For the fourth year in a row, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative will be a part of the Easter celebration at the White House. We are very excited that the official White House Easter Egg will be packaged in a gift box made from paper certified by SFI. 

We continually promote responsible purchasing decisions to the public, and we hope that this action taken by The National Park Foundation to use SFI-certified boxes will inspire the American people and American companies to make the decision to choose SFI products. In so doing, an important signal is sent in support of responsible forestry and conservation, not to mention buying SFI directly supports American jobs and communities who depend on keeping these working forests healthy and thriving.  

Four years ago, the National Park Foundation decided to start making the conservation of American forests an integral part of the historical White House Easter Egg Roll by packaging the eggs in paperboard sourced by responsible managed forests.

By recognizing SFI in the White House Easter Egg Roll, The National Park Foundation sends the message that selecting certified forest products is not only a smart environmental choice but also a commitment to U.S. communities.  We have been honored to be part of this American tradition the past four years and look forward to continuing the recognition and importance of multiple forests certifications.

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.

Posted by Ben Silvernail, SFI Intern

The 2010 National Report on Sustainable Forests was recently released, providing an excellent resource for current data and analysis from the US Forest Service. The content of the report is structured around the Montreal Process Criteria and Indicators for Forest Sustainability (MPC&I), which provide a comprehensive framework to assess and describe forest trends related to the ecological, social, and economic aspects of sustainability. The Canadian and U.S. governments are signatories to the Montréal Process, and the MP C&I are reflected in the SFI 2010-2014 Standard’s principles, objectives, performance measures, and indicators.

The review process of the report was organized by the Roundtable on Sustainable Forests, which includes organizations, such as SFI Inc., who are committed to responsible, long-term forest management. The insight and information included in this report should help analysts, land managers, and policy-makers address prevailing and increasingly complex issues surrounding long-term sustainability goals, such as the evolving relationship between forests, climate change, and bioenergy.

The 2010 report highlights several areas where the SFI program is helping to improve forest health and knowledge through its standard. The report’s assessment of Indicator 7.60, regarding the capacity to conduct and apply research and development aimed at improving forest management and delivery of forest goods and services, acknowledges that “forest certification standards, particularly the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, require demonstration of research.” This is excellent recognition of SFI’s contribution to research, including the $1.2 billion that SFI program participants have invested in research since 1995, and our Conservation and Community Partnerships Grants Program launched in 2010 that has provided over $1 million to date to improve forest management in the United States and Canada and responsible procurement globally.

The report also brings attention to the fact that forest certification systems provide a clear means to demonstrate that private and public forestry organizations conform to Best Management Practices, and also work as a market based mechanism to protect special sites.

While the report is national in scale, its success ultimately depends on action and innovation at all scales – national, state, and local – and coordination with those who may not traditionally be a part of the forestry community.  At SFI, we look forward to continuing to work with all our partners and all who care about our forests and this report lays the groundwork for us all to better understand and enhance forest health and productivity.

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.

Every year when we release our Progress Report, I am amazed at how much the SFI program and its many partners have achieved.

Here are just a few of the highlights from this year’s report:

• 5,584 resource and logging professionals trained in 2010;
• $81.4 million invested by program participants in forest research activities in 2010;
• 948 SFI Implementation Committee members;
• 36% increase in chain-of-custody certified locations from the start of 2010 to April 2011;
• SFI commitment of $1.1 million through its Conservation and Community Partnerships Grant Program in 2010 and 2011 – a total value of $4.2 million once partner contributions are included;
• more than five million acres/two million hectares of lands held or managed by Aboriginal communities certified to the SFI 2010-2014 Standard;
• new SFI on-product labels to strengthen transparency.

It’s obvious why the title of our Progress Report is The Bigger Picture: Conservation. Community. Integrity.

For SFI Inc., a rigorous certification standard is a starting point – it anchors an independent program broader than any other third-party forest certification program in North America; one that supports conservation research, reaches out to communities, and is built on integrity.

SFI Inc. Board Chair Bob Luoto put it well in his message: “. . . what impresses me most about the program is the fact that literally thousands of people across North America are putting it to work . . .”

We invited certification bodies who conduct the detailed third-party audits to the SFI standard to submit comments. Mike Ferruci of NSF-ISAR Forestry Program spoke to the SFI program rigor: “My advice for companies that want to be SFI certified is to make sure everything is in order before I arrive. I have no choice – if the SFI standard requirements are not being met, and I see a major non-conformance, I won’t be issuing an SFI certificate.”

SFI stands with other certification programs as a respected, internationally recognized standard. It also stands alone. It is the only program in North America requiring that program participants support and engage in research activities, that they broaden the practice of sustainable forestry through landowner and public outreach. It stands alone as the only program with a grassroots network of SFI Implementation Committees who train loggers and participate in important community events.

Conservation. Integrity. Community. All important parts of the SFI bigger picture as we work together to ensure our forests continue to offer the many values we treasure to our children, and to their children.

Read the full report here

Read our news release here