The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is about to begin the fourth public comment period on draft credit language for LEED 2012. Respected organizations are calling on USGBC to recognize all credible certification programs used in North America through LEED – including the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, American Tree Farm System, Canadian Standards Association, Forest Stewardship Council and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification. SFI Inc. has invited views on how USGBC should treat third-party forest certification: In this post, award-winning Georgia tree farmers Earl and Wanda Barrs talk about the value of SFI and ATFS certification to family forest owners.

For the past 25 years, my wife Wanda and I have managed 1,500 acres of forestland in Bleckly County, Georgia. My family first settled this land in the late 1800s. Now, I am proud to say that our tree farm, Gully Branch, has been recognized nationally as a state-of-the-art forest.

Gully Branch is certified to the American Tree Farm System^® standards, and our ATFS management plan outlines in great detail how we will protect and enhance our tree farm for timber, wildlife, water and recreation. I am a trained forester and Wanda has dedicated her professional life to education. Gully Branch has been used as one of Georgia’s premier outdoor classrooms and since 1994, more than 7,000 students and adults have visited our tree farm.

To read the full blog, click here.

The U.S. Green Building Copuncil (USGBC) is about to begin the fourth public comment period on draft credit language for LEED 2012. Respected organizations are calling on USGBC to recognize all credible certification programs used in North America through LEED – including the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, American Tree Farm System, Canadian Standards Association, Forest Stewardship Council and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification. SFI Inc. has invited views on how USGBC should treat third-party forest certification: In this post, Robert S. (Bob) Tomlinson, Manager of Strategic Land Asset Management and former Assistant Director of the Division of Forestry, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and a member of the independent SFI External Review Panel, talks about the value of SFI certification when managing public forests.

In Minnesota, 4.9 million acres of state-administered forestlands are certified to Sustainable Forestry Initiative^® (SFI^®) and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards. Minnesota was the first state with public forest lands to be certified in the Unites States, establishing us as a nation-wide leader in forest certification. Our experience with SFI and FSC has taught us that both make a positive contribution to our forest management, and both should be recognized by USGBC in its LEED rating tool.

To read the full blog, click here.

The U.S. Green Building Council has announced a fourth public comment period for its draft LEED 2012 language – starting Tuesday May 1 and ending May 15.  Based on comments submitted during the third public comment period, there is clear and strong support for USGBC to open up the “Responsible Extraction of Raw Materials” credit and allow SFI certified products to gain equal recognition in the LEED rating tools.

SFI opened up our blog for comments about why USGBC should recognize SFI, including areas where our program is without question stronger than the Forest Stewardship Council – and we were both impressed and gratified by the response. (If you missed the posts, we have pulled them together in one on-line document.)

To read the full blog, click here.

The goal for Earth Day 2012 this Sunday is to help Mobilize the Earth™ by collecting A Billion Acts of Green^® and elevating the importance of environmental issues around the world. At SFI, we collaborate with many groups and individuals committed to responsible forestry because we know our collective efforts can make quite a difference.

SFI Program Participants and partners work hard every day to support good forestry, and Earth Day is a great time to recognize their efforts.  We all believe that responsible forest management must meet more than just the needs of humans, and that’s why we incorporate wildlife habitat protection, support for biodiversity and water quality protection into the many standard requirements of the SFI program. In addition to biodiversity requirements included as part of our standard, SFI is dedicated to conservation research – both in our standard and through our Conservation and Community Grant Program. Launched in 2010, SFI has funded a total of 24 conservation projects to date through this program. Thanks to the over 125 partners involved in these projects, SFI is supporting real and tangible benefits on-the-ground.

To read the full blog, click here.

The U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) third draft of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) 2012 green building rating tool was released March 1st, and public comments closed on March 27, 2012. While USGBC made some forward movement in LEED 2012 by instituting credits for Life Cycle Assessment and Environmental Product Declarations, it continues to let down forest owners and managers, state foresters, conservation groups, researchers, auditors, producers, Governors, Congressmen and over 6,000 petitioners because it refuses to explicitly recognize the value of all forest certification programs.

Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) certification supports the responsible production of wood and paper products, communities, jobs and numerous conservation values that are derived from working forests. Yet products from well-managed North American forests continue to be excluded from the USGBC’s “responsible extraction of raw materials” credit, which recognizes only certified wood that is “Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), or better.” That slogan has moved from the lapel pins of FSC proponents onto the pages of what is intended to be a technical and leading green building rating tool by a responsible organization. USGBC’s LEED extraction credit continues to ramp up the competing materials debate: non-renewable steel and concrete get a credit without achieving third-party certification, while products third-party certified to SFI do not get access to this same credit.

As USGBC deliberates on the language that will go out for a final ballot in early June, here is why you should encourage USGBC to make a decision that supports the future of our forests.

1. Say “Yes” to healthy working forests. Ninety percent of the world’s forests are NOT certified. By recognizing all credible forest certification standards, USGBC will drive demand for more certified forests and responsible sources of supply. “Certification has fundamentally changed the way forests are managed here in North America – SFI alone has certified more than 195 million acres in North America. If well-managed forests are our goal, then we should all be celebrating the remarkable victory of having millions of acres of forests across North America certified – we should not waste precious resources while millions of acres of forests disappear. The SFI Standard is making a real and positive difference towards keeping our forests as healthy, working forests.” – Larry Selzer, President and CEO of The Conservation Fund

2. Say “No” to discrimination against domestic forests. Under the current standard, three-quarters of certified forests in North America are denied access to LEED. In fact, 90 percent of FSC’s global supply is from countries outside of the U.S., where USGBC is headquartered. USGBC’s “FSC or better” language might discourage builders, architects and designers from sourcing domestic wood products. “Nearly half of respondents have sought out an alternative supplier in another country when FSC certified timber or products were not available in their own country.” – FSC’s own 2010 Business Value and Growth market survey (page 6)

3. Follow the lead provided by USGBC sister organizations in Australia, Italy and Spain. The Green Building Council of Australia, Building Council Italia, and the Spanish Green Building Council have all taken steps to give credit to all forest certification standards. “The U.S. Green Building Council is out of step with green building councils in other countries who understand the value of promoting all credible forest certification standards.” – Michael T. Goergen Jr., Executive Vice-President and CEO, Society of American Foresters.

In fact, all green building standards that value wood have recognized all forest certification programs without preference including ANSI/ICC 700-2008:National Green Building Standard, ANSI-GBI 01-2010 Green Building Assessment Protocol for Commercial Buildings (built on Green Globes U.S.), the recently released International Green Construction Code (IgCC), Built Green Canada, Green Globes, CASBEE (Japan), Green Star Program (Australia), and BREEAM (United Kingdom). “If the USGBC’s goal is to reward excellence, products from forests certified to SFI should be equally entitled to LEED certified wood credits.” – Mike Ferrucci, Forestry Program Manager and Lead Auditor, and NSF-ISR.

4. Support North America’s forest communities and workers. Union leaders have spoken out in support of recognizing all credible forest certification standards. “What is critical to our members is that forests be managed in such a way as to ensure their long-term survival and viability while at the same time promoting thriving rural communities, safe jobs, and decent work. From this perspective, SFI has several advantages for workers that FSC does not.” –William V. Street Jr., Director, Woodworkers Department, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers

5. Base LEED on science, not slogans, and encourage continual improvement and research. SFI requires in-kind support or direct funding for research as a requirement of its standard. FSC does not. Since 1995, SFI program participants have invested $1.2 billion in forest research activities which in turn have driven innovation and conservation in forest management. “SFI, like science, never stops learning. It is more than words on paper. SFI and its partners deliver actual results on the ground and in communities across North America. They build knowledge and advance understanding.”
– C. Tattersall (Tat) Smith Jr., Professor and Dean Emeritus, Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto

6. Recognize forest communities and the contributions of indigenous forest communities. SFI supports responsible forestry at a local level in North America. There are close to 1,000 members in 37 community-based SFI Implementation Committees that support and actively engage in a wide variety of community, conservation and outreach activities. “As long as USGBC limits its LEED-certified wood credit to the FSC, it is turning its back on my community as well as other communities in North America. . . .” – Bob Luoto, owner and operator of Cross & Crown Inc., a family logging business in Oregon.

