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WASHINGTON – The independent Sustainable Forestry Initiative^® (SFI^®) forest certification program is inviting applications for its highly successful Conservation and Community Partnerships Grants program, which is now in its third year and continues to support research and outreach on responsible forestry.

“SFI Inc. has invested over $1.1 million in 24 projects since 2010,” SFI President and CEO Kathy Abusow said today. “With the help of the over 125 partners involved, the SFI Conservation and Community Grant Program has directly supported activities and community events which improve forest management activities and engage the younger generation in responsible forestry.”

Today, SFI Inc. builds on this success by opening its 2012 Request for Proposals (RFP), inviting applications for projects that illustrate or inform the role of SFI in supporting water resources.  Projects must illustrate the role of SFI Standard requirements in protecting water quality and quantity, such as building on the vast knowledge on the effectiveness of best management practices for water quality (BMPs) and how the SFI standard supports the implementation of BMPs.  In addition to the topic of water resources, SFI Inc. will accept exploratory research proposals on projects relating to the role of SFI certification in mitigating or adapting to climate change, in expectation that these exploratory projects will result in expanded projects in 2013, when additional funds will be available.  Of the 24 projects which have received support from the SFI Grant Program since 2010, many were multi-year projects which are still ongoing; reducing the funding available for grants in 2012.  As a result, there is $85,000 available for funding in 2012 for conservation projects and SFI will direct up to $35,000 for already identified community grants focusing on supporting young people’s involvement in forestry and natural resources activities and careers.

The complete 2012 RFP and the latest information about the SFI Conservation and Community Partnerships Grant program are posted at www.sfiprogram.org/conservation-grant/index.php.  The deadline for 2012 grant applications is Wednesday March 14, 2012.

The SFI 2010-2014 Standard is based on 14 core principles that promote sustainable forest management, including measures to protect water quality, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, species at risk, and Forests with Exceptional Conservation Value, and encourages community involvement. The SFI program is the only forest certification standard in North America that requires participants to support and engage in research activities to improve forestry forest health, productivity and sustainable management of forest resources.  Since 1995, SFI-certified organizations have contributed more than $1.1 billion (US) for research activities that support forestry research, science and technology.

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Read the latest blog post on goodforforests.com.

We just launched our 2012 Request for Proposals for the SFI Conservation and Community Partnerships Grant Program, which supports research and outreach to advance responsible forestry. This year we are looking for projects that will strengthen the role of SFI certification in protecting water resources and helping resource managers respond to climate change.

Read the full blog here.

Read the latest blog post on goodforforests.com.

Architects and builders can learn more about the benefits of using certified wood in green building thanks to a Continuing Education Unit (CEU) sponsored by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative^® (SFI^®) program. It also demonstrates how government agencies support an inclusive approach to certification and how even LEED Pilot Credit 43 offers an opportunity for SFI-certified wood.

Read the full blog here.

Read the latest blog post on goodforforests.com by Barry Graden, SFI Director, Southeast U.S. Community Outreach.

When I joined SFI Inc. last month, I knew I would have a chance to work with many partners who share my interest in sustainable forest management and third-party forest certification.

Last week, I learned just how much these partnerships can achieve. The second phase of an innovative pilot project in Maine, involving Time Inc., Hearst Enterprises, National Geographic Society, Verso Paper Corp. and Sappi Fine Paper North America, led to 790,000 acres/320,000 hectares of additional forest lands being certified to the SFI Standard.

Read the full blog here.

Read the latest blog post on goodforforests.com. Kathy Abusow writes about SFI in the spotlight.

Maine has always been a leader when it comes to third-party forest certification – and an executive order signed by Governor Paul LePage and a corresponding news release has just reinforced this position.

The Maine executive order says: “The design, construction, operation and maintenance of any new or expanded state building shall incorporate ‘Green Building’ standards that give certification credits equally to forest products grown, manufactured, and certified under the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Standard, Forest Stewardship Council, American Tree Farm System, and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification systems.”

Read the full blog.

WASHINGTON – An innovative pilot project involving Time Inc., Hearst Enterprises, National Geographic Society, Verso Paper Corp. and Sappi Fine Paper North America has led to 790,000 acres/320,000 hectares of additional forest lands being certified to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative^® (SFI^®) Standard in Maine.

The pilot was an extension of an earlier project involving Time Inc., Hearst Enterprises, Verso Paper Corp., Sappi Fine Paper North America and NewPage Corporation that led to 620,000 acres/250,000 hectares certified to the SFI 2010-2014 Standard in 2010 – bringing the total of additional lands certified to the SFI Standard to 1.4 million acres/570,000 hectares.

“The companies involved are among a growing number of corporate leaders who know certification is key to responsible sourcing of forest products, and embrace credible standards such as SFI,” SFI President and CEO Kathy Abusow said today. “And Maine is just a starting point – they are already looking for ways to expand supply options and promote responsible forest practices by encouraging more landowners to certify their forests to the SFI Standard.”

Increasing demand for SFI-certified products is also fueled by the fact it is recognized by respected organizations around the world, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the UK government’s Central Point of Expertise on Timber, and the Competition Bureau of Canada’s Environmental Claims: A Guide for Industry and Advertisers. Just last month, the SFI forest standard was endorsed by PEFC International.

