Program for certification of company practices in silvicultural work (PGES)
Documents and resources
Le Programme PGES encadre les entreprises qui réalisent des travaux sylvicoles non commerciaux dans les forêts publiques du Québec. En favorisant les bonnes pratiques, l'équité entre les entrepreneurs et la protection des travailleurs, il contribue à une gestion forestière responsable et de qualité.
ESMP program
Certification of forestry business management practices
The PGES Program was created to encourage good practices and healthy competition between companies that carry out non-commercial silvicultural work in public forests in Quebec, with the exception of intramunicipal public lands.
This program is also mandatory for silvicultural contractors who carry out work for Hydro-Québec.
What does the ESMP apply to?
Non-commercial work, that is to say those which do not aim at the sale of wood, but rather at the maintenance and development of the forest, include in particular:
- land preparation;
- tree planting;
- forest enrichment and diversification of species;
- the release of young plants;
- the clearings.
Program Objectives
A framework to protect workers, improve practices and support fair competition
The ESMP improves equity by preventing certain practices harmful to the forest environment and also aims to improve the quality of work carried out in the forest.
The program helps prevent practices that harm law-abiding businesses.
It promotes better conditions of information, safety and supervision for workers.
It supports the carrying out of better-supervised forestry work that complies with applicable requirements.
It contributes to better management of work carried out in Quebec's public forests.
Supervised practices
Harmful practices better controlled
The ESMP aims to limit undeclared work, poorly supervised subcontracting, non-compliance with health and safety rules, as well as the lack of clear information for workers.
In short, the ESMP ensures that forest workers are better protected, better informed and that forests are well managed.
Quebec initiative
Organizations behind the program
The PGES Program is an initiative of three important organizations in Quebec.
| Organisation | Full name |
|---|---|
AETSQ |
Association of silvicultural contractors of Quebec |
FQCF |
Quebec Federation of Forestry Cooperatives |
GFQ |
Forestry groups Quebec |
Documents PGES
Program Documents and Certification Applications
Consult the documents according to your profile: program documents, certification of A-B-C companies, qualification of type D subcontractors, PES and EUF qualification, other documents and annual report.
Main program documents
- PGES SPECIFICATIONS par FQCF-GFQ-AETSQ — version 29 avril 2026
- PGES Forevia operating rules — version 28 avril 2026
Documents required for type A-B-C businesses
PGES certification is required for companies wishing to respond to calls for tender when the client requires PGES certification. The type of company (A, B or C) is defined according to the turnover of the company requesting certification.
Documents required for Type D subcontractors
- Steps towards PGES qualification for Type D subcontractors (English)
- List of parts to prepare certification for Type D subcontractor (see English version)
- Example of ESMP contract version April 28, 2026 Type D (see English version)
Documents required to begin qualifying subcontractors
- Steps towards PGES Forevia PES and EUF qualification (English)
- List of parts to prepare for the qualification of small businesses Type PES (see English version)
- List of documents to prepare for the qualification of EUF sole proprietorships (see English version)
- Example PGES contract version April 28, 2026 Types EUF PES (see English version)
Other documents and annual report
Other documents
Annual ESMP review
- 2026 review (to come)
Complaints
PGES Forevia Team
Need help with your ESMP certification or qualification?
The Forevia PGES team can help you identify the required documents and guide you along the right path.
