On a crisp day in late October, the Minnesota SFI Implementation Committee (SIC) Logger of the Year - Jim Scheff - fired up his Husqvarna chainsaw and prepared to fell a towering 88 foot tall white spruce, soon to become this year’s U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree.

We’ve all had the experience of running into an old friend unexpectedly, and spending a moment of warm reminiscence, perhaps on a street corner or coffee shop.

Every year the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) annual conference brings together a cross section of conservation, academic and industry leaders united in a common goal: ensuring a future with healthy and vibrant forests.

Years ago, I was executive director of a non-profit organization. Early in that period we were struggling financially, as many non-profits do from time to time.

I just heard that phrase again for the umpteenth time from someone in the natural resource profession

Shaping the forest of the future requires cooperating with a wide range of interests today. The forest community must find common ground to ensure the sustainability of future forests.

Every day, The Conservation Fund works to prevent the loss of America’s last large and intact privately-held forest.

SFI stands at the intersection of sustainable forests and sustainable communities.

The other week I was excited to be a part of The Greening of Detroit’s 2014 Citizen Forester Program, where 138 volunteers, 24 Citizen Forester volunteers, and 10 staff turned out on a Saturday to roll up their sleeves to plant over 100 trees.

Project Learning Tree’s (PLT) 28th Annual International Coordinators’ Conference was held this year in Traverse City, Michigan in May.

Forests do so much for us. They provide us clean air, filter our water, sustain an unbelievable breadth of plant and animal life, and offer an incredible sanctuary to recharge our spirits.

I had the great pleasure to participate in an exciting workshop yesterday hosted by the White House Rural Council and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

I’m so very proud to be recognizing the use of wood certified to the SFI Standard in the beautiful construction of an extremely worthy project: the Canadian Cancer Society’s Kordyban Lodge Cancer Care Facility designed by NSDA Architects.

Through my long career in forest conservation, I’ve observed that there are many “good things” that an organization can do to add value, “move the needle” forward on conservation results, and look to conserving our future forests. 

It’s been an icy-cold week for most of North America, with many experiencing snowy scenes like this one. Joe Schwantes from Wisconsin shared this photo of his local forest last year.