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| - The SFI Program - |
| A Bold Approach to Sustainable Forestry Management |
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The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) program is a comprehensive
system of principles, objectives, performance measures and
indicators which integrate the perpetual growing and harvesting
of trees with the protection of wildlife, plants, soil, water
and air quality. It?s based on the premise that responsible
environmental behavior and sound business decisions can
co-exist to the benefit of landowners, shareholders, customers,
the people they serve, the environment, and future generations. |
| Developed by Foresters, Conservationists, Scientists, Landowners |
| Professional foresters, conservationists, scientists, landowners, and other stakeholders came together almost a decade ago to develop the SFI program. They were inspired by the 1987 sustainability report of the World Commission on Environment and Development, which was later adopted by the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. |
| The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Standard (SFIS) | |
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The SFI Standard (SFIS) spells out the strict and comprehensive
requirements of compliance with the program.
SFI program participants practice sustainable forestry on the lands they
manage and actively promote these principles on other
forestlands. This unique commitment to sustainable forestry is
in recognition of the fact that all forest landowners, not just
corporations, play a critical role in ensuring the long-term
health and sustainability of our forests. |
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| The SFI Program: Doing Well by Doing Good | |
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The SFI program reflects the market and social realities of
the 21st century. The program provides a means for foresters,
landowners, logging professionals, wood and paper
producers, users and sellers to address perceived consumer
demand for responsible environmental stewardship, while
maintaining viable and productive businesses. |
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| Sustainable Forestry Initiative Standard (SFIS) | |
| Principles: | |
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At the heart of the SFI Standard are the SFIS Principles. These
Principles call upon every program participant to meet market
demands while using environmentally responsible practices
which promote the protection of wildlife, plants, soil, air and
water quality. |
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Objectives: |
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The SFI Standard Objectives translate these Principles into
action by providing forest managers with a roadmap to
expand the practice of sustainable forestry and to visibly
improve performance. The Objectives form the substance of
the program and promote: | |
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• Broadening the practice of sustainable forestry. • Ensuring long-term forest productivity. • Protecting water quality. • Enhancing wildlife habitat and contributing to biodiversity. • Continuing improvements in wood utilization. • Ensuring continual improvements in sustainable forestry practices. • Fostering the practice of sustainable forestry on all forestlands. • Reporting publicly on program progress. |
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| SFI Certification Process | |
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With input from our customers, the SFI program has
developed a comprehensive and internationally consistent
certification procedure for participants to document and
communicate their conformance to the SFI Standard and to
gauge their progress. The process for conducting the audit is
rigorous and all auditors must meet precise educational and
professional criteria. Over 100 million acres of forest land are managed directly under the SFI program, and more than eighty percent of the acreage has been independently third-party certified or has been committed to achieving third-party certification. |
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| Sustainable Forestry Board | |
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The Sustainable Forestry Board (SFB) was established in
2000 to manage several components of the SFI program,
including the SFI Standard and certification procedures. For
more information about the SFB, go to www.aboutsfb.org.
Outside stakeholder participation is vital to the SFB?s
credibility and independence. Two-thirds of the SFB?s
members are from diverse interest groups: environmental
and conservation groups, public officials, professional
and academic groups, independent logging professionals
and forest landowners. |
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| SFI Program Reach | |
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The SFI program now has more than 200 program
participants in the United States and Canada. Program
participants represent 84% of paper production, 87% of
>newsprint production, 50% of solid wood production,
85% of structural panel production, and 90% of industrial
timberland in the United States.
In 2000, the SFI program signed an agreement with the
>American Tree Farm System recognizing that the standards
utilized by those 65,000 nonindustrial private landowners on
their 26 million acres of forestland is the small landowner?s
equivalent to the SFI program. |
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| Why You Should Support the SFI Program | |
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Participation in the SFI program means affiliation with
an internationally recognized environmental program ?
a program responsive to the growing demand and
expectation of consumers that the businesses they
support address environmental sensitivities.
To learn more about the Sustainable Forestry Initiative
program, visit our website at www.aboutsfi.org
A good sign somebody cares.
More than 650 million new trees are
planted each year in the United States
by participants in the Sustainable
Forestry Initiative program. |
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©2002 American Forest & Paper Association, Inc.
Sustainable Forestry Initiative, SFI, and are service marks of
American Forest & Paper Association, Inc. |
|
Forestry Safety Society of Nova Scotia P.O. Box 696 Truro, Nova Scotia, B2N 5E5 |
| | Acknowledgements | | | Legal Disclaimer | | |