{"id":18840,"date":"2012-09-12T17:07:21","date_gmt":"2012-09-12T17:07:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/162.217.168.59\/?p=18840"},"modified":"2023-03-22T15:57:00","modified_gmt":"2023-03-22T19:57:00","slug":"virginia-committee-wins-sfi-achievement-award-raises-awareness-of-benefits-of-wood-for-green-building","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forests.org\/fr\/virginia-committee-wins-sfi-achievement-award-raises-awareness-of-benefits-of-wood-for-green-building\/","title":{"rendered":"Virginia Committee Wins SFI Achievement Award Raises Awareness of Benefits of Wood for Green Building"},"content":{"rendered":"

MILWAUKEE, WI<\/strong> – The Virginia Sustainable Forestry Initiative\u00ae (SFI\u00ae) Implementation Committee\u00a0(SIC) earned the 14th Annual SIC Achievement Award today for harnessing the enthusiasm and knowledge\u00a0of its many partners to show the environmental benefits of building with certified wood.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks to our diverse membership, we\u2019ve been able to raise awareness in the state\u2019s green building\u00a0community about the great value of forest certification,\u201d said Committee Chair James Fretz of International\u00a0Paper Company. \u201cWe want architects, builders and engineers to see for themselves how certification\u00a0improves forest management, and to understand they are supporting local communities and workers by\u00a0choosing SFI-certified forest products.\u201d<\/p>\n

Virginia SFI Implementation Committee members conducted a sustainable forestry tour to show architects\u00a0and builders in the green-building community what SFI certification looks like on the ground. Following the\u00a0VA governor\u2019s 2010 letter to U.S. Green Building Council, calling for recognition of all certification\u00a0programs in the LEED rating tool, the Committee continued outreach to government officials – raising\u00a0awareness and promoting the use of wood products from Virginia. In partnership with the Virginia Forestry\u00a0Association, the committee actively engaged in state legislature outreach about the importance of multiple\u00a0green building rating systems, which in turn gives more options for increased use and recognition of SFIcertified\u00a0wood products.<\/p>\n

The committee has also participated in community outreach activities. It worked with partners to develop\u00a0and deliver educational programs for the state\u2019s 400,000 family forest owners, including field tours\u00a0\u00a0publications and presentations on sustainable forestry, threatened\/endangered species and wildlife\u00a0management practices. It was the lead sponsor of Virginia\u2019s Link to Education about Forests (LEAF)\u00a0network, an association of private and public educators, landowners and practitioners who provide learning\u00a0experiences about forests and their management. The achievement award also acknowledges contributions\u00a0the Virginia committee made to logger training. It supported the Virginia Sustainable Harvesting and\u00a0Resource Professional (SHARP) Logger Program, which provides free training to more than 1,000 loggers,\u00a0foresters and others each year.<\/p>\n

\u201cVirginia SFI Implementation Committee members clearly understand their decisions and actions today\u00a0conserve forests and maintain strong local communities,\u201d SFI President and CEO Kathy Abusow told the\u00a0SFI Annual Conference today. \u201cThese 37 unique, grassroots committees play a vital role in promoting\u00a0logger training and landowner outreach, maintaining the SFI program\u2019s integrity, and supporting and\u00a0promoting responsible forestry locally.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Virginia SIC members and partners include the Virginia state departments of Forestry, Conservation\u00a0and Recreation – Natural Heritage Program, and Game and Inland Fisheries; several Virginia Tech\u00a0departments; the Virginia Forestry Association; Virginia Loggers Association; Virginia Cooperative\u00a0Extension; Virginia Tree Farm Committee; Virginia Forest Stewardship Committee; Virginia\u2019s Link to\u00a0Education about Forests (LEAF); and the 19 SFI program participants operating in Virginia.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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