There are four main ways FSC works towards its goal of achieving sustainable forest management.

FSC sets international standards for responsible forest management, with all chambers meeting annually to assess current standards and develop new ones.

It accredits independent third-party organizations to certify forest managers and forest product producers to FSC standards and to conduct annual audits to make sure operations adhere to FSC principles.

The FSC Chain of Custody tracks products from the forest through all the steps of the production process until it reaches the end user.

Finally, the FSC product label enables consumers to recognize which products support responsible forest management.

CENTER FOR A NEW AMERICAN DREAM
The Center for A New American Dream (CNAD) advocates responsible consumption to protect the environment, enhance quality of life, and promote social justice. Check out CNAD's Conscious Consumer page to learn how you can buy environmentally and socially responsible products. CNAD endorses FSC certification of wood and wood products.
Center for a New American Dream > Buy Wisely > Conscious Consumer > Logging
http://www.newdream.org/consumer/logging.php

FORESTS AND THE EUROPEAN UNION RESOURCES NETWORK (FERN)
FERN seeks to create real change in the European Union’s forest policies and practices.
FERN's report "Footprints in The Forest, Current Practice and Future Challenges in Forest Certification," examines the eight biggest forest certification schemes. The section on FSC looks at its history and characteristics, the standard-setting procedures, the certification process, its transparancy, the FSC's label protection and its chain of custody. To read the complete version of this in-depth report, go to:
FERN > Publications > Reports > Footprints in the Forest
http://www.fern.org/pubs/reports/footprints/footpage.htm

FOREST CERTIFICATION RESOURCE CENTER (FCRC)
The Forest Certification Resource Center (FCRC) provides comprehensive, objective information about forest management, forest certification and responsible wood and paper purchasing. For a comparison of the governance, standardization, accreditation and product tracking of five major forest certification systems, including the FSC, visit:
Metafore > Search > Certified Wood
http://www.certifiedwoodsearch.org/matrix/matrix.asp


FORESTS MONITOR
Forests Monitor is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization, established in 1993 to contribute to the debate about sustainable forest management by collecting and disseminating information about companies operating in the forestry sector around the world. For publications, maps, and information about specific companies in the forest sector visit this site.
http://www.forestsmonitor.org/index.htm

FORESTS.ORG
Forest.org is an Internet search engine and portal, dedicated to the protection of the world's remaining tropical rainforests and the rights of their inhabitants. This portal provides links to most forest related issues, including forest biodiversity, forest destruction, protection, and many more.
http://www.forests.org/


FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL
Founded in 1993, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a global, non-profit organization that promotes environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world's forests through the process of forest certification. FSC standards represent the world's strongest system for guiding forest management toward sustainable outcomes. Learn about FCS's chain-of-custody, the path taken by raw materials harvested from an FSC certified source through processing, manufacturing, distribution, and printing until it is a final product ready for sale to the end consumer.
Forest Stewardship Council > What Is FSC? > Policy & Standards > Learn More > Chain of Custody
http://www.fsc.org/coc/

GREENPEACE
Founded in 1971, Greenpeace employs peaceful direct action and media campaigns to address global environmental problems. Learn about deforestation and Greenpeace's work to protect ancient forests.
Green Peace > Issues > Forest
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/campaigns/forests


MERIDIAN INSTITUTE
The Meridian Institute works with decision makers and diverse stakeholders to solve public policy issues. Meridian staff convened and facilitated a panel of experts to produce a comparative analysis of the Forest Stewardship Council and Sustainable Forestry Initiative programs. "Analysis of the Forest Stewardship Council© and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative®", analyzes the work of the Forest Stewardship Council, describing FSC's structure and offers an oversight of the standards, the certifying bodies, the mechanics of the FSC certification process, the control over the label and the supply chain verification. To read the complete version of this comparative analysis, go to:
Meridian Institute > Projects > Forests, Ecosystems, Biodiversity, and Natural Resources > Comparative Analysis of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)
http://www2.merid.org/comparison/FSC_SFI_Comp_Analysis-Volume_II.pdf

NATIONAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL
National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) uses law, science and the support of its members to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all living things. This web site provides in-depth reports, how-to-guides, photo essays, facts and figures, links, news and issue highlights on topics such as forests, parks & wildlands, green living, wildlife and fish, and more.
http://www.nrdc.org/land/Forests/default.asp

RAINFORESTWEB.ORG
Created by Rainforest Action Network, Rainforestweb.org provides a consolidated web forum on rainforests, the threats to their survival and the myriad strategies underway to save them. This site offers a wealth of information on the world's rainforests: why they are important, what is happening in the rainforests, why they are being destroyed, how they can be protected, and how you can help.
http://www.rainforestweb.org/

THE RAINFOREST FOUNDATION
The Rainforest Foundation seeks to support indigenous people and traditional populations of the world's rainforests in their efforts to protect their environment and fulfill their rights to secure and control the natural resources necessary for their long term well being. This Kids Corner page of the Rainforest Foundation web site provides games, activity sheets, photos and teacher resources to help kids to learn about the rainforest-its people, plants and animals.
The Rainforest Foundation > Kids Corner
http://www.rainforestfoundationuk.org/s-Kids%20Corner

SMARTWOOD
A program of Rainforest Alliance, Smartwood is a FSC accredited to certify for sustainable forestry management. Smartwood is the world’s leading FSC forest management certifier. In addition to forest certification, Rainforest Alliance sets standards for sustainability and offers a certification program for farming and tourism. Visit this site to learn about SmartWood and their sustainable forestry certification.
Rainforest Alliance > Programs > Forestry > Smartwood
www.smartwood.org

SCIENTIFIC CERTIFICATION SYSTEMS (SCS)
SCS is a for-profit organization and developed its Forest Conservation Program in 1991and became an accredited certification body of FSC in 1996. SCS has certified more than 23.8 million acres of natural forests and plantations in North, Central, and South America, Europe, Asia, and New Zealand. Visit this site to learn about SCS's Forest Conservation Program.
Scientific Certification Systems > Forestry
http://www.scscertified.com/forestry/

SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY INITIATIVE
Established in 1994, the timber industry-based Sustainable Forestry Initiative is the certification program of the American Forest and Paper Association (AFPA), and is preferred by many large North American timber companies. Partially in response to FSC, SFI has been strengthening its standards and seeking independent third-party verification for its certification of forests. AFPA members are required to win SFI certification to stay in the organization. SFI has an environmental focus and does not deal with such FSC issues as rights of indigenous people to use forests. SFI certifies 150 million acres of US forest lands. Several state forests have been seeking dual certification from both FSC and SFI.
http://www.sfi.org

UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAM - World Conservation Monitoring
The United Nations Environment Program World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) provides objective, scientifically rigorous products and services to help decision makers recognize the value of biodiversity and apply this knowledge to all that they do. Visit this site to find data sets and maps, status indicators and trends, regional information, and other resources related to forests, species, protected areas, and the relationship between trade and the environment.
http://www.unep-wcmc.org

WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE
World Resources Institute (WRI) is an environmental think tank that provides objective information and practical proposals for policy and institutional change that will foster environmentally sound, socially equitable development. This site offers country profiles, maps, data tables, features and other resources on issues such as forests, agriculture and food, people and ecosystems.
http://www.wri.org/

WORLD WILDLIFE FUND
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) leads international efforts to protect endangered species and their habitats by promoting sustainable approaches to the use of renewable natural resources and pollution reduction. Explore the wealth of information WWF offers on issues such as deforestation, forest conservation, endangered species, wildlife trade, deteriorating ocean health, and much more.
http://www.worldwildlife.org/index.cfm