 Sustainable
Forestry Initiative (SFI)
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)
was adopted by the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA)
in October 1994 and officially launched in 1995. Participation in the
SFI program is a mandatory condition of membership in AFPA, whose
members include most manufacturers of forest products produced in the
U.S. Starting in 2000, organizations in Canada became the first non-U.S.
participants to become third-party certified under the SFI program.
SFI includes principles, objectives and
performance measures to guide managers in practicing responsible forest
management. SFI program objectives are to:
- Broaden the practice of sustainable
forestry to all forest ownerships
- Ensure long-term forest productivity
and conservation of forest resources
- Protect water quality in streams and
lakes
- Protect wildlife habitats and
contribute to biodiversity conservation
- Manage visual impacts of harvesting
- Protect special sites
- Promote the efficient use of forest
resources
- Encourage the use of sustainable
forestry practices by forest landowners, foresters and wood
producers
- Publicly report on progress in
fulfilling the commitment to sustainable forestry
- Provide opportunities for the public
and the forestry community to participate in the commitment to
sustainable forestry
- Promote continual improvement in the
practice of sustainable forestry
The SFI standard is overseen by the
Sustainable Forestry Board (SFB), an independent non-profit organization
responsible to maintain and enhance the SFI standard and
verification/certification procedures. The Board is made up of
conservationists, forest industry leaders, academics and other experts.
An External Review Panel of experts is responsible to conduct an
independent review of the SFI program while seeking steady improvements
in sustainable forestry practices. In addition, most U.S. states and
some Canadian provinces (including British Columbia) have formed SFI
Implementation Committees to oversee and administer the SFI program at
the state and provincial level.
In January 2002, following a broad review
by program participants and the public, the Sustainable Forestry Board
adopted extensive changes to strengthen the intent and application of
the SFI standard. Additional improvements to the standard were made in
July 2002 to protect species and sites at risk, combat illegal logging
internationally, and promote natural forest conservation in biodiversity
hotspots and major wilderness areas. Reviews of the SFI program will
take place every three years.
SFI program participants with independent
third-party verification of SFI certification can also now apply to use
the SFI on-product label.
Links:
Sustainable Forestry Initiative: http://www.afandpa.org/forestry/sfi_frame2.html
Sustainable Forestry Board: http://www.aboutsfb.org/pages/457559/index.htm
SFI’s consumer-oriented web site: http://aboutsfi.org
November 2002
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