Taan Forest becomes Canada’s first FSC® Verified Impact forest through protecting Indigenous cultural values and biodiversity

Haida Nation–owned forest company earns FSC® Verified Impact status for enhancing conservation networks and culturally important species on Haida Gwaii

TORONTO, March 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Forest Stewardship Council^® (FSC^®) has expanded its commitment to credible climate and nature action through FSC Verified Impact—a new program that enables the transparent measurement and reporting of positive outcomes from FSC-certified forests. Designed as a collaborative framework, FSC Verified Impact supports producers, brands, retailers, financial institutions, and governments in accessing and disclosing high‑integrity forest data across value chains. By investing in monitoring and improvement projects in FSC‑certified forests, sponsors gain verified evidence and compelling stories that demonstrate the real, measurable impacts their investments are having on forest ecosystems and local communities.

Amongst one of the program’s first verified projects globally, Taan Forest (Taan), the forest management enterprise owned by the Council of the Haïda Nation, is leading the way under the FSC^® Verified Impact program in Canada. This milestone marks not only the first Verified Impact project in Canada, it is also one of the first globally to be verified for enhancing Indigenous cultural values, showcasing how FSC^® certification can credibly demonstrate positive outcomes for biodiversity, cultural heritage, and community-led stewardship. 

Taan manages two forest licences spanning more than 190,000 hectares on Haida Gwaii, the ancestral homelands of the Haïda Nation. Prior to Taan, the forest was managed under high-intensity industrial logging practices. Following the Haida Gwaii Land Use Objectives Order (2010) and Taan’s FSC^® certification in 2011, management shifted toward a values-based stewardship model. Verified ecosystem services impacts now provide third-party verification, under the FSC^®’s framework, that Taan’s management approach is delivering measurable ecological and cultural benefits. 

“Taan Forest is proud to be one of the first Indigenous organizations worldwide under FSC^® to pursue verification for the enhancement of cultural values", said Leticia Hill, Chief Executive Officer of HaiCo. As a Xaayda Haida owned company, Taan Forest strives to be a leader in forest management, incorporating cultural values and conservation in its practices.”

Through this verification, Taan Forest has demonstrated two ecosystem services impacts: 

• Enhancement of an ecologically sufficient Conservation Areas Network
• Enhancement of culturally valued populations or species
  
  

Over the past 15 years, Taan has built a Conservation Areas Network that includes wildlife habitat reserves, aquatic buffers, cedar stewardship areas, and cultural feature reserves. These areas strengthen ecological connectivity across Xaydaa Gwaay.yaay. Haida Gwaii’s broader system of co-managed parks and Protected Areas (Haida Heritage Sites/conservancies). Verified outcomes include more than 44,000 hectares of conservation area and improved habitat conditions for species such as Taan Haida Gwaii Black Bear, Ts'allang.nga Marbled Murrelet, and Stads K’un Northern Goshawk. 

During the same time, Taan’s execution of the Haida Nation’s Cultural Features Identification Program has reshaped how forest management upholds Haida Rights, culture, and identity. Surveys document Haida Traditional Heritage and Forest Features, Monumental Cedars, Culturally Modified Trees, Taan Black Bear dens, and other culturally significant species for protection and future Haida use prior to any harvesting. Under Taan’s stewardship, the number of identified and protected cultural features has grown from 538 to more than 600,000, and the area of cultural feature reserves has expanded from 494 hectares to 1,687 hectares ensuring cedar and other culturally important species remain available for present and future generations. 

“This achievement reflects the strength of Indigenous-led stewardship and the credibility of FSC’s Verified Impact program,” said Monika Patel, President & CEO, FSC^® Canada. “Taan Forest is demonstrating what responsible forest management looks like when cultural values and ecological integrity are placed at the centre.” 

This first-of-its-kind FSC^® Verified Impact project signals what is possible when Indigenous leadership, community engagement, and robust standards come together. As the Haïda Nation continues advancing stewardship on Haida Gwaii, this project offers a powerful model for forests across Canada: forests where biodiversity thrives, cultural values are honoured, and Indigenous Peoples lead the way toward a resilient, climate smart future. 

To learn more about FSC Verified Impact and how it can support credible, measurable environmental and cultural outcomes, FSC Canada encourages organizations, rights holders, and partners to explore the program and consider how ecosystem services verification can strengthen their own stewardship commitments. Those interested in Indigenous-led forest management, cultural value protection, or ecosystem services markets are invited to connect with FSC Canada to discuss opportunities for collaboration and knowledge exchange. Visit us today at www.ca.fsc.org.

About the Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC^®) FSC is a non-profit organization that provides a proven sustainable forest management solution. Currently, over 160 million hectares of forest worldwide is certified according to FSC standards. It is widely regarded as the most rigorous forest certification system among NGOs, consumers, and businesses alike to tackle today’s deforestation, climate, and biodiversity challenges. The FSC forest management standard is based on ten core principles designed to address a broad range of environmental, social, and economic factors. FSC’s “check tree” label is found on millions of forest-based products and verifies that they are sustainably sourced, from forest to consumer (www.ca.fsc.org).

For media enquiries, please contact: [email protected]

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e278479b-24eb-4395-b9b2-a0f2fdb3e68f