NEWS RELEASES

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) was recently named as a recipient of a $249,108 Wood Innovations Grant from the USDA Forest Service. The aim of the grant program is to expand the use of climate-smart wood products, strengthen emerging wood markets, and support active management to improve forest health and resilience.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) announced the Dr. Sharon Haines Memorial Award for Innovation and Leadership in Sustainability at the 2022 SFI/Project Learning Tree (PLT) Annual Conference on June 15, 2022. Paul Trianosky, SFI’s Chief Conservation Officer, is this year’s recipient. During his time at SFI, Trianosky laid the groundwork for SFI’s focus on the role of forest certification in advancing critical forest values relative to climate change, biodiversity, and water.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) announced the winner of the 2022 SFI Implementation Committee Achievement Award at the 2022 SFI/Project Learning Tree (PLT) Annual Conference today. The Committee was selected for its collaborative efforts in producing a series of four dynamic training videos that advance sustainable forestry and enhance understanding of SFI’s new standards requirements.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) announced the winners of this year’s SFI Leadership in Conservation Award at the 2022 SFI/Project Learning Tree (PLT) Annual Conference today. Weyerhaeuser, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture (AMJV), American Bird Conservancy (ABC), West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR), and West Virginia University (WVU) are being recognized for fostering partnerships required to combat bird population declines at a landscape-scale. The partners are working together on a project funded by NFWF and managed by SFI to recover critical species habitat in managed forests in West Virginia. Additional support for the project came from the United States Geological Survey, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Council for Air and Stream Improvement.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) announced today that LP Building Solutions (LP) is the recipient of the SFI President’s Award for 2022. The award is given annually to an organization or individual that leads the forest community on important issues related to sustainability, education, and collaboration.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is pleased to announce its new publication: SFI’s Conservation Impact: A Decade of Success. This succinct document provides an executive-level summary of the results of SFI’s Conservation Impact work over the past 10 years and how the science behind well managed forests and sustainable supply chains supports conservation goals.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and Project Learning Tree (PLT) are hosting a joint annual conference from June 14-16, in Madison, Wisconsin.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) announced today that its 2022 Chain of Custody Standard has met the rigorous third-party assessment of the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). PEFC is an international organization that endorses national forest certification systems developed collaboratively by diverse stakeholders, tailored to local priorities and conditions. Organizations certified to SFI’s 2022 Chain of Custody standard can now apply the PEFC on-product label and make PEFC claims, giving them more options to meet customer demand around the world.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is pleased to announce that Terry Baker, CEO of the Society of American Foresters (SAF), has been unanimously elected by SFI’s Board of Directors to serve a three-year term as a member of the SFI Board’s Environmental chamber.

SFI announced today that Chief Conservation Officer Paul Trianosky will retire on July 1. Trianosky helped position SFI as an important contributor to forest conservation, and elevated the role that sustainable forest management plays in conversation outcomes. His efforts laid the groundwork for SFI’s focus on the role of forest certification in advancing critical forest values relative to climate change, biodiversity and water.

SFI announced seven conservation grants today that will build on SFI’s commitment to conservation research and increase knowledge about the conservation benefits associated with forests influenced by the SFI 2022 Forest Management Standard and the SFI 2022 Fiber Sourcing Standard. The grants reflect the priorities of SFI’s innovative Conservation Impact Project, which advances understanding of climate change, biodiversity, and water in sustainably managed forests. The grants also highlight the key role that SFI certified organizations and other members of the SFI network play in collaborating on conservation projects.

SFI certification is a powerful tool to provide customers and producers of forest products with the tools and guidance they need to make responsible supply chain decisions and achieve responsible forest management goals.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) announced Bettina Ring as its new Chief Sustainability and Diversity Officer today. Ring will provide leadership internally and externally on strategic initiatives related to sustainability and diversity. She will also seek to leverage SFI’s scale to drive meaningful change in the forest and conservation sector through collaboration with SFI’s network.

Nice-Pak , the pioneer and leading producer of wet wipes for consumer markets, announced today it is joining forces with two leading non-profit organizations to further its commitment to environmental sustainability, education and improved health impacts. The unique collaboration brings Nice-Pak together with American Forests and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative's flagship education program, Project Learning Tree . Together these experts in conservation, sustainable forestry and environmental education will help drive awareness that trees and forests are the best nature-based solution to climate change and for the vital role they play in improving health and protecting the planet for future generations.

SFI and the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc. (NCASI) announced the launch of the SFI-NCASI Carbon and Water Tools today. These science-based tools will help increase understanding of how SFI-certified forests can be used as nature-based solutions to help mitigate climate change and ensure water conservation. These new measurement tools help quantify the contributions of the 370 million acres/150 million hectares of forestland certified to the SFI Forest Management Standard in addressing climate change and meeting the water needs of both society and ecological systems.