FSC-Watch

FSC trademarks and censorshipTags: Australia, Trademarks

Believe it or not, according to FSC Australia, if you use the letters 'FSC' or 'Forest Stewardship Council', you need to seek approval, in order to allow FSC to "check the accuracy of the text". At least that's what Timber + Design International was told when they contacted FSC Australia last year.

FSC's website explains that FSC owns three registered trademarks:

*the initials "FSC®"; *the name "Forest Stewardship Council®"; *the "checkmark-and-tree" logo

And FSC takes protecting its trademarks "very seriously":

FSC trademarks may only be used by organizations or individuals that have obtained authorization, and use must be in compliance with FSC’s trademark standards and guidelines...[Continue]

FSC certified company, Hancock, caught on film converting forest to plantations in the Strzezlicki Ranges, AustraliaTags: Australia, Friends of the Earth, Plantations, Rainforest Alliance SmartWood

A new video about the Strzezlicki Ranges in Victoria, Australia reveals that FSC is failing to uphold its own standards, allowing destructive logging and conversion of native forest to exotic plantations.

Hancock has appeared several times in the past on FSC-Watch:

• March 2007: FSC Certified operations fast losing credibility in Australia
• January 2008: Hancock Victoria Plantations, Australia: SmartWood continues to discredit FSC
• May 2008: FSC in Australia: Hancock rips off rainforest deal
• February 2009: FSC, Hancock and Smartwood Selling Out the Gippsland Environment

Yet Smartwood, FSC's certifying body has in effect turned a blind eye...[Continue]

FSC, Hancock and Smartwood Selling Out the Gippsland EnvironmentTags: Australia, Accreditation controls, Friends of the Earth, Plantations, Rainforest Alliance SmartWood

Last month, FSC-Watch received the following post about SmartWood's certification of Hancock Victorian Plantations. Early in February, a large area of Hancock's plantations burned down: part of the tragic fires which saw the loss of more than 200 lives and 1,800 homes. More information about the fires is available here.

FSC, Hancock and Smartwood Selling Out the Gippsland Environment

The reputation of FSC in Australia has been dealt another nasty blow with Smartwood's 2008 audit of Hancock Victorian Plantations (HVP)...[Continue]

FSC in Australia: Hancock rips off rainforest dealTags: Australia, Rainforest Alliance SmartWood

Earlier this year, we reported on SmartWood's certification of Hancock Victoria Plantations, Australia. We have been asked to post this update by Anthony Amis, a local expert. Further images and details are available at Hancock Watch.

Hancock Victorian Plantations and Victoria's Department of Sustainability and Environment undermine Community Agreement

In October 2006, an historic Heads of Agreement was signed concerning rainforest protection in Victoria's Strzelecki Ranges...[Continue]

The FSC in picturesTags: Worldwide, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Ireland, Slovakia, South Africa, Swaziland, USA

It is customary in many organisations to give out-going staff a photo-album showing the person's accomplishments, for them to cherish in future years. We can't do that for Heiko Liedeker, who is finally departing as FSC Executive Director, but what we would like to do with this posting is to show some of what has gone so badly wrong in the past - and what we expect the new Executive Director to put right.

We invite our readers to submit any other photographs that they would like to contribute!

Click on the image for an even clearer picture of what FSC has certified...[Continue]

Hancock Victoria Plantations, Australia: SmartWood continues to discredit FSCTags: Australia, Certifier conflict of interest, Rainforest Alliance SmartWood

We have been asked to publish the following article, by Anthony Amis of Friends of the Earth Melbourne, Australia.

It highlights some now very familiar themes: failure of SmartWood to comply with the FSC's rules by not publishing its Public Summary reports in a timely manner: certification on the basis of 'hoped-for improvements' rather than performance, and covering up failures to actually improve by continually re-issuing 'Corrective Action Requests'; slowness of the ASI in publishing the reports of it's audits of certifiers where problems are identified...all of which is no doubt good for SmartWood's business, but bad for the FSC's credibility...[Continue]

FSC Certified operations fast losing credibility in AustraliaTags: Australia, Plantations, Certifier conflict of interest, Corrective Action Requests, Rainforest Alliance SmartWood

This posting has been submitted by Anthony Amis, Friends of the Earth Melbourne, Australia.

In February 2004, Hancock Victorian Plantations received Australia's first FSC certification [certifier: SmartWood]. Many interested parties initially hoped that FSC would deliver on what it promised and we would see a marked improvement in Hancock's forest management practices. Those promises have not eventuated and in many ways Hancock's forest management is getting worse not better...[Continue]