SFI 2008 Annual Conference:
Awards
At the SFI 2008 Annual Conference, President and CEO Kathy Abusow presented awards to organizations and individuals involved with SFI certification. These included:
The 10th SFI Implementation Committee Achievement Award
SFI Inc.’s 37 SFI Implementation Committees help the SFI program maintain a vital link to communities across North America, working with local government agencies, forestry and professional associations, landowner groups and many others to improve forest management. Each year, one committee receives the achievement award based a broad range of criteria – such as leadership, the growth of the SFI program, logger education, landowner outreach and education, recognition and SFI program integrity.
The Minnesota SFI Implementation Committee received the 10th achievement award for a year of outstanding community service, which included a partnership with North St. Louis Habitat for Humanity to build a home with products from well-managed forests. This is the third time the Minnesota team has won the award.
News Release: Minnesota Committee Wins SFI® Achievement Award
Photo: Terry Worthman, Minnesota SFI Implementation Committee
Leadership in Conservation Research Award
SFI Inc. introduced the Leadership in Conservation Award in 2007 to recognize projects with strong partnerships that achieve ongoing and far-reaching benefits.
Rayonier Incorporated of Jacksonville, Fla., received the award for promoting conservation of native biological diversity and delivering critical research to help foresters understand how to better protect the hairy rattleweed, one of Georgia’s rarest plants. The research project, which also involved Georgia Southern University, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Georgia Forestry Commission, attracted media attention from as far away as Germany and New Zealand.
Hairy rattleweed is an important component of the ecosystem and, since it typically occurs in areas of high biodiversity, it may be an indicator of the quality of the habitat. It is found only on private lands in the longleaf pine flatwoods community of two Georgia counties, and has had an 80 percent decline populations since 1986.
News Release: Rayonier Wins SFI Conservation Research Award
Photo: Debi Barrett, Rayonier Inc.
SFI-Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation Wildlife Stewardship Award
SFI Inc. created the stewardship award in 2007 so it could honor significant achievement and innovation that has advanced the science and practice of wildlife management. This first award, co-sponsored by the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, invited nominations of wildlife and fisheries biologists or managers who work for SFI-certified companies, as well as collaborators in a wildlife or fisheries program being conducted on SFI-certified lands.
The Minnesota division of Forest Capital Partners was honored for a landmark conservation easement that preserves wildlife habitat, protects jobs and ensures public access to almost 80 square miles (200 square kilometres) of forestland in northern Minnesota. Because the land is near a state natural area and a state park, the result is more than 500,000 acres (200,000 hectares) of uninterrupted conservation territory.
The Forest Capital Partners team worked with public agencies and conservation groups such as the Blandin Foundation, The Conservation Fund, The Nature Conservancy, and The Trust for Public Land to create the conservation easement.
News Release: Forest Capital Partners Wins Wildlife Stewardship Award
Photo: Brian Kernohan, Forest Capital Partners
SFI President’s Award
The SFI Inc. President’s Award acknowledges outstanding work in a given field such as forestry or innovative partnerships. In 2008, five companies were recognized for their enthusiastic support of the SFI program, which has helped to raise understanding and advance the program’s market acceptance. Through their actions, these companies have shown consumers the value of SFI certification, and demonstrated their commitment – and SFI’s commitment – to responsible forest management.
Harden Furniture Ltd.
Harden Furniture won an SFI President’s Award for enthusiastically supporting independent SFI forest certification through branding and promotions, including in-store displays. Harden Furniture is the first furniture manufacturer to achieve silver exemplary status from the Sustainable Furniture Council. Among other things, a company must certify 15 to 25 percent of its wood products to a credible third-party certification program to earn this status. Harden’s forest and manufacturing operations are certified to the SFI 2005-2009 Standard.
News Release: Harden Furniture Earns SFI President's Award
Photo: Greg Harden, Harden Furniture Ltd.
JELD-WEN Windows and Doors
JELD-WEN Windows and Doors, a leading manufacturer of reliable windows and doors, was recognized for making sure all customers, including major builders, understand the importance of SFI certification. The company developed a rack card illustrating its products and the benefits of SFI certification, and promotes the value of the independent SFI program through advertisements and on-product labeling, and at key green building trade shows. JELD-WEN Windows and Doors also used SFI-certified materials to create a window in the shape of the SFI on-product label. JELD-WEN Windows and Doors has multi-site SFI chain-of-custody certification, and offers SFI-certified wood windows and patio doors as part of its Custom Wood window line. It is represented on the board of the Green Building Initiative, which oversees Green Globes – one of the many green building rating systems that recognize SFI certification.
News Release: Jeld-Wen Windows and Doors Earns SFI President's Award
Photo: Joe Neisinger, architectural manager for the Central Region, JELD-WEN Windows and Doors
National Envelope
National Envelope is the largest manufacturer of envelopes in the world, serving customers such as Costco (USA), the Los Angeles Times and Florida Power and Light. The company was honored for referring to the environmental value of SFI certification in its marketing materials. It is the first U.S. envelope converter to earn SFI chain-of-custody certification, and its promotional materials show how SFI certification can deliver assurance of responsible forest practices. National Envelope is a member of the United Nations Global Compact, a voluntary initiative that seeks to advance universal principles on human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption.
News Release: National Envelope Earns SFI President's Award
Photo: Rick Huntoon, National Envelope
Sierra Pacific Industries
Sierra Pacific Industries owns nearly two million acres (800,000 hectares) of timberland in California and Washington, which are certified to the SFI 2005-2009 Standard. It has featured the SFI label on its products for years, and was recognized for raising awareness about the benefits of SFI certification, especially in the residential and commercial green building markets. The company works with architects, builders and designers to show how SFI certification supports green building activities. Its architectural specialists across the western United States work in partnership with architects and help them understand the value of choosing SFI-certified wood, and it has produced a module on SFI certification as part of continuing education activities through the American Institute of Architects.
News Release: Sierra Pacific Industries Earns SFI President's Award
Photo: Mark Pawlicki, Sierra Pacific Industries
Smead Manufacturing Company
Smead Manufacturing Company, a worldwide leader in office filing products and records management systems, was recognized for its efforts in promoting SFI certification with co-branding activities, such as website materials, decals for retail stores, consumer brochures and tradeshow materials, which raise consumer awareness of the value of SFI certification. Smead was the first manufacturer of filing products to achieve SFI fiber sourcing certification, and uses the SFI label on its products, on its shipping cartons, in its advertising and web marketing, and makes sure large office supply stores recognize the many market and environmental benefits our comprehensive standard can deliver. Smead offers thousands of organizational products, and has more than 1,500 employees across North America.
News Release: Smead Receives President's Award From SFI
Photo: Casey Avent, Smead Manufacturing