 1. Unit (Forestry Enterprise or District) Area Public Area Private Forest Owners Forest (ha) (ha) Alt St. Johann 733 2 Altstätten-Eichberg 840 9 Andwil 295 7 Bad Ragaz 575 2 Berschis -Walenstadt 1291 4 Buchs 402 2 Ebnat-Kappel 853 8 Flawil 147 4 Flums-Berg 800 2 Flums-Dorf 700 1 Gams 477 1 Gommiswald 399 2 Gossau 317 4 Grabs 1131 1 Hemberg 127 6 Kaltbrunn 440 1 Kirchberg 91 7 Krummenau 553 1 Lichtensteig 203 2 Lütisburg 27 2 Magdenau 372 1 AD 65, Issue 4 Page 1 of 32 QUALIFOR Program Project 7623-CH Number FOREST MANAGEMENT MAIN ASSESSMENT REPORT Company WVSG-FL Mels 1186 2 Mels-Weistannen 197 1 Mittelrheintal 309 5 Mogelsberg 1333 3 Mosnang 197 3 Murg 375 2 Nesslau 377 3 Oberbüren 176 5 Oberriet 524 8 Ortsbürger Gemeinde St.Gallen 1130 1 Pfäfers 779 3 Quarten 877 2 Rapperswil 386 1 Rieden 409 1 Rorschach 289 6 Rüti 392 3 Sargans 540 3 Schänis 768 5 Schmerikon 107 1 Sennwald 850 6 Sevelen 704 2 St. Gallen 235 5 St. Gallenkappel 111 2 St. Margrethen 278 6 Stein 313 1 Uzwil 97 3 Valens 582 3 Vättis 1237 2 Vilters-Wangs 320 1 Wartau 974 4 Wattwil 317 4 Weesen-Amden 1250 2 Wil 414 1 Wildhaus 252 1 Total 29057 170 AD 65, Issue 4 Page 2 of 32 QUALIFOR Program Project 7623-CH Number FOREST MANAGEMENT MAIN ASSESSMENT REPORT Company WVSG-FL The areas refer to the state and community forests themselves and to the small private forests located in the community area. The production is an average of around 200,000 cubic meters per year. In 2000, about 350,000 cubic meters were harvested to cope with the storm damage. This information refers to all forests of all types of ownership. Detailed information about the individual communities is available. The types of ownership and the distribution of the area of the current participants are as follows on the cutoff date of September 30, 2002: Type of Ownership Number of Number of Participants Participants Communities (civil communities) 73 21677 Communities (political communities) 19 1470 Parishes, foundations, private organizations Federal forest (Waffenplatz) 1 181 State forest 1 1294 State institutions 5 559 (public establishments, nursing- homes) Private organizations 22 2477 (alp association, farmers cooperative) Private forest 12 1399 Total 170 29057 Thereof are 1000 ha located in the adjacent