Feature Story

SFI: Get the Facts!

If you are looking for facts about the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) program, certification and eco-labeling, you'll be able to find them on a new SFI webpage In Case You Were Wondering.

The webpage can be found here and features information and short videos:

Larry Selzer, President and CEO of The Conservation Fund, examines his role as a member of the conservation chamber of the independent SFI Board of Directors.
Mike Ferrucci, NSF-ISR Forestry Program Manager and Lead Auditor, explains what is involved with an SFI audit.
Scott McDougall, President and CEO of TerraChoice, talks about the importance of choice and how to determine if an eco-label is credible.
SFI President and CEO Kathy Abusow explores SFI's independent, open and inclusive approach to forest certification.

"The site is a great resource for anyone with questions about forest certification or the SFI program," says Karen Brandt, SFI Vice-President, Market Affairs. "It explains the values that ground our program, shows the importance of responsible forest management, and helps consumers make informed purchasing decisions."
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Inside This Issue

Growing Acceptance of SFI

USDA Study Backs Importance of Certified Wood

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has recognized the environmental and economic benefits of wood certified to all credible standards, including the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.
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International Green Construction Code Recognizes SFI

SFI certification is among the forest certification standards accepted by the new International Green Construction Code (IgCC), a regulatory tool that helps state and local governments in the United States increase energy efficiency and complement voluntary green building rating systems.
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PEFC Members Endorse SFI Forest Standard

The SFI forest standard has once again met the rigorous third-party assessment of PEFC International, which means fiber from SFI-certified forests will continue to be accepted as certified content for both PEFC and SFI chain-of-custody labels.
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Green Ribbon Schools Accept SFI

The U.S. Department of Education accepts office paper from forests certified to SFI or comparable certification standards in the evaluation criteria for its Green Ribbon Schools, an award program that recognizes schools for participating in activities that promote and encourage a healthy and environmentally friendly learning environment.
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Conservation Grant News

Audubon Workshop Benefits Bird Habitat

Audubon New York used an SFI conservation grant to help organize a workshop to show 30 woodlot and forest owners and managers in northern New York State how to have positive impact on bird and other wildlife habitat by embracing sustainable forest management practices.
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SAF Chapter Sponsors Walk in the Forest

More than 130 Boy and Girl Scouts from the Troops in the metropolitan Atlanta region joined the Chattahoochee Chapter of the Society of American Foresters on A Walk in the Forest at Stone Mountain Park in October.
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23,000 Seedlings Planted in Wisconsin

With the help of an SFI community grant, the Hardwood Forestry Fund began the process of turning an old soybean field in Devil's Lake State Park into a forest by planting 23,000 hardwood seedlings.
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Grant Supports 4-H and FFA Teams

The Mississippi SFI Implementation Committee received a grant to support state FFA and 4-H champions in their national competitions.
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SFI Supports BMP Manual to Restore American Chestnut

As part of a project funded through the SFI grant program, The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) released an easy-to-read best management practices manual so landowners can help restore American chestnut trees.
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Check Out SFI Calendars

SFI calendars make great holiday gifts, featuring North American forest scenes.
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Is LEED Opening the Door for SFI?

In a recent article, award-winning writer John D. Wagner asks if Pilot Credit 43 might lead to credits for SFI-certified products in the LEED rating system.
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Habitat for Humanity

SFI Helps Build Habitat Home in New Brunswick

The AV Group, an SFI-certified company in New Brunswick, coordinated a Habitat for Humanity build for SFI program participants in Fredericton last month.
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SFI Grant Connects Habitat and NAHB

The National Housing Endowment has announced 10 of the 25 Habitat for Humanity homes that will be certified to the ANSI/ICC 700-2008 National Green Building Standard thanks to an SFI community grant.
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Habitat Build Attracts Media Attention

Media reports highlighted the Build Day in Lauderdale, MS, in November for a Habitat project involving The Campbell Group, the state SFI Implementation Committee, and other members of the Mississippi forest industry.
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New Position Promoting Benefits of SFI Certification

As SFI Director, Southeast United States Community Outreach, Barry Graden will build on his passion for forestry and SFI community activities to promote and strengthen forest certification throughout the United States, with emphasis on the south.
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SFI Conference Celebrates the Bigger Picture with Highest Attendance Ever

The SFI 2011 Annual Conference in Burlington, VT was the largest SFI conference ever, and sessions explored the integrity of the program and its contributions to conservation and communities.
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SFI Recognizes Excellence

The Boy Scouts of America, The Lyme Timber Company, the Wildlife Management Institute and the Mississippi SFI Implementation Committee were honored at the 2011 conference for adding value to the SFI program in a variety of ways.
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Talking to BC Foresters about SFI Certification

The 5,600 forest professionals in British Columbia had an opportunity to read about SFI certification and audits thanks to articles in the November/December issue of BC Forest Professional magazine, which featured third-party certification.
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Benefits of Certification as a Trade Tool

Certification was one of the topics explored during a lunchtime seminar on Forest Products Trade and Sustainability: Global Challenges and Opportunities sponsored by Resources for the Future.
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SFI Hosts Conservation Planning Webinar

The SFI program hosted a webinar last month which presented resources related to conservation planning in the United States that SFI Program Participants can use to meet SFI Standard requirements and to better inform management decisions.
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SFI Implementation Committee News