SFI BLOG
COP15 30×30 Commitment: An Important Step Toward Conservation and Sustainability
A commitment to 30x30, an initiative calling on the world’s governments to designate 30 percent of Earth’s land and ocean as protected areas by 2030, was among four goals and 23 targets for achievement of the 15th Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15), which concluded in December. Representatives from nearly 200 nations attended the event, held in Montreal, Canada.
2022 Scorecards Illustrate SFI’s Commitment to Sustainability
As we look forward to the holidays and the New Year, it is my pleasure to share with you some of SFI’s many successes over the past 12 months as we continued to advance sustainability and nature-positive outcomes in collaboration with our impressive network.
SFI Certified Forests Play Key Role in Gopher Tortoise Conservation
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) recently determined that populations of the gopher tortoise in the southeastern United States are stable or expanding in most of its range and is no longer a candidate for listing as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Both private and public forestlands certified to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) are playing a key role in the recovery of the tortoise.
Truth and Reconciliation Week 2022
September 26–30, 2022 is Truth and Reconciliation Week, and September 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. It is also Orange Shirt Day, an initiative started by residential school survivor Phyllis Webstad, Northern Secwepemc (Shuswap) from the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation, to raise awareness of residential schools and spread the message that every child matters.
Forester’s Blog: Fall Forest Colors
Autumn, my favorite season, is almost here. Tomorrow, Thursday, September 22, 2022, marks the autumnal equinox—the start of fall in the Northern Hemisphere.
SFI, NFWF, and Partners Recognized for Songbird Conservation in West Virginia
A recent grant to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is bearing fruit in West Virginia. Or rather, birds. With the aid of the grant, SFI is working with federal, state, private, university, and non-governmental organizations with a shared goal of researching best practices that benefit bird species, especially three at-risk bird species: the golden-winged warbler, the cerulean warbler, and the wood thrush.
SFI Standards Are Solutions for a Changing Climate
The theme of this year’s National Forest Week (September 18–24, 2022), “Canada’s Forests: Solutions for a Changing Climate,” offers a timely reminder of the importance of trees and forests to the nation and the world. At the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), we and our network of partners know forests play a critical role in addressing climate change and storing carbon.
Forester’s Blog: The Importance of Young Forest Habitat
Mention old-growth forests and most people think of giant sequoias in California, centuries-old Douglas firs and western red cedars in British Columbia, red pines in Ontario, or massive live oaks in the Southern US.
SFI Conference Green Mentor Program Sets the Right Example
The annual conference’s theme was Collaborating for Communities and Forests, so it’s fitting that the conference also played host to its first SFI Conference Green Mentor cohort. Nineteen young adults were selected from across North America to participate in this four-month mentorship opportunity.
Forester’s Blog: Cellulose Nanomaterials
Rayon was invented in the mid-1800s and was manufactured as a fabric in the US starting in 1911. It was called “artificial silk” until 1924, when the name rayon was adopted.
Doss Keynote at SFI Annual Conference: Consumers are Driving the Circular Economy
Consumer preferences for paper packaging are strengthening the circular economy, said Michael P. Doss, president and CEO of Graphic Packaging International, in his keynote address at the 2022 SFI Annual Conference in June.
USFS CHIEF MOORE
Randy Moore, Chief of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, discusses partnering with SFI on climate change, wildfire risk, and sustaining healthy, resilient landscapes for generations to come.
Forester’s Blog: So, How much forest is there in the U.S. and Canada?
A recent Twitter post by EcoWatch stated that “A new study has found an alarming loss in forest areas.”
A Call for Third-Party Certification Engagement on Wildfire Mitigation Strategies in the Western US
There is no question that wildfires in the western US are larger and more intense than in recorded history. As of August 1 this year, 60,000 wildfires have burned more than 7.1 million acres in the US, according to the National Interagency Fire Center—the vast majority in the West. These figures far exceed the 10-year, to-date average of 33,906 fires and 3.55 million acres. And there is no argument that this trend is likely to continue due to climate change, drought, a decline in forest health, overstocking of stands, and other factors.
Hundreds of forest and conservation leaders, educators, and more collaborate for communities and forests at the 2022 SFI/PLT Annual Conference
Over 350 people from the SFI and PLT networks gathered for a week filled with learning and discussion opportunities on the most pressing issues and challenges facing people and the planet, and how forests and environmental education can provide solutions.
SFI Welcomes Jacob Handel as Senior Director, Indigenous Relations
Jacob Handel, who recently joined SFI as Senior Director, Indigenous Relations, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in engaging with Indigenous people and groups to the Indigenous Relations Team. Handel has more than 20 years of experience in the environmental field, Indigenous and stakeholder engagement, strategy development, regulatory processes, and negotiation. Prior to joining SFI, he was an Aboriginal Affairs Advisor at a leading Canadian paper and forest products manufacturing company. His past experience also includes working for governments, the energy sector, and nonprofits.