{"id":19158,"date":"2014-12-02T21:30:17","date_gmt":"2014-12-02T21:30:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/162.217.168.59\/?p=19158"},"modified":"2023-03-22T13:48:48","modified_gmt":"2023-03-22T17:48:48","slug":"sfi-community-comes-together-to-celebrate-the-peoples-tree","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forests.org\/fr\/sfi-community-comes-together-to-celebrate-the-peoples-tree\/","title":{"rendered":"SFI Community Comes Together to Celebrate the People\u2019s Tree at the U.S. Capitol"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"2014WASHINGTON, D.C.<\/strong> \u2014 The Capitol Christmas Tree, also known as the People\u2019s Tree, is being lit\u00a0today thanks to people like Jim Scheff. He harvested the towering 88-foot-tall white spruce from the\u00a0Chippewa National Forest in northeastern Minnesota. Scheff won the Logger of the Year Award from\u00a0the Sustainable Forestry Initiative\u00ae Inc. (SFI) Minnesota Implementation Committee.<\/p>\n

The People\u2019s Tree is chosen every year by\u00a0the U.S. Forest Service. It is a powerful\u00a0symbol of the relationship between the\u00a0American people and the land. The tree\u00a0stopped in 30 communities en route to\u00a0the Capitol in time for the start of the\u00a0Christmas season.<\/p>\n

School kids, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts and\u00a0adults all had a chance to see the\u00a0Christmas tree and take part in Christmas\u00a0craft workshops. The tour was also a\u00a0chance to tell the SFI story about the\u00a0integral role sustainable forest\u00a0management plays in maintaining healthy forests and providing wildlife habitat, recreational\u00a0opportunities and thriving communities.<\/p>\n

An SFI Implementation Committee from Minnesota will also place two ornaments on the Capitol\u00a0Christmas tree today to celebrate the warmth and good will of the holiday season. The ornaments will\u00a0mark the contribution sustainable forestry makes to communities across America. SFI Implementation\u00a0Committees across North America bring people together to work for the future of forests.<\/p>\n

Professional loggers like Scheff are a big part of sustainable forestry. They are using and influencing\u00a0best management practices aimed at protecting water and other key parts of the forest environment.\u00a0Scheff is a member of the Minnesota Logger Education Program and a Minnesota Certified Master\u00a0Logger. These two programs provide the training and certification needed to meet the requirements\u00a0in the SFI Standard for Qualified Logging Professionals and Certified Logging Professionals.<\/p>\n

SFI\u2019s logger training requirements and support of programs like Minnesota Logger Education Program\u00a0help to ensure loggers have the training needed for safe, productive and environmentally responsible\u00a0timber harvesting. In 2013, more than 7,500 loggers and resource professionals took part in SFIsponsored\u00a0training aimed at continuous improvement.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were honored to be a part of this annual Christmas tradition. Keeping America\u2019s forests as\u00a0healthy, sustainable working forests is a gift that generations to come will enjoy,\u201d said Kathy Abusow,\u00a0President and CEO of SFI Inc.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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