FSC Certified Area Submittal

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https://open.fsc.org/handle/resource/2

What is the Certified Area Submittal Tool?

FSC maintains an internal database of the certified lands managed by Forest Management Certificate Holders. To facilitate this collection of spatial data, FSC has developed the Certified Area Submittal Tool. This is a web application where certificate holders can submit the digital boundaries of their certified areas in a variety of formats, such as a shapefile or kml (see the full list below, under FAQs) .

Upload your certified area data

Documents and Resources

Motion 61/2021

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User Manual

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Advice Note

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FAQs

1. Why does FSC collect certified area data?

Answer: At the FSC General Assembly, FSC members made the decision to establish a comprehensive map of all FSC-certified areas (Motion 61/2021 ). This map helps FSC International maintain an internal database of the certified lands managed by Forest Management Certificate Holders. The internal map is private and accessible only to FSC International. However, certificate holders can choose to give their consent for their land boundaries to be displayed on this public map, set to be released in 2025.

2. Will FSC share my certified area data?

Answer: All data uploaded is confidential and will not be shared further without specified consent. As of [date], FSC collects certified area boundary data for internal management and tracking purposes as part of FSC’s Forest Management Certification process. Publicly displaying geolocation data is voluntary for forest owners; should a forest owner choose to grant FSC permission to do so, certified areas are displayed on our public map. Please note that this map does not allow for any data to be downloaded, and original files will never be shared.

3. What are the supported file formats?

Answer: The platform supports the following formats:

shapefile
GeoJSON
Kml
FileGDB

4. How often do I have to upload my certified area data?

Answer: Currently, FSC does not request any updates on a regular basis. However, if your certified area boundary changes, we encourage you to resubmit your boundary data to reflect the latest and most accurate area on the map.

5. How can I get the files in the correct format for upload?

Answer: This depends on the GIS solution you are using; some offer easy export options where you can select the export format and configure other settings. We suggest you contact your solution’s technical support to get detailed guidance on how to extract the files in the correct format.

6. Does my Certification Body have to approve the files before uploading them?

Answer: No. However, your Certification Body may want to check the uploaded area during an audit.

7. Which certificate holders can upload their certified area data to the Certified Area Submittal tool?

Answer: Any forest management certificate holder, whether it is individual or within a group certification, can submit their certified area boundaries.

8. What if my certified area is too small, and I do not have the boundary data (i.e. polygons) for the FSC certified area?

Answer: If you are part of a group certificate and your certified area is less than 5 hectares, you can upload your boundary as a Point.

9. How can I get support if I encounter issues while using this tool?

Answer: You can reach out to us via email at maps@fsc.org.

Do you need support?

For any kind of support, you can reach us at: maps@fsc.org