Global Forest Sustainability and Certification course at NCSU
NCSU course #for595g

Course Description

In the last decade, Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) and forest certification have become the dominant paradigms that address forest management and protection in the world. Each of these subjects addresses economic, ecologic, and social components of forestry. Several international processes and accords address SFM in temperate and tropical forests. These generally include broad criteria that state principles for forest management, and indicators that can be used to measure and track the status of the world’s forests at the national, or perhaps forest management unit, level. Forest certification focuses on measuring forest management, environmental protection, and social benefits from forest ownership and forest practices at the forest management unit or stand level. These new public processes and private forest certification systems all work within the existing context of national, state, or province forestry laws and agencies. The interaction of these public and private policies for forestry and other resources determine the management and protection of forests.

Global Forest Sustainability and Forest Certification (FOR 595G) is designed for graduate students and advanced undergraduates. Students will investigate current forest certification issues in teams formed both across countries and within countries, building cross-cultural communication skills and challenging the students to understand selected national SFM Criteria and Indicators (C&I) and forest certification programs and standards. The course will rely on a suite of traditional lectures and discussions and new interactive technologies, including electronic bulletin boards and chat rooms, VOIP teleconferencing, and videos of field trips and guest speakers.