In addition, five million acres of lands owned by or managed for indigenous communities are certified to the SFI Standard – more than any other certification standard in North America. “If the U.S. Green Building Program wants to support North America’s forests and its indigenous peoples, it will expand the LEED certified wood to recognize all of North America’s certification standards.” - Ryan Clark, Manager, Forestry & Strategic Planning, Capacity Forest Management, which manages forestry operations for First Nations clients.

7. Reward sound harvesting practices. Since 1995, more than 130,000 resource and logging professionals have been trained in responsible forestry through SFI or its recognition of other programs. “I’ve seen for myself how training can improve forest practices – and I know that when it comes to training for logging professionals, SFI is far ahead of the FSC.”– Dr.Richard W. (Dick) Brinker, Dean Emeritus, School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University

8. Consider the wider impact of your actions. This goes beyond solid wood products. Even paper and tissue markets are affected by LEED rating tools that give credits if FSC products are supplied in the operation of LEED buildings. “Sappi, like most paper suppliers, sources wood and fiber from multiple sources, certified and uncertified. The exclusion of SFI is based on a lack of understanding of complex supply chains and, in some ways, is a discrimination against labeling practices.” – Dr. Laura M. Thompson, Director, Technical Marketing and Sustainable Development, Sappi Fine Paper, North America

9. Heed the calls of 100 elected officials. In a public blog, USGBC’s President singled out and thanked ForestEthics for their “passionate views”, despite the fact these unaccountable market campaigners are funded to promote FSC and undermine SFI. Yet, USGBC has not given the same public consideration to the views of a bipartisan group of elected officials: Governors from 14 states and 87 Members of Congress have sent letters to USGBC voicing their concerns over LEED’s treatment of wood and forest certification. Nor has the USGBC responded in any public fashion to the 6,000+ stakeholders who have signed a petition and urged USGBC to recognize all credible forest certification standards. Numerous American public agencies and government representatives – including the National Association of State Foresters, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Education – have made it clear that they recognize all forest certification standards. In Canada, the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers, Natural Resources Canada, Public Works and Government Services Canada and the Competition Bureau reference all domestic forest certification standards without prejudice.

10. Let competition and choice prevail. “It is disturbing that the USGBC would continue to pick one certification program at the expense of others that were developed with U.S. forests and communities in mind. And it is further troubling that now they are requiring SFI and American Tree Farm System (ATFS) to prove that they are “better” than FSC in order to be recognized within LEED.” – Randy Dye, President National Association of State Foresters, and State Forester of West Virginia

SFI supports green building and the recognition of multiple forest certification standards. USGBC is a market influencer and as such the LEED rating tool has the ability to continue to undermine responsible forestry and the jobs and communities that depend on them.  USGBC, however, is able to make a decision that will positively impact the future of our forests by recognizing and rewarding credits to products from certified forests and other responsible sources of supply. The future of our forests depends on decisions made today. For other opinions on this important issue, visit a summary of Good for Forests blogs here.

Kathy Abusow
President & CEO
Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc.

To download a PDF version, click here.

“I am thrilled that the National Park Foundation chose to package their famous White House Easter Eggs in SFI-certified boxes,” said SFI president and CEO Kathy Abusow. “This action is an excellent example of making environmentally responsible decisions and will hopefully inspire others in the public and private sector to think creatively about their own sustainable practices.”

