{"id":18290,"date":"2010-06-02T23:30:14","date_gmt":"2010-06-02T23:30:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/162.217.168.59\/?p=18290"},"modified":"2023-03-22T17:09:20","modified_gmt":"2023-03-22T21:09:20","slug":"sfipartnershipsyieldbenefits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forests.org\/fr\/sfipartnershipsyieldbenefits\/","title":{"rendered":"SFI Shows How Partnerships Yield Benefits for Forests and Communities"},"content":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON<\/strong> \u2013 Non-profit Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Inc. released its latest progress report\u00a0today, Power of Partnerships,\u00a0 which demonstrates how diverse partnerships can strengthen forest\u00a0practices and deliver science-based actions that benefit forests and communities across North America\u00a0and beyond.<\/p>\n

The SFI progress report tracks the phenomenal growth of the independent third-party forest\u00a0certification\u00a0program in 2009 and early 2010, and shows the contribution of a variety of collaborative activities \u2013\u00a0including the new SFI Conservation and Community Partnerships Grant program and the open review\u00a0process that led to the SFI 2010-2014 Standard.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe SFI program has a diverse range of partners because we respect and value all contributions,\u201d SFI\u00a0President and CEO Kathy Abusow said. \u201cAt a time when less than 10 percent of the world\u2019s forests are\u00a0certified, SFI Inc. builds on the power of partnerships to raise awareness of how forest certification can\u00a0support responsible forest management. The SFI program is relevant and effective because our door is\u00a0always wide open.\u201d<\/p>\n

Close to 200 million acres\/80 million hectares are certified to the SFI forest management standard in\u00a0North America \u2013 making it the largest single forest standard in the world. Its influence goes beyond\u00a0certified lands with programming that includes landowner outreach, logger training, research activities,\u00a0and conservation and community collaboration.<\/p>\n

From the start of 2009 to the end of April 2010, the number of SFI chain-of-custody certificates, chain-ofcustody\u00a0certified locations and fiber sourcing label certificates more than doubled. \u201cOur phenomenal\u00a0growth reflects the confidence and respect we have earned by inviting others to work with us and\u00a0delivering results together,\u201d Abusow said. \u201cThis growth also places the SFI program in a leadership\u00a0position to bring together people from different backgrounds and viewpoints to achieve a common goal \u2013\u00a0improved forest practices.\u201d<\/p>\n

The SFI program works with community organizations, companies of all sizes, government agencies,\u00a0conservation groups, Aboriginal peoples, customers and family forest owners across the United States\u00a0and Canada. More than 2,500 individuals and organizations are working with the SFI program \u2013\u00a0meeting its requirements and\/or supporting its efforts to encourage and promote responsible forestry.<\/p>\n

The SFI External Review Panel, a group of independent experts representing conservation, environment,\u00a0professional, academic and public organizations, advises the SFI Inc. Board of Directors on ways to\u00a0improve the SFI program. This includes reviewing the progress report and monitoring the standard\u00a0review process.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Panel can attest to the significant progress the SFI community has made over the past year and\u00a0we\u2019ve seen firsthand what the power of partnerships can do,\u201d said External Review Panel Chair Michael\u00a0Goergen, Executive Vice-President of the Society of American Foresters. \u201cA transparent revision process\u00a0and new requirements set out in the SFI 2010-2014 Standard, as well as SFI\u2019s commitment to\u00a0collaboration indicate the growing capacity and willingness of SFI program participants to achieve notably\u00a0higher forestry standards and partnerships with each passing year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some of the collaborative activities featured in the SFI progress report include:<\/p>\n