Forest certification in Canada: An exploratory study of perceptions of provincial and territorial government employees

Abstract

This article provides a review of the governmental approaches to forest certification and of the applicability of forest certification requirements across Canada. Surveys of Canadian provincial and territorial government employees were conducted to examine their views about the rise of non-governmental governance in the form of forest certification. Respondents perceived that forest certification has had a positive effect on many aspects of forest management. The most prominent effects of certification from their perspectives were improved market access, increased monitoring, better emergency preparedness, and the creation of a mechanism by which corrective measures can be applied to remedy issues.