The National Park Foundation decided four years ago to start making the conservation of American forests an integral part of the historical White House Easter Egg Roll and package the eggs in paperboard sourced from responsibly managed forests. In addition to featuring the SFI-certified box, the souvenir Easter Egg is made with U.S. wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, highlighting the recognition and importance of multiple forest certification standards.

SFI is honored to be a part of this American tradition. The National Park Foundation’s recognition of SFI in the White House Easter Egg Roll sends the message that selecting certified forest products is not only a smart environmental choice but also a commitment to U.S. communities. As SFI is the largest single forest standard in the world, it is well-positioned to help even more public and private organizations support sustainable business practices.

Click here for the PDF version.

It’s been close to a month since Draft 3 of the new LEED 2012 language was released, and my initial reaction has not changed. I’m pleased to see there are credits specific for whole building Life Cycle Assessment and Environmental Product Declarations, and I look forward to seeing how these credits get accessed moving forward.  However, I remain disappointed with requirements related to local sourcing and forest certification.

In the latest draft, local sourcing is overly restrictive and confusing – in some instances the local sourcing radius has been reduced from 500 miles to 50 miles – which is obviously not helpful for rural-based economies such as the forest products sector. And the “FSC or Better” language in the latest LEED Draft does a disservice to those organizations attempting to constructively engage and support responsible forestry and wood products from well-managed forests. Laura Thompson of Sappi said it well in her Environmental Quotient blog when she said she is “shocked that such a leading organization would write what amounts to me as a sloppy reference in a standard. ‘FSC or better’? ”

To read the full blog, click here.

By Guest Blogger: Ryan Clark
Manager, Forestry & Strategic Planning
Capacity Forest Management Ltd.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is asking for comments on the draft language for its LEED rating system. SFI Inc. has invited views on the treatment of third-party forest certification, which must be “FSC or better” according to the latest USGBC credit language. In this post, Ryan Clark, Manager, Forestry & Strategic Planning, Capacity Forest Management talks about how SFI certification addresses indigenous interests.

Capacity Forest Management manages forestry operations for 17 First Nations clients in British Columbia. In partnership with our clients, we balance cultural priorities with the need to provide an economically viable forestry operation.

Sustainable Forestry Initiative^® (SFI^®) certification is one tool we use to achieve this balance. The SFI Standard addresses cultural values as well as addressing environmental and economic concerns important to our clients. And it offers an important proof point to customers around the world that they are buying products from a responsible source.

To read the full blog, click here.

Guest Blogger: Patrick Sirois
Coordinator, Maine SFI Implementation Committee

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is asking for comments on the draft language for its LEED rating system. SFI Inc. has invited views on the treatment of third-party forest certification, which must be “FSC or better” according to the latest USGBC credit language. In this post, Pat Sirois, Coordinator of the Maine SFI Implementation Committee talks about SFI community outreach in Maine.

In Maine, there are more than seven million acres certified to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative^® (SFI^®) Standard, and another 780,000 certified to the American Tree Farm Standard. None has LEED recognition. This is unfortunate because these lands represent about half of Maine’s forests, and they are managed sustainably by some of the best forest landowners and managers anywhere.

It also suggests the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) does not value the many contributions made by volunteer members of the Maine SFI Implementation Committee who work hard to broaden the practice of sustainable forestry on certified and uncertified lands in our state. We are one of 37 community-based SFI implementation committees across North America engaged in important initiatives such as logger training, landowner outreach and conservation and community projects.

To read the full blog, click here.

I am not surprised that the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has extended the deadline for public comments on its draft LEED language for one more week – to March 27, 2012.

We received many thoughtful submissions when we opened up the Sustainable Forestry Initiative’s Good for Forests blog, and I suspect USGBC is receiving plenty of comments as well. For good reason. There are still more questions than answers on proposed requirements, such as the “FSC or Better” language for the certified wood credit and changes to the local sourcing.

To read the full blog, click here.