Penn State, through the Sustainable Forestry Partnership, is exploring new ways to encourage private owners to consider certification. Disadvantages of certification As well as positive potentials, certification has some potential negatives as well. The cost of forest land certification ranges from less than 50 cents per acre to several dollars depending on factors such as ownership size and location. Annual audits cost from less than 5 cents to more than 20 cents per acre. One way certifiers try to make certification feasible for small woodland owners is by certifying a forestry consultant or land manager.
All lands managed by that individual then receive certification.
In this case, there is no direct cost to the landowner unless the certified manager passes on the cost of certification. The second cost of certification is the indirect cost of changing management practices, if necessary, to obtain certification. Most currently certified landowners made a few major changes in their management practices. Little information exists regarding these costs. Since most demand doesn't come from final consumers, it is difficult to predict how this market will develop.