Architects and builders can learn more about the benefits of using certified wood in green building thanks to a Continuing Education Unit (CEU) sponsored by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative^® (SFI^®) program. It also demonstrates how government agencies support an inclusive approach to certification and how even LEED Pilot Credit 43 offers an opportunity for SFI-certified wood.

The unit – Certified Wood Branches Out: Forest Certification’s Evolving Role in Green Building Rating Systems – is featured in the January-February 2012  issue of GreenSource Magazine, which is published by McGraw Hill and goes to 45,000 green design and construction professionals.

It reinforces the fact that the green building community is recognizing the value of all forest certification programs equally. This past fall alone, we had Governor Paul LePage’s executive order in Maine, and heard from the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Education, and the International Green Construction Code – all recognizing SFI and other credible forest certification standards.

The CEU will be in the McGraw Hill Continuing Education Unit online library throughout 2012, and architects and builders can earn continuing education credits through the American Institute of Architects by reading the article and taking an online test.

Building materials have such a huge impact on the environment, and wood from responsibly managed forests is such a great choice in new construction or renovations. We encourage you to help get the CEU into the hands of builders, architects, designers, and specifiers so they can see that third-party forest certification standards like SFI offer a proof point that the forest has been managed for multiple values.

Read the full CEU here.

Today marks the launch of SFI’s In Case You Were Wondering section of the website (sfiprogram.org/facts). This part of the site is a resource for anyone with questions about forest certification or SFI and explains the values our program is grounded in, the importance of promoting responsible forest management and helps
consumers make informed purchasing decisions.

Independence and inclusion, rigorous third party audits and understanding eco labels are the themes covered throughout this area of our site. We showcase leaders in their respective fields with videos and information featuring me and other key contributors to forest certification:

Additionally, there is a “share” feature on each page, making it easy for you to post and email information about the site to your social networks.

I couldn’t be more excited about the site, and we hope you find it valuable. Feel free to share your feedback by commenting on the post or emailing info@sfiprogram.org.

Nadine Block, Senior Director, Government Outreach

SFI is proud to be a sponsor of an important upcoming event that tackles a major global problem: the Fourth Potomac Forum on Illegal Logging and Associated Trade, hosted by Forest Trends on May 4 in Washington DC. Co-sponsors include the World Bank, USAID, and the Forest Legality Alliance. The objective of the Potomac Forum is to develop a better understanding of the different initiatives currently being undertaken by governments, industry, and NGOs related to the global trade of legally sourced wood products. Speakers will address experiences with the Lacey Act, views on the recently passed EU Timber Regulation, and other important topics. SFI will participate as a speaker on a panel exploring how certification standards are working with the new regulations.

SFI’s support for the Potomac Forum comes through our Conservation and Community Partnerships Grant Program which fosters partnerships between organizations interested in improving forest management in the United States and Canada, and responsible procurement globally.

SFI’s support for the Potomac Forum ties directly to the SFI 2010-2014 Standard requirements related to avoidance of controversial sources, including Performance Measure 12.1: “Program participants shall ensure that their fiber sourcing programs support the principles of sustainable forestry, including efforts to thwart illegal logging” and Performance Measure 13.1: “Program participants shall avoid controversial sources and encourage socially sound practices.”

The Potomac Forum, which SFI is sponsoring for the third time, is one of several activities that SFI is engaged in to take action on illegal logging and to raise awareness about the role of certification standards in supporting the multitude of market and policy demands for non-controversial, or legal, wood products. An SFI grant is also supporting the World Resources Institute (WRI) in the creation of the Forest Legality Alliance Risk Tool, an open access, map-based, global information hub so users can conduct due diligence on forest trade. SFI is a member of the Forest Legality Alliance and will be hosting a webinar on illegal logging with WRI in June. Wherever you fall along the forest supply chain, we hope you will participate in one of these activities and learn more about the important initiatives being undertaken to address a major global problem.

Last week I was invited by Joel Makower, Executive Editor of greenbiz.com to contribute a guest article to the popular news site. The blog, titled “What do to when ForestEthics comes knocking?”, speaks of how market campaigns actually undermine not just SFI, but all of the valued forest certification programs. The article has been well received and has been picked up by Reuters and a growing list of international outlets.   We invite you to read, comment and share within your social networks.

Read the full story here

Earlier today, the conservation chamber of SFI’s Board of Directors sent an open letter to media regarding ForestEthics.  The letter is below.   I encourage you to demonstrate your support by commenting on this letter, the SFI program and all the great work the more than 2,500 organizations involved in our program do.

As members of the Conservation Chamber of SFI’s Board of Directors, we take strong exception to ForestEthics’ current campaign against SFI.

It is precisely the power of SFI to sustain fish and wildlife, biodiversity, water quality and ecosystem functions (including mitigating and adapting to climate change) on 180 million acres of forest throughout North America that motivates us to serve on SFI’s board. By serving, we help SFI continue to improve an already strong mechanism to conserve forests and their environmental values.

Groups that spread misinformation about SFI could well be harming the forest environment. SFI provides a tremendous amount of on-the-ground conservation value – a value North Americans care deeply about. We believe SFI and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) are both excellent mechanisms that improve the environmental (and social and economic) values provided by forests. There is room and need for both programs.

The six of us who serve on the Environmental Chamber of the SFI Board have dedicated our lives to conservation. We would not be on the SFI Board if we did not believe it is a credible forest certification program, which we are able to advise and guide through our combined and diverse conservation expertise.

Sincerely,

George H. Finney, Ph. D President Bird Studies Canada	John M. Hagan, Ph.D. President Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences
Roger Sedjo, Ph. D Senior Fellow Resources for the Future	Thomas M. Franklin Senior Director of Science and Policy Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
Lawrence A. Selzer President and CEO The Conservation Fund	Mike Zagata, Ph. D President and CEO Ruffed Grouse Society