For Wood Industry & Manufactures:
Explanation Chain-of-Custody
Chain-of-Custody (CoC) certification is certification for primary wood industry companies such as sawmills or loggers and secondary manufactures such as cabinet or furniture makers. CoC certification is primarily concerned with inventory control procedures. During an assessment auditors are looking to see how a company handles their certified wood. Assessors will want to see that certified wood is separated from non-certified material. Every company that handles and traffics certified material must have their own certificate in order to not break the supply chain. This certified chain must be complete and unbroken all the way from woodlands to the finished product.
Membership in TCNEF’s CoC group certificate is open to:
- All Northeast Master Logger certified companies
- Wood products companies with an annual turnover for all goods and services does not exceed $5 Million
Four Steps to Chain of Custody Certification:
The company contacts the Trust
The Trust collects information on the company and their production process and uses it to develop a draft Chain of Custody Documented Control System. The Control System is a set of procedures for maintaining the product’s chain of custody through purchasing, production, and sales.
An on-site visit is conducted where the Chain of Custody procedures are reviewed and the Control System is refined.
An agreement is signed by the company and the Trust that acknowledges the responsibilities of both parties for maintaining the certification.
Chain of Custody Group – Member Resources:
Program Documents
TCNEF Group Chain of Custody Group Member Manual
Steps to FSC® Chain of Custody Certification
FSC Chain of Custody Group Membership Information
Monitoring and Reporting
COC Group Member Annual Reports
Resources
FSC® Chain of Custody Standard FSC®-STD-40-004-V2-1
Product Classification Addendum FSC®-STD-40-004a-V2-0-EN
FSC® Chain of Custody Certification of Multiple Sites Standard FSC®-STD-40-003-V2-1
FSC® User’s Guide Chain of Custody – A Technical Guide for Manufacturers and Suppliers
FSC® Trademark Links
Requirements for the Use of FSC® Trademarks – FSC®-STD-50-001-EN
FSC® Label Matrix – FSC®-50-001 Label Matrix
FAQ for FSC® Trademarks – FSC®-50-001 FAQ
About TCNEF & Chain-of-Custody
The Trust to Conserve Northeast Forestlands (TCNF) is a 501 c (3) non-profit organization based in Augusta, Maine that holds a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) group chain of custody certificate (NC-COC-001677) FSC® certification is an international third party auditing system of forest management and utilization practices that assesses compliance with a set of ecological, economic and social standards for responsible forestry. Chain of Custody is an information trail, established and audited according to rules set by FSC, to ensure that wood comes from certified forests. Certified organizations are assessed and audited by certifying bodies approved by FSC. The certifying body for TCNF is the Preferred by Nature. TCNF is responsible for maintaining the certification, facilitating audits, maintaining records, and assisting members with compliance with the standards. Members are responsible for complying with approved procedures, maintaining records of purchases and sales of certified products, and assisting with monitoring and auditing visits.
