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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. 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 BNQ created the CEAF program to allow a larger number of forestry companies access to environmental certification. The CEAF program applies specifically to forest development activities on state-owned lands and has been adapted to the Québec context. The programs sets out a specific framework and offers series of documents designed to guide companies in their efforts, and may be more suitable for small-sized companies.

 

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.

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