Individual Third-Party Certificates

All lands eligible for ATFS certification may undergo a third-party certification audit to judge conformance to the AFF Standards of Sustainability. The following outlines the process for landowners interested in seeking third-party certification of their forestlands.

1. Landowner submits an application to an ANAB or SCC-accredited Certification Body and undergoes an audit for conformance with the AFF Standards of Sustainability and ATFS program requirements. 
2. Upon positive certification decision, the Certification Body issues a certificate and notifies ATFS.  The Certification Body shall also notify ATFS of any changes to a previously issued certificate.
3. The landowner must make the Executive Summary of the certification report publicly available.  The Certification Body shall write the Executive Summary of the certification report and shall include findings on the auditees conformity with the AFF Standards and ATFS program requirements.
4. ATFS records information on certification and communicates to appropriate state(s) leadership of the new certification for programmatic purposes.
5. Annual surveillance audits shall be conducted to verify on-going conformance to the AFF Standard and ATFS program requirements.
6. Re-certification audits shall be completed every three (3) years, in conformance with ANAB and SCC accreditation rules.

Click here for a list of currently active individual third-party certificate holders.