Taan Forest (Taan), the forest management enterprise owned by the Council of the Haïda Nation, is leading the way under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Verified Impact program.
This milestone marks the first Verified Impact project in Canada and 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 confirmation, 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 (ES1.4)
- Enhancement of culturally valued populations or species (ES6.4)
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’aw.was Marbled Murrelet, and Stads K’un Northern Goshawk.
During the same timeframe, 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, 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.
Learn more about FSC Verified Impacts
