NEWS RELEASES

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and McMaster University announce a new partnership to support the SFI Climate Smart Forestry Initiative, which is advancing the interpretation and implementation of climate-informed forestry practices across almost 120 million SFI-certified hectares in Canada. With investments from public and private sources, including Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), the SFI Climate Smart Forestry Initiative engages experts and SFI-certified organizations to reduce net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by identifying, developing, and implementing practices that meet the SFI 2022 Forest Management Standard objectives, while achieving co-benefits for biodiversity and wildfire risk reduction. Activities include forest GHG accounting, new research on forest vulnerability, and supporting forest management decision-makers through extension materials.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is proud to announce funding for eight Indigenous organizations and their projects to advance Climate Smart Forestry (CSF) in Canada. SFI is supporting Indigenous-led projects to implement strategies that improve forest resiliency to a changing climate, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and support Indigenous values.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is proud to support the outcomes of the 9th American Forest Congress (AFC), including resolutions to help forests thrive in a changing climate, support expanded markets for forest products, advance forest research, and invest in workforce development.

A free online course is making it easier for educators, forestry and conservation professionals, and sustainability leaders to help strengthen community connections to trees and increase forest literacy. Forest Literacy: Understanding the Values of Trees, Forests, and Sustainability is a free, two-hour, self-paced course designed for three groups of professionals: individuals considering careers in forestry and conservation, those working in forest-related fields without a background in natural resources (e.g., communications, law, finance, etc.), and educators who want to bring forest literacy into their classrooms.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) welcomes the G7 Kananaskis Wildfire Charter and its emphasis on a “whole of society approach” to preventing, responding to, and recovering from extreme wildfires. The Charter, an outcome of the G7 leaders meeting in Alberta earlier this month, outlines a comprehensive global framework that includes science-based mitigation and adaptation strategies such as sustainable forest management, Indigenous-led land stewardship, the use of fire as a positive tool for forest management, data sharing, and collaborative systems to address wildfire-related health and safety risks.

The Intertribal Timber Council (ITC), the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), and Project Learning Tree (PLT) are collaborating to develop Tribal Forestry & Wildland Fire Voices: A Career Guide, a resource aimed at promoting Tribal forestry and supporting workforce development.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) is proud to announce The Regional Municipality of York as the first-ever municipality to achieve certification to the full SFI Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard. This achievement reflects York Region’s ongoing commitment to promoting healthy communities and integrating sustainability in its planning.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is pleased to announce the 2025 SFI Implementation Committee Achievement Award winner at the SFI Annual Conference. As part of SFI’s deepening commitment to a world that values and benefits from sustainably managed forests, SFI Implementation Committees promote responsible forestry and sourcing to create positive change that sustains communities.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is pleased to announce The Lyme Timber Company as the recipient of the 2025 SFI Leadership in Conservation Award. Lyme Timber, certified to the SFI Forest Management Standard, is being recognized for a longstanding commitment to advancing conservation outcomes across its land base. SFI specifically recognizes Managing Directors Peter Stein and Sean Ross for their instrumental leadership in partnering on meaningful conservation efforts related to biodiversity conservation, research-based forest management practices, and climate smart forestry.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and International Paper, a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions, are proud to announce the recipient of the 2025 Dr. Sharon Haines Memorial Award for Innovation and Leadership in Sustainability. Jimmy Bullock, Senior Vice President, Forest Sustainability at Resource Management Service, LLC (RMS), was presented with the award at the SFI Annual Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for his lifelong dedication to collaborative conservation and sustainable forest management.

Kathy Abusow, President and CEO of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is proud to announce Dr. Patricia (Pat) Layton, Director of the Wood Utilization and Design Institute at Clemson University, as the recipient of the 2025 SFI President’s Award. Presented during SFI’s 2025 Annual Conference, the award recognizes Layton’s exceptional leadership and longstanding contributions to SFI and to urban forestry, forest literacy, and innovation in green building.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is proud to announce Clemson University as the first organization to achieve certification to the full SFI Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard. This landmark achievement highlights Clemson’s dedication to responsibly managing campus trees and green spaces, providing long-term benefits for the institution, students, and the broader community.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is proud to announce a groundbreaking new project to advance climate smart forestry practices across the United States, supported by a generous investment of over $800,000 from the Doris Duke Foundation (DDF). The project, Advancing Carbon Stewardship Practices for Large Landowners in the United States, will use a forest sector-focused approach to advance forest management and conservation activities to both enhance the carbon sink and reduce sources of emissions from forests.

619 Ponce, an innovative mass timber project in the heart of Atlanta led by Jamestown, was recognized as a 2024 Wood Design and Building Award recipient for excellence in wood architecture and construction by the Canadian Wood Council. 619 Ponce exemplifies the growing trend of “forest-to-frame” construction and parallels the “farm-to-table” movement. Similar to how a farm-to-table approach to sourcing redefined food supply chains, architects and building professionals are transforming construction with a forest-to-frame approach using materials from regional forests certified to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) 2022 Forest Management Standard.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) welcomes a major investment of $4.7M from Environment Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC) Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund to advance Climate Smart Forestry in forest management across Canada. The overarching goal of the project is to identify, develop, and implement climate smart practices and strategies to make our forests more resilient.