NEWS RELEASES

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.

WASHINGTON, D.C. and OTTAWA, ON—The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is pleased to welcome new members to the SFI Board of Directors: Heather Slayton, State Forester and Assistant Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture; Phil Rigdon, Superintendent of Yakama Nation’s Department of Natural Resources; Caitlyn Pollihan, CEO and Executive Director of the International Society of Arboriculture; and Sam Cook, Executive Director of Forest Assets for North Carolina State University.

Lauren Cooper, SFI Chief Conservation Officer, and Dr. Healy Hamilton, SFI Chief Scientist, are representing the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), taking place from October 21 through November 1, 2024, in Cali, Colombia.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is proud to announce the launch of its Urban Forest Improvement Grant Program, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service. Designed to support programs to improve long-term tree care and foster sustainable urban forest management across the United States, grants will range from $15,000 to $29,500, in support of municipalities, universities, Indigenous communities, and nonprofit organizations working to improve the sustainability of their forestry practices.

SFI is pleased to share that Chief Scientist Dr. Healy Hamilton is the lead author on a new study examining cross-border species conservation priorities for states in the U.S. Together with colleagues from US Fish & Wildlife Service, the National Wildlife Federation, and NatureServe, Dr. Hamilton and coauthors conduct the first-ever national analysis of state Species of Greatest Conservation Need, published in the journal Conservation Science and Practice. The authors identify successes and make recommendations to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of species conservation at landscape scales.