The lack of growth of FSC certified forest areas in the Netherlands inspired to examine the perception of FSC certification among certificate holders. The largest nature conservation organisation in the Netherlands, the Association of Nature Monuments, has only 34% of their forest FSC certified. During the implementation of the FSC standards in this management region the ANM found a lack of support from its employees. In order to design an implementation strategy for the uncertified management units to solve the current issues, the expectations of ANM's employees are additionally researched.
The FSC certification is mainly fuelled by the signal based benefit. If certificate holders are not interested in the signalling possibility they would not recommend certification to other forest owners. FSC certification seems to be less suitable for SMIMFs (Small and More Intensity Managed Forests) in the Netherlands. The SMIMF units are forest management units smaller than 100 ha, with a mean annual harvest of less than 500m³ and a harvesting rate of 20% of the mean annual increment or more.
 SMIMF units are eligible to be FSC certified as SLIMF (Small or Low Intensity Managed Forest) unit. Information about FSC certification and its process is needed to increase the willingness to certify and the acknowledgement of the learning based benefits of certification. Additionally a solution needs to be found for the lack of market based benefits for SMIMF.
 The employees of ANM should control their own policy and distinguish the needed improvements between policy related and FSC related improvements. They should have an improved understanding of the FSC both toward forest management and the chain of custody and the reason why ANM is willing to certify its forests. The implementation strategy should differ from the strategy used in the first management region if the harvesting rate
of the FMUs is smaller then 20% of the mean annual increment.