24 The annual forest management certification audits of the NCT Group Schemes took place during the last week of June and the beginning of July 2023. The Forest Stewardship Council© (FSC) audit was first, conducted by two South African auditors, with a British observer. 13 forest management units (FMU’s) were audited, starting at Lidgetton, moving north to Mtubatuba, then Melmoth, through Vryheid, Paulpietersburg and finishing at Commondale. This was the fourth surveillance audit of the NCT Group Scheme, which means that a new five-year cycle begins again in 2024. At the time of writing the final report has not been issued but given the intense scrutiny we do expect corrective actions. The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification© or PEFC (SAFAS) audit was conducted by a local South African and a British auditor. Three FMU’s from the Eston and Dalton areas were audited. This was the second surveillance audit of NCT’s PEFC group scheme’s audit cycle. At the time of writing the final report has not been issued, but again, there are likely to be corrective actions. NCT’s PEFC audit was run concurrently with the entry audit for African Environmental Service, who are in the process of establishing a PEFC forest management group scheme for SAFAS in South Africa. The corrective actions should be straightforward to close out. These in part may reflect the postCOVID, continued increase in vigilance from the certification body’s overwatch organisation, the results of which were felt more keenly last year. While the findings for the PEFC and FSC audits differ, one area of commonality between the two, which is the basis of most audits, is legal compliance. An issue that we have as a group is the lapse of validity of training certificates and is a factor that requires attention and focus of our members. Another matter highlighted was that of documentation. Audits are conducted against a standard and the onus is on us to demonstrate to the auditor that we comply to the standard. The group scheme take-on process, including how we define precisely what is to be included in the certified area needs refreshment. This deals with the non-timber areas to be included as part of the FMU. It remains a dictum of audits that unless a requirement of a standard is documented, then it is assumed to not have been done. The trick is to find an acceptable method of documentation that will satisfy audit standards. The SAFAS Value-based Platform (VBP), an internet-based platform, assists with this for the PEFC group. NCT’s FSC Group Management System is the method we use to do this for the FSC group. This Management System is in process of being revised in preparation for the new cycle beginning in 2024. There were numerous positives from the audits. One strength mentioned is the size and condition of the representative ecosystem as required by the standards. A recurring theme was the high level of noxious weed control across the properties of the members audited. Grassed roads and good drainage control, both of which help manage sediment wash off roads was commended. Herbicide and pesticide use across the FMU’s has dropped and this is also a strength for the FSC. The transparency and openness of members and staff that were audited was appreciated. Staff wellness, level of training and forestry knowledge of those that were interviewed was commended. The level to which the audited members are embedded within their respective communities and the assistance provided to these communities was commended. While the audits were at times challenging and some of the results were not as good as hoped, these are not insurmountable, with forest management certification continuing for both FSC and PEFC. Report on the Annual 2023 FSC© and PEFC© Audits – Colin Summersgill – Certification Manager –
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