International Recognition for Co-managed Forests: FSC Collaborates with Taiwan's Forestry Agency and Saisiyat Tribe

(CNA, Reporter Wang Shu-fen, Taipei, 19th) The forest co-management project, a collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture's Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FNCA) and the Saisiyat tribe in Miaoli over recent years, has impressed the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) internationally, leading to a site visit last year. Today in Taipei, a three-party memorandum of understanding was signed to jointly promote the "Ecosystem Services Procedure Impact Demonstration" project. The Taiwan office of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) held the "FSC 2026 Taiwan Summit" today at the Taipei Marriott Hotel, announcing the joint promotion of the project based on the Saisiyat Penglai tribal reservation and national forest land in Nanzhuang, Miaoli. An MOU was signed with the FNCA and the Saisiyat Forestry Cooperative. FNCA Director-General Lin Hwa-ching said that FSC International Director Lieske van Santen led a delegation of key department heads to Nanzhuang, Miaoli last year. They were greatly impressed by the results of the co-managed national forest and diverse green forest industries, a collaboration between the FNCA and the Saisiyat Penglai tribe. Believing it embodied the spirit of FSC, they decided to make it a model for their newly launched "Ecosystem Services Procedure Impact Demonstration" project. Lin Hwa-ching stated that since 2016, the FNCA has been promoting co-management of forests with indigenous peoples, encouraging them to use traditional ecological knowledge. With technological assistance from the FNCA, they have jointly developed diverse sustainable forest industries such as beekeeping, log-grown shiitake mushroom cultivation, and essential oil production. This has improved the tribe's livelihood and deepened their commitment to forest protection. Lin Hwa-ching said that co-management of the mountain forest with the Saisiyat Penglai tribe began in 2018. Over the years, it has not only optimized the forest ecosystem but also promoted the tribe's economy, livelihood, and cultural revitalization. Today marks a new phase, allowing the diverse benefits of this collaboration to be quantified. According to the MOU signed by FSC, the FNCA, and the Saisiyat Penglai tribe, the FNCA will be responsible for monitoring the Penglai community in Nanzhuang. FSC will introduce international experts to Taiwan for technical guidance, and the Saisiyat Forestry Cooperative will undertake ecological resource surveys and documentation, as well as provide the application value of traditional knowledge. In the future, the verification results are expected to attract corporate ESG investment and establish Taiwan's value as a leader in natural branding. (Editor: Lee Heng-shan) 1150519