Allison Welde is SFI Director, Conservation Partnerships and Communications, and identifies areas of potential collaboration with conservation groups and other SFI stakeholders.

The BC Ministry of Environment Ecosystems Branch in partnership with the South Coast Conservation Program (SCCP) recently completed a technical review of grizzly bear habitats along British Columbia’s (BC) Pacific Coast. Noted coastal grizzly bear ecologist Grant MacHutchon was contracted by the BC Ministry of Environment Ecosystems Branch, with financial support from SFI to aid in the project. Approximately 1200 grizzly bear habitats were reviewed in the mid-coast portion of the project area along the BC coast. Some of the habitat areas were adjusted in size, shape or location because of new classifications or previous errors. This work has created a substantially more accurate and improved map and database of grizzly bear habitats on the mid-coast of BC. In turn, this information is currently being used by forest planners and others involved in the ecosystem management in this part of the BC coast region to reach a balance between humans and the environment.

The SCCP has been using grant funding from the SFI Conservation and Community Partnerships Grant Program to develop materials and tools to identify and protect habitat and populations of forest-dependent plant and animal species at risk on 40.7 million acres/16.5 million hectares of forest on BC Pacific Coast, including grizzly bears. The core goals of this project are to bring together SFI-certified companies, including those owned by First Nations, government and conservation interests, to collaboratively develop material and tools to protect habitat and populations of at risk forest-dependent animal and plant species.

SFI’s Conservation and Community Partnerships Grant Program fosters partnerships between organizations interested in improving forest management in the United States and Canada, and responsible procurement globally.

Nadine Block, SFI Senior Director of Government Outreach, talks about upcoming activities planned for GRAPH EXPO 2010 in Chicago.

We’re just two days away from GRAPH EXPO, and we couldn’t be more energized about the events we have planned at the show! To start things off, I will be giving introductory remarks at the luncheon on Sunday, October 3. Government Printing Office Public Printer Bob Tapella and Senior Vice President of Strategy and Transition for the U.S. Postal Service Linda Kingsley will be keynoting the luncheon.

Both the GPO and USPS are concerned with several aspects in regards to sustainability. At SFI, we support stances like these. We think it’s important to start with paper and forest products that are sourced wisely. Efforts such as recycling, among others, work with forest certification to promote responsibility throughout the lifecycle of a product. I was lucky enough to sit down with Bob and Linda to get a preview of their speeches relating to the changing role of print and mail in the digital age, as well as thoughts on sustainability. Take a look at some of their thoughts in these videos:

How the GPO is Becoming a Model for the Print Industry’s Digital Future

Print, Mail and the Postal Service: A Sustainable Platform for Partnerships and Growth

Adding to SFI’s activities at GRAPH EXPO, Jason Metnick, Senior Director, Market Access & Product Labeling will be giving two presentations, which will help print professionals learn more about the SFI program. If you’ll be in Chicago at GRAPH EXPO, we’d love for you to attend! As an added bonus, we’ll be giving away a $100 Visa gift card on-site at each presentation.

• October 4, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m., Room S403ab “Chain of Custody Certification: Good for Your Business and Good for Our Forests” — Learn how SFI Chain of Custody certification can help printers meet and even generate client demand for responsibly-sourced paper options. We’ll explore how to get certified as well as market trends in certification, including the increasing popularity of multiple certification to FSC, PEFC and SFI chain of custody standards.
• October 5, 2 -2:30 p.m., GREENspace Theater - “Power of Partnerships” — Collaboration and label use among a variety of sectors has ability to affect change and promote responsible forestry. Learn how forest certification label use can drive corporate responsibility, consumer awareness and above all, benefit forests.

We’ll be at Booth #3337 in GREENspace—remember to get your badge scanned for a chance to win an iPad! If you’re not able to be in Chicago, follow the action on Twitter.

Last week, I had the privilege of speaking at the Sustainable Packaging Forum in Phoenix, AZ. I spoke to the “Power of Partnerships,” which has been an important theme for SFI throughout 2010.

Our partnerships with groups from Habitat for Humanity to Time Inc to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation have allowed us to get involved in so many projects we’re proud of. Partnerships are what breathe life into our program and drive the importance of what we do home for many people. When companies get involved with SFI, it means we’re able to continue work to make on-the-ground differences with logger training, conservation and community outreach. Additionally, it gives us a way to keep forests as forests, avoiding loss to conversion and development. To keep involvement with these programs, there must be a continuous demand for forest certification.

The packaging industry plays a large role in us being able to keep many of our partnerships running. Without their support, in addition to all the other users of certified forest products, not only would our forests suffer, but so would many of the programs we’re able to fund as a part of our program.

While forestry and the packaging industry have each made huge strides over the past two decades, there’s still a lot of work to be done. With only 10 percent of the world’s forests certified, the focus will always be on promoting responsible forestry on all lands – certified or uncertified. Additionally, we need more action to inform consumers and customers about forest certification and how it works in partnership with recycling. Recycling is important, but it, nor forest certification, can stand alone.

I had a great time talking with fellow speakers and attendees of the forum. With continued dialogue and continuous improvements, I can’t wait to see the leaps both sectors will make over the next 20 years.

For more coverage from the Sustainable Packaging Forum, check out this interview with Justmeans:

It’s fitting that the themes for our 15th Annual Conference, is Power of Partnerships.  The world of responsible forestry and certification is so immense there is not a lot one organization can do on its own. The conference is set to explore the many ways collaboration leads to improved forest management, education & outreach efforts and implementation of the SFI Standard.

If you take a look at our conference agenda you will see we have lined up local and international speakers who will talk about partnerships yielding benefits for the forest products marketplace, communities, First Nations, and government agencies throughout North America and globally. Keynote speaker Linda Coady, Distinguished Fellow, University of British Columbia and Vice-President of Sustainability, Vancouver Olympics Organizing Committee will talk about Certification, Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability – The Next Generation.  We’ll also be making some exciting announcements.

We will be posting video from conference speakers as well as pictures from the event on our Annual Conference webpage – so check it out if you are not able to join us in Vancouver and take part virtually.

Jason Metnick, SFI Senior Director of Market Access and Product Labeling, recaps his recent radio interviews discussing the impact of the USGBC’s current certified wood credit policy on North American lumber

I recently had the pleasure of taking part in a series of radio interviews across the U.S. to explain the importance of opening LEED to all credible forest certification standards. The reporters and talk show hosts I spoke to were very engaged and concerned about the impact on their states. This was the case on stations from Arkansas to Michigan to Oregon to Mississippi, and places in between.

We want local forest owners to get a fair shake from the USGBC and be able to fully get credit for their certification to SFI, CSA or ATFS. Green building is expected to be a $140 billion dollar industry in the next three years. An unintended consequence of the USGBC’s current FSC-only policy is that because the majority of FSC’s certified lands are outside the U.S. and Canada, builders and architects may source from oversees to obtain the 1 certified wood credit under LEED, and say no to domestic products certified to SFI, ATFS and CSA. Obviously green building is an important part of the economy which makes opening the LEED rating system even more important to tree farmers, architects, builders and many more across North America.

It’s exciting to see more and more people take notice and support the movement to open LEED. Click on the play buttons below and take a listen to a few of the interviews.

Jason Metnick on the Lars Larson Show

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Jason Metnick on Voices of Montana with Aaron Flint

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Jason Metnick on the Mississippi State Network

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Jason Metnick on KEX-AM

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Jason Metnick on Timber Talk, KZHE-FM

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