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Forest Management Certification

CEAF

Forest Management Certification Program (CEAF)

Québec’s forests are a priceless heritage and the forestry sector is a valuable source of raw materials, income and employment for the province.

Enacted on April 1, 2013, the Sustainable Forest Development Act introduced important changes to the forestry system. These changes included opening up planned forest development activities on state-owned lands to certified companies recognized by the ministère des Ressouces naturelles et des Forêts (MRNF). Two types of certification are accepted: certification under international standard ISO 14001 or the forestry company certification program (certification des entreprises en aménagement forestier/CEAF). In both cases, the main goal is the same: to limit the environmental impact of activities as much as possible based on a series of established requirements.

The CEAF program was created by the BNQ, in collaboration with the MRNF, in order to offer a different formula to businesses. The certification program applies specifically to forest management activities carried out in public forests and is adapted to the Québec context. This program offers a defined framework as well as a series of documents intended to guide the approach of companies wishing to become certified. It fully meets the current environmental requirements required of all companies operating on public land.

 

Certification Offer

To obtain CEAF certification, companies must first register with the BNQ by completing the registration form provided below.

The information entered in the form is used to determine the company’s size and the scope of the certification. Scope relates to the nature of the company’s activities: wood harvesting, forest road system construction, non-commercial silvicultural work or forest camp management.

Once the parties sign a service agreement, the company must provide specific documents based on program requirements. Then, an initial audit date is set. This audit must take place while the company is performing its work in the forest. The audit verifies compliance with the requirements specified in BNQ certification fascicle BNQ 9825-300, available below. Depending on the audit findings, the BNQ issues the company a certificate allowing it to work on state-owned lands.

The CEAF program certification cycle lasts four years, starting with an initial audit, and includes three subsequent annual follow-up audits. The validity of the certificates is updated according to the outcome of the audit, and can be consulted by clicking on the  « Certified businesses » tab.