NEWS RELEASES

Ottawa, ON—The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is proud to announce funding for eight Indigenous organizations and their projects to advance Climate Smart Forestry (CSF) in Canada. SFI is supporting Indigenous-led projects to implement strategies that improve forest resiliency to a changing climate, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and support Indigenous values.

“The SFI Climate Smart Forestry Initiative is fostering new models of learning and collaboration, and we are committed to elevating Indigenous-led projects that can help us scale forest-based climate solutions across broader landscapes,” said Kathy Abusow, CEO and President of SFI.

In 2024, SFI received a grant from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) which includes support for implementation of nature-based climate solutions. With a focus on SFI-certified organizations and Indigenous partners, the overarching goal of this 3-year project (2024-2027) is to identify and implement climate smart practices and strategies in forest management. The project is contributing to the reduction of Canada’s net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions using CSF in a sector-based approach. The project directly supports on-the-ground activities for Indigenous partners, which provide a unique opportunity for collaboration that reflect Indigenous values and knowledges.

In March of 2025, SFI issued a call for Expressions of Interest to support Indigenous-led CSF projects, awarding funds to eight Indigenous communities and Indigenous-owned entities. The selected projects include experimental forestry practices, additional assessments, and enhanced monitoring conditions under current climatic changes (e.g. windthrow, silvicultural for caribou, alternative to burning slash pile, training for planting/manual brushing) that support and advance values prioritized by these Indigenous communities in the context of a changing climate.

“I am excited to announce these partners and their projects, which reflect the priorities and innovative solutions Indigenous organizations are bringing forward to advance climate and fire resilience in our forests,” said Lauren T. Cooper, Chief Conservation Officer at SFI.

The Indigenous organizations leading this work include:

• Chippewas of the Thames First Nation (Ontario)
• Chu Cho Forestry, owned by Tsay Keh Dene Nation (British Columbia)
• Kwikwasut’inuxw Haxwa’mis First Nation (British Columbia)
• Lhoosk’uz Dene Nation (British Columbia)
• Nazko First Nation (British Columbia)
• Obishikokaang Resources Corporation (Ontario)
• Quatsino First Nation (British Columbia)
• Wahkohtowin Development GP Inc. (Ontario)

The project is part of the SFI Climate Smart Forestry Initiative – an effort to advance the interpretation and implementation of climate smart forestry practices across the SFI Canadian and U.S. footprint of more than 150 million certified hectares / 370 million certified acres.

With support from Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners, the SFI CSF Initiative works directly with experts and SFI-certified organizations to reduce net GHG emissions by identifying, developing, and implementing practices that meet the SFI Forest Management Standard objectives while achieving co-benefits for biodiversity and wildfire risk reduction. The SFI CSF Initiative is building collaborative relationships to advance Climate-informed Principles and Practices (CLIPPs) that can be applied to support decision-making for forest managers.

Learn more about SFI Climate Smart Forestry Initiative – Visit https://forests.org/climate-smart-forestry/

SFI is proud to announce a second open call for Request for Proposals, providing funding to First Nations and Indigenous organizations that support Canadian forests as resilient to a changing climate.