Taken directly from the Master Loggers website:

The content of the master logger program is based on a common vision for the rural communities and forest resources of the Northeast. These nine Goals guide Master Loggers in their work:

There are detailed harvest responsibilities with explicit performance standards under each goal.

Field verifiers visit actual harvest sites to determine whether candidates for Northeast Master Logger Certification are meeting and exceeding the standards that are required for certification. Their findings are submitted to an independent, regional board that makes the final decision on whether a company will be certified.

Taken directly from the CLP website:
It is the mission of the CLP program to provide the best possible training and education to people involved in the Maine logging industry. The program is equally committed to recognizing the skill and professionalism of those who meet and exceed the CLP standard. The successful CLP candidate will be prepared to work safely, productively, and in a manner that protects, enhances and sustains the forest. Our program will evolve to reflect changes in the forest products industry and will provide a means for continual professional growth.

Why choose a CLP?

Safety – The CLP program stresses safety throughout its training and certification processes. This emphasis on safety has resulted in a reduction in accidents by CLPs that gained them a special, reduced workers compenstion rate.

Skill – CLPs receive hands-on training that allows them to develop a wide variety of skills. From layingout a site, to felling and marketing wood, CLPs have the skills to safely, efficiently and profitably conduct a harvest.

Knowledge – Regulations, technology and a complex and fragile work envirornment all pose daily challenges for the logger. The CLP program prepares loggers to meet these challenges as well as the needs of their customers.

Stewardship – Stewardship of our forest is a priority of the CLP program. That is why we provide training in wildlife protection, erosion and pollution control and sustainable forestry. We are commited to healthy forests for the future.

Professionalism – Professional standing is gained through training and experience. CLPs have both. With their extensive training and evaluations, CLPs are regarded as the true “professionals” in the Maine woods.

Pride – Pride is what makes a professional go the extra mile to maintain a safe, environmentally sound, profitable operation. Landowners can be confident that CLPs will bring this quality to the worksite every day.

PLC offers many benefits to logging companies and their employees ranging from safety incentives, contractor networking, representation and advocacy for the logging community and training for logging professionals. Feel free to explore their website for more information.

Read more about the Forest Management Certification here.

The following is taken directly from the FSC website:

Principles & Criteria
To achieve our mission and vision, FSC has developed a set of 10 principles and 57 Criteria that apply to FSC-certified forests around the world. The Principles include the following:

• PRINCIPLE #1: COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS AND FSC PRINCIPLES – Forest management shall respect all applicable laws of the country in which they occur, and international treaties and agreements to which the country is a signatory, and comply with all FSC Principles and Criteria.

• PRINCIPLE #2: TENURE AND USE RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES – Long-term tenure and use rights to the land and forest resources shall be clearly defined, documented and legally established.

• PRINCIPLE #3: INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ RIGHTS – The legal and customary rights of indigenous peoples to own, use and manage their lands, territories, and resources shall be recognized and respected.

• PRINCIPLE #4: COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND WORKER’S RIGHTS – Forest management operations shall maintain or enhance the long-term social and economic well being of forest workers and local communities.

• PRINCIPLE # 5: BENEFITS FROM THE FOREST – Forest management operations shall encourage the efficient use of the forest’s multiple products and services to ensure economic viability and a wide range of environmental and social benefits.

• PRINCIPLE #6: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT – Forest management shall conserve biological diversity and its associated values, water resources, soils, and unique and fragile ecosystems and landscapes, and, by so doing, maintain the ecological functions and the integrity of the forest.

• PRINCIPLE #7: MANAGEMENT PLAN – A management plan — appropriate to the scale and intensity of the operations — shall be written, implemented, and kept up to date. The long-term objectives of management, and the means of achieving them, shall be clearly stated.

• PRINCIPLE #8: MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT– Monitoring shall be conducted — appropriate to the scale and intensity of forest management — to assess the condition of the forest, yields of forest products, chain of custody, management activities and their social and environmental impacts.

• PRINCIPLE # 9: MAINTENANCE OF HIGH CONSERVATION VALUE FORESTS – Management activities in high conservation value forests shall maintain or enhance the attributes which define such forests. Decisions regarding high conservation value forests shall always be considered in the context of a precautionary approach.

• PRINCIPLE # 10: PLANTATIONS – Plantations shall be planned and managed in accordance with Principles and Criteria 1-9, and Principle 10 and its Criteria. While plantations can provide an array of social and economic benefits, and can contribute to satisfying the world’s needs for forest products, they should complement the management of, reduce pressures on, and promote the restoration and conservation of natural forests.