If you are a forest owner or manager, be your forests on public or private tenure, be your forest estate large, medium or small in size or be your forests either native (Eucalypt, Cypress Pine) or plantation (softwood or hardwood), Australian Forestry Standard (AFS) AS 4708 is the forest management standard for YOU.

The Australian Forestry Standard, as its name implies, was developed by Australians for use within Australia’s States and mainland Territories by Australian forest owners or managers – it is Australia’s only national forest management standard for native forest and plantations.

The Australian Forestry Standard package comprises of four documents which are available in hard copy or electronic copy:

1. AS 4708-2007 - The Australian Forestry Standard
   
   
2. AS 4708 Supp 1-2007 - The Australian Forestry Standard Supplement 1
   Guidance for medium and large native forest ownerships
   
   
3. AS 4708 Supp 2-2007 - The Australian Forestry Standard Supplement 2
   Guidance for medium and large plantation ownerships
   
   
4. AS 4708 Supp 3-2007 - The Australian Forestry Standard Supplement 3
   Guidance for small native forest and plantation ownerships

Of the documents in the AFS package, AS 4708―2007 is the primary normative document which defines the nine criteria and forty requirements that the company’s technical committee, the Australian Forestry Standard Technical Reference Committee initially drafted between 2001 and 2002 and published in 2003, and reviewed between 2004 and 2007, which was confirmed in 2007 to cover the environmental, economic, social and cultural values of forests utilised for wood production.

The three Supplements are for guidance in implementation for forest managers and owners and/or verification to meet criteria and requirements of AS 4708―2007 as the forest management standard.  The Supplements are on an informative basis only with no extra requirements contained within each of the Supplements.  The material presented is based on professional and technical advice for practical forest management and reflects the operational level activities of forest management.  It will be updated at each revision of AFS package.

AS 4708―2007 is a full Australian Standard® having been recognised by Standards Australia in August 2007.  For information on the changes between the 2003 version and the 2007 version in the normative sections of the AFS.

If your organisation has achieved forest management certification to AS 4708―2007, AFS Limited provides access to labels and claims that your organisation can use to promote your forest management in the marketplace.  You can find out more on the rules and fees covering the use of the AFS logo and use of the PEFC logo by downloading AFS Logo Use Rules Manual the PEFC Logo Use Rules Manual.

As a certified organisation, you will be applying for a licence to use the logos and you can download the application form. Please contact the AFSL Office to advise you on the fee structure for the AFS and PEFC logos subscriptions.

Go to the Documents Download centre for all up to date documentation