The challenge of valuing standing forests is parallel to the increase in number of small management plans in the interior parts of the Amazon. There are few studies about this management model and it is rare to find those that relate it to forest certification potential in protected areas, specifically in RDS. This is the differential of this study that characterized the reality of forest management and its practices through the vision of the managers themselves in relation to their ways of life; social relations, environmental, economic and commercial factors that management involves. The study showed, comparatively with the principles of FSC certification, the advantages and challenges of local conditions for a small-scale forest management plan located in the state of Amazonas, in the Sustainable Development Reserve of Rio Negro. It also demonstrated the actual costs of FSC accredited certifiers for this management conditions. It further shows the market perception of certified companies in the region about the current and future scenario for certified wood. In conclusion, community forest management in RDS do Rio Negro is unanimously considered by the managers as a good experience they are interested in continuing with. Regarding forest certification, the majority has already heard about it and is interested in doing even though they do not know their exact context. The Small Scale Forest Management Plan of RDS do Rio Negro in the Marajá community did not demonstrate the necessary conformities to be recommended for a certification audit. Only after the “strengths” are kept or improved and the “challenges” are overcome can the present SSFMP be considered to receive a certification audit. Considering that the local market does not value certification as a differentiated product, and does not aggregate value to products, the direct cost of certification becomes a burden for the producer. The direct costs of certifying SSFMP Marajá represent an additional cost of de R$ 129,95/m3 individually, and an additional cost of R$ 45,83/m3 in the group certification. This represents 29% and 10% of the respective selling costs. Regarding the socioenvironmental certification potential for wood forest products of the RDS do Rio Negro SSFMP Marajá, the study concludes that it is not worth it to engage in FSC certification. However, this scenario could change with the availability of external donations. The FSC certification concept lacks dissemination in the state of Amazonas, showing the ecological footprint related to the consumption habits of each one. It is necessary to have greater dissemination of the management plans in RDS do Rio Negro in order to expand the commercialization options and value the wood products that come from management. For an adequate use of forest resources, development, and international expansion of the Brazilian forest sector it is fundamental to have technical and financial incentives for forest enterprise certification projects through either governments, foundations or NGOs. Therefore, it is recommended that: FSC pattern of certification is used as an administrative tool in management practices; financial support is requested for certification and SSFMPs management is structured in groups, defining rules to optimize production and commercialization in order to allow for future evaluation and certification of the management plans.
