Ron Wilson from buyalder.com posted a great comment/ question the other day and I thought it deserved its own post – join in on the discussion.

Ron Wilson: Do you feel that there is any chance that the Leed program will not accept SFI certification? Our customers are very concerned about SFI certification losing any value if the Leed system does not move in this direction.

SFI welcomes the work the USGBC is doing. Their work and the inclusive approach they are considering reflects the direction many other green building programs have taken. Examples of these programs that do include a variety of credible certification programs like SFI are the Green Build Initiative’s Green Globes system for commercial building in the US, Green Globes Canada for commercial building in Canada, NAHB’s Green Building Guidelines for residential building in the US, the BRE Environmental Assessment Method for commercial buildings in the UK, and The Code for Sustainable Homes for residential homes in England.

If the USGBC evolves to recognize SFI and other certification programs it would support their position as being among the leaders in the complex, evolving, and critically important world of green building. I am hopeful that through working with USGBC and helping them understand what SFI delivers vis-a-vis other certification programs we will be included. It is too early in the USGBC process to know where SFI will come out because they are still developing their benchmarks against which they will assess the different certification programs. After they develop their benchmarks, the different standards will be assessed and that process will likely not be completed before summer 2009. Once the benchmarks have been developed we will have a better understanding of where SFI fits.

So, am I concerned about SFI’s value changing if LEED doesn’t implement an inclusive approach? Honestly, I believe in the strength of the SFI program – it is one of the largest, fastest growing and most comprehensive forest certification programs in the world. We have grown from 48 chain-of-custody certified locations a year ago to nearly 900 to date. I don’t expect that to change regardless of the outcome of LEED – governments around the world recognize the value of SFI, as do numerous other green building rating systems. (Have a look at our green building fact sheet.)

At the end of the day, certification need not be contentious – there is a lot of room in the green building arena for certified wood products The issue is not which forest certification system is better; they all deliver on key values such as protection of special biological or cultural sites, management strategies to protect species at risk and wildlife habitat, sustainable harvest levels, prompt regeneration, 3rd party accredited certification audits, and public audit reports with corrective actions listed. I think it is in the planet’s best interest if we all focus on the 90% of the world’s forests that are not certified and do not have strong legal frameworks.

While we are on the subject of how certified wood fits in the realm of green building, I’ll end my post with a little food for thought – wood is the only building material that comes with third party certification.

We held our Annual Conference last month in Minneapolis. In the year since I attended my first SFI conference as president and CEO, the SFI community has continued their hard work and achieved unparalleled growth. From the conference room to networking events and awards luncheons, the energy and enthusiasm about SFI and its momentum was obvious.

Attendance was excellent and we had a vibrant exchange of ideas and information on forest certification, illegal logging, carbon markets and new research on the public and industry views of eco-labels. A highlight was the launch of SFI’s new on-product label, which provides clear and concise information.

We had almost 200 delegates at the conference, including representatives from the print, packaging and solid wood supply chain; SFI-certified organizations; loggers; academics; and conservation groups. We took in a lot of information-packed and thought-provoking presentations, including the presentation and video by our Minnesota SFI implementation committee and their project with Habitat for Humanity that left us all a little misty-eyed. You can access all of the presentations here.

The entire SFI team knows that our success is built on the success and leadership shown by SFI participants and certificate holders. That’s why I was especially pleased to recognize the contributions of a number of individuals and organizations involved with SFI. I presented awards to Forest Capital Partners LLC, Harden Furniture Inc., JELD-WEN Windows and Doors, the Minnesota SFI Implementation Committee, National Envelope, Rayonier Inc., Sierra Pacific Industries and Smead Manufacturing Company. We’ve seen media pick up on some of the awards – here is a story about Harden Furniture, which received our President’s Award. Thanks again to our Minnesota SFI implementation committee for being such terrific hosts!

I’m Kathy Abusow, president & CEO of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Inc.  This is my first blog, and I’m excited about its prospects.  I’m looking forward to discussing the issues facing forestry today and also to engaging in a dialogue with visitors, not only about certification and sustainability, but how they can be active participants in the health of our forests.  

I have always had a great appreciation for the beauty of the forests.  We love them for the recreation, environmental and spiritual benefits they bring to our lives. At the same time, they provide important products for our every day lives – products like lumber for our homes, paper for the books we read and packaging for some of our favorite products.  But it’s critical that our forests are managed in a way that preserves their abundance for future generations.  That is what the SFI Program is about and I am proud to be leading it.

Across North America, there are 150 million acres (60 million hectares) certified to the SFI standard, meaning these forests are being managed to conserve wildlife habitat, species at risk, water quality and much more.  It also means that the environment is being protected and trees are being replanted in areas that were harvested.  

SFI and other forest certification standards have helped stimulate tremendous progress in managing our forests.  But we still have a long way to go.  Only 10% of the world’s forestland is certified.   We need to raise that amount ever year.  Businesses and consumers can do their part by purchasing forest products that come from certified forests.  

So, that is my first post.  Please feel free to comment and/or send me questions!