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SFI Standard Development Process

SFI 2010-2014 Standard Review Process

The SFI Standard is regularly reviewed through an open public process, and is subject to continuous improvement so it can incorporate the latest scientific information and respond to emerging issues.

The SFI 2010-2014 Standard development process was launched in June 2008. It included two public comment periods – from June 2 to Aug. 4, 2008 and an on-line survey from Jan. 30 to March 2, 2009 to review a draft SFI 2010-2014 Standard based on earlier comments. SFI Inc. publicized the process at every step and during both reviews it invited about 2,000 individuals and organizations to submit comments.

Review the comments received during the public comment periods:

• June 2 to Aug. 4, 2008
• Jan. 30 to March 2, 2009

The second comment period was supplemented by seven regional workshops, which allowed interested stakeholders to provide the SFI Resources Committee with feedback on the draft SFI 2010-2014 Standard. Review the reports from each workshop:

February 18 – Sacramento, California   download report
February 19 – Vancouver, British Columbia   download report
March 3 - Minneapolis, Minnesota   download report
March 26 – Charleston, South Carolina   download report
April 2 - Little Rock, Arkansas   download report
April 7 – Portland, Maine   download report
April 16 - Montreal, Quebec   download report

A presentation to the SFI annual conference in September 2009 outlined the process and changes to the standard. The presentation can be viewed here.

The SFI Resource Committee considered all feedback from public review periods and workshops, and incorporated them into the final draft of the SFI 2010-2014 SFI Standard for review and approval by the SFI Inc. Board of Directors. The new standard was effective Jan. 1, 2010.

Review the comments from the public review process and analysis by the SFI Resources Committee.

• June 2 to Aug. 4, 2008
• Jan. 30 to March 2, 2009

 

Background on the SFI Standard Revisions Process

SFI Inc. completes a review of its standard and supporting documents every five years, which is consistent with international protocols for forest certification standard revision cycles.

The SFI program has made significant changes through its standard development processes and related public input since implementation of its original principles and implementation guidelines. The review leading to the SFI 2010-2014 Standard and supporting documents is the third public review process.

Members of the SFI Resources Committee were responsible for developing the SFI 2010-2014 Standard. Like the SFI Board of Directors, the Resources Committee has balanced representation from environmental, social and economic sectors.

The SFI Inc. Board of Directors approved the new standard in fall 2009, and it took effect on Jan. 1, 2010. SFI-certified companies have up to one year after a new standard is approved to implement all the new requirements, and must demonstrate conformance to the new requirements at their next surveillance audit following the implementation period.

The SFI External Review Panel, an independent panel of experts, ensures that the development and revision of the SFI Standard embodies an open, fair and inclusive process that addresses the ideas forwarded through comments submitted.

Each public review has led to additions to the forest management certification standard:

• The SFI 2005-2009 Standard included new provisions to conserve old-growth forests and imperiled/critically imperiled species; to strengthen procurement from jurisdictions outside of North America and supply chain monitoring; and to address invasive exotic species. It also introduced new performance measures and indicators related to the certification of public forestlands, including requirements to confer with affected indigenous peoples.
• The 2002-2004 Standard introduced, among other things, measures to protect Forests with Exceptional Conservation Value, and provisions to help prevent illegal logging and to promote the conservation of biodiversity hotspots and major tropical wilderness areas.

 

SFI Pilot Projects

Continuous improvement is key to ensuring the strength and rigor of the SFI forest standard. Important issues are explored during each review of the standard, and these often lead to pilot projects involving SFI partners or supporters that continue between standard review cycles.

Each pilot project is designed to establish baseline information and outputs that will guide future reviews of the SFI Standard, and ensure its provisions are achieving the best results on the ground. They contribute to the SFI Standard as a living, continually improving code of best practices, exploring important issues such as controlling invasive species or determining the best way to identify sites for vertebrate species that should be protected.

Over the last 10 years, changes to the SFI Standard resulting from pilot projects have included:

• A requirement that program participants use NatureServe or equivalent processes in North America to identify and protect species and communities that are identified as critically imperiled or imperiled.
• A call for procurement provisions to address biodiversity hotspots and high-biodiversity wilderness areas outside of the United States and Canada, as defined by Conservation International.
• New performance measures and indicators designed to help thwart illegal logging.
• New performance measures and indicators to improve logger training programs and to recognize certified logger programs.
• New indicators to strengthen implementation of best management practices to protect water quality.
• Adoption of multi-site certification procedures.

SFI Inc. also appoints task forces to work on specific issues of interest to the program, its participants and its supporters. For example, SFI Inc. task forces looked at the role of SFI certification in the carbon and bioenergy markets, which led to revisions in the SFI 2010-2014 Standard. For more information on the SFI program and the carbon and bioenergy markets, click here.

In 2009, Time Inc. and Hearst Enterprises, working with Verso Paper, SFI Inc., the American Tree Farm System (ATFS), NewPage Corporation and Sappi Fine Papers, began a pilot project in Maine to help small landowners coordinate their third-party certification audits to either the SFI program or the ATFS program – creating cost efficiencies and encouraging more participation.