Posted by Ben Silvernail, SFI Intern

I am excited to be living in Washington, DC for the summer as a student of environmental studies and an intern with the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). A combination of factors led me here, including my work researching how timber harvest management practices affect certain avian species of conservation interest, as well as a great appreciation for natural resources and the outdoors. I have always looked to nature for inspiration and recreation, and working with SFI this summer will provide a great opportunity to learn more about how public policy regarding sustainability is created, adopted and affected.

I was led to my internship at SFI through faculty at Michigan State University, where I have spent the last three years focusing on environmental science and policy, as well as geographic information science. Prior to my arrival in DC, I worked on public lands as a member of the Michigan Civilian Conservation Corps, had a legislative internship with the Michigan House of Representatives, worked as a subcontractor installing office furniture, and most recently had a job with the MSU Center for Spatial Analysis of Recreation and Tourism.

Responsible forest management is important to me because it touches so many aspects of daily life. We all need clean water and air, and I personally love to get outdoors to go camping, fishing, and hiking. I am also impressed by the work SFI is doing to support communities, to work with conservation groups across the continent to better understand and protect a variety of forest ecosystems, and to work with aboriginal communities. I’m proud to work with and learn more about an organization that is so committed to our forests, our communities, consumers, and customers, and to addressing some of the global challenges and opportunities facing forestry.

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!