About SFI
The SFI program is a comprehensive set of principles, objectives and
performance measures designed to assure that those who adhere to the program
manage their forests in a socially acceptable, environmentally responsible and
economically prudent manner. In short, the SFI program is about ensuring
that our management and utilization of the forests today will not negatively
impact the resources and values associated with the forest (air, water, soil,
fish and wildlife, etc.) nor will these activities jeopardize the enjoyment or
use of these same forests by future generations. The program defines how
the forest and related resources shall be protected, sustained and even
enhanced. For example, the SFI program performance measures include
indicators addressing prompt reforestation, legal and best management practices
compliance, biodiversity, air, water and soil protection, wildlife protection,
aesthetics, responsible log procurement and continual improvement of practices
as well as encouraging others to act in a like manner. To ensure these
resources are protected, the program requires that the performance measures must
be met in order for a landowner or company to attain or maintain certification.
The SFI program is governed by an 18-member board of directors made up of three chambers with equal membership and importance to the standard. The chambers are environmental, social and economic and include representatives from academia, conservation groups, non-profit environmental groups, government agencies and the wood and paper industry. The board updates the SFI standard every five years following extensive public review. Further, there is an SFI External Review Panel, which is an independent group of 15 volunteer experts from the environmental, conservation, forestry, academic and public/government organizations that provide an ongoing, independent review of the SFI program. The panel provides advice on ways to improve the quality of the program.
Forest product companies that desire to demonstrate compliance with the SFI standard must submit to an audit by an accredited, independent third party organization that is also independent of SFI. These certification organizations follow international protocol established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) which require a clear separation between the standards developer and the certification body conducting the audit. All certification bodies who wish to perform certification to the SFI Standards must be accredited under the American National Standards Institute-American Society of Quality (ANSI-ASQ) National Accreditation Board.
Today, the SFI program is one of the world's most rigorous and widely applied standards of sustainable forestry.
SFI participants must subscribe to and report annually on their performance regarding the following twenty objectives:
- Forest Management Planning
- Forest Productivity
- Protection and Maintenance of Water Resources
- Conservation of Biological Diversity including Forests with Exceptional Conservation Value
- Management of Visual Quality and Recreational Benefits
- Protection of Special Sites
- Efficient Use of Forest Resources
- Landowner Outreach
- Use of Qualified Resource and Qualified Logging Professionals
- Adherence to Best Management Practices
- Promote Conservation of Biological Diversity, Biodiversity Hotspots and High-Biodiversity Wilderness Areas
- Avoidance of Controversial Sources including Illegal Logging
- Avoidance of Controversial Sources including Fiber Sourced from Areas without Effective Social Laws
- Legal and Regulatory Compliance
- Forestry Research, Science and Technology
- Training and Education
- Community Involvement in the Practice of Sustainable Forestry
- Public Land Management Responsibilities
- Communications and Public Reporting
- Management Review and Continual Improvement
For more information on the program at the national level, please go to www.aboutsfi.org.