16th December 2005

NEWS RELEASE 2005/2

UKWAS Draft Text released

The draft revised text of the United Kingdom Woodland Assurance Standard has been released to stakeholders following nearly two years’ work by the UKWAS Steering Group.

UKWAS Executive Chairman, Peter Wilson, said: “I am delighted that the Steering Group has finished its work on preparing a draft revised edition of the UKWAS standard. The current standard was launched in 1999 and the revision process began in 2004 with a consultation exercise. The Steering Group has had to take full account of the comments received from stakeholders and ensure that the standard is compatible with the requirements of the two certification programmes which use the standard as the central component of their UK schemes.

“It has been a long and difficult process and Steering Group members are to be congratulated for their dedication and tenacity!”

The Steering Group meets again in January and will review any further comments received before allowing the text to be put forward to the Forest Stewardship Council for its endorsement.

Ends

Notes to editors:

• The United Kingdom Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS) is the certification standard used to assess sustainable forest management in the UK; it provides the basis for certification schemes operated by both the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).
  
• The draft standard and supporting documents are available on www.ukwas.org.uk and the Steering Group will be pleased to receive any further comments by 16th January 2006. Comments should be sent to the UKWAS Support Unit – fiona.angier@confor.org.uk

Further information from: Fiona Angier on 0131 524 8099 or Peter Wilson, Executive Chairman of UKWAS on 0131 226 4665 or 07740 434 220.