The first phase of the Maine pilot project improved access to SFI certification by creating a template so medium-sized landowners could develop, implement and coordinate management plans in a simpler and more consistent manner. The second phase included additional landowners and land managers such as Katahdin Forest Management LLC and Huber Resources Corporation.

“The pilot showed us how the SFI standard’s training and outreach requirements can help us manage our lands responsibly so our forests can deliver environmental values and support local jobs today and into the future,” said Kenny Fergusson, Maine woodlands forester for Huber Resources Corporation.”

Through forest certification, forest operations meet requirements set out in an independent standard such as the SFI 2010-2014 Standard, and this is verified by a third-party audit. The SFI Standard is based on 14 core principles that promote sustainable forest management, including measures to protect water quality, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, species at risk, and Forests with Exceptional Conservation Value. About 10 million family forest owners account for more than 60 percent of private forest lands in the United States. The State of Maine has more than seven million acres/ 2.8 million hectares certified to the SFI Standard.

WASHINGTON, DC – Maine Governor Paul LePage signed an executive order today directing that “any new or expanded state buildings shall incorporate ‘Green Building’ standards that give certification credits equally to forest products grown, manufactured, and certified under the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Standard, Forest Stewardship Council, American Tree Farm System, and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification systems.”

“This policy is great news for North American communities and shows that the Governor and people of Maine are true leaders by being the first jurisdiction in North America to take this important position,” said Kathy Abusow, president and CEO of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI Inc.) “Inclusive and leading programs such as ANSI/GBI 01-2010: Green Building Assessment Protocol for Commercial Buildings and the ANSI/ICC 700-2008: National Green Building Standard for residential construction would meet the requirements set out for state construction in Maine. However, green building rating tools like the US Green Building Council’s LEED rating tools that do not recognize forest certification equally would not meet the requirements of this executive order, in our opinion.”

It comes after 100 Members of Congress and Governors, and over 6,000 individuals around the world, encouraged the USGBC to reward wood from North American forests by equally recognizing SFI, ATFS, CSA, PEFC and FSC in their LEED rating system. Currently, the LEED rating tool fails to recognize nearly three-quarters of North America’s certified forests, often leaving builders to give preference to FSC wood offshore over SFI certified wood in North America. Maine’s forest-products industry has an enormous impact on the state’s economy. It directly and indirectly supports 55,000 jobs, annually creates more than $3 billion in earning and contributes $4.3 billion annually to Maine gross domestic product.

In a news release announcing the new executive order, Governor LePage stated “We believe that by supporting the full range of forest certification programs, we are advancing Maine’s forest industry and the interests of our forest landowners in local, national, and global competition for market share… We are also protecting our valuable natural resources and traditional outdoor heritage.” More than seven million acres/ 2.8 million hectares are certified to the SFI Standard in
Maine.

Maine’s announcement is one of a recent string of decisions by US agencies and organizations that reinforce SFI’s growing recognition and an increasing trend to recognize the value of all forest certification programs equally. Recently the US Departments of Agriculture and Education, and the International Green Construction Code (IgCC) have all recognized SFI and other credible certification standards.

“With a 2012 version of LEED currently undergoing development, these recent announcements provide a timely and powerful incentive for the USGBC to recognize all forest certification standards equally,” said Abusow.

The USGBC in June released Pilot Credit 43 which recognizes all forest certification standards but is limited to non-structural materials and is only a pilot. Builders, architects and others who appreciate the value of recognizing multiple forest certification standards are encouraged to post comments about Pilot Credit 43 on the LEED user site.

“This executive order supports Maine’s environmental, social and economic goals,” said SIC Coordinator Pat Sirois. The Maine SFI Implementation Committee (SIC), comprising SFI Program Participants and community interests, has played a key role in the growth and recognition of certification in the state.

The Maine SIC is one of 37 community-based committees that engage in important initiatives such as logger training, landowner outreach and conservation and community projects. Government officials are strongly represented on SICs, as well as on SFI’s Board of Directors and External Review Panel. More information about SFI’s collaboration with government agencies can be found online.

Read the latest blog post on goodforforests.com.  Kathy Abusow writes about SFI in the spotlight.

I’m so proud of the SFI community’s accomplishments and our shared commitment to responsible forest management, but it really hit home when I had a look at our December newsletter.

It demonstrates how we are growing on the ground – 195 million acres/79 million hectares certified to date – and how we are being increasingly recognized by leading agencies around the world.

Read the full blog.

Read the latest blog post on goodforforests.com.  Kathy Abusow writes about SFI in the spotlight.

British Columbia has more than 130 million acres/53 million hectares of certified forests – over 40 percent of them certified to the SFI 2010-2014 Standard.

And forest professionals contribute a lot to forest certification. So it wasn’t a surprise when the Association of British Columbia Forest Professionals made certification the theme of its November/December magazine – BC Forest Professional – with articles on a range of topics, including SFI certification and audits.

Read the full blog.

ASHEVILLE, NC – The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) has released an easy-to-read best management practices manual for all landowners, including orchard managers, professional growers, forest landowners, or amateur enthusiasts, so they can help restore American chestnut trees.  The manual is an easy-to-read guide that outlines best practices for planting and raising chestnut trees, including site preparation, fertilization, deer and pest management, identifying and treating diseases, and more. The goal of the guide is to help planters of all types significantly improve the success rate of their chestnut plantings.

Download the PDF news release to read more.