UL Environment, a division of UL (Underwriters Laboratories) today announced that products certified to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Standards will be featured on UL SPOT™, a web-based sustainability information tool that promotes responsible procurement of products. This new agreement between UL Environment and SFI will provide SPOT users access to SFI building materials, paper and packaging products that have been 3rd party certified to the SFI Fiber Sourcing and SFI Chain of Custody Standards.

We congratulate Metsä Board on becoming the first European paperboard producer to utilize this new option for SFI on-product labelling,” said Kathy Abusow, President & CEO of SFI Inc. “As a sustainability organization dedicated to the future of our forests, SFI focuses its efforts on supply chain assurances, conservation elevation and education and community engagement. We are proud that SFI’s on-product labels make it clear that a product has been responsibly sourced or comes from a certified forest.”

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) recently announced that 653,428 acres of state land have been certified to one of the world’s most recognized, independent, third-ˇparty forest management certification standards, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) 2015-2021 Forest Management Standard. “Certification to SFI considers all aspects of our forest management process – from our actions taken in the woods to the paperwork we keep in our files,” said MDC State Forester Lisa Allen.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) is pleased to announce that Poison Springs State Forest, the Arkansas state forest managed by the Agriculture Department's Forestry Commission, has earned certification to the SFI 2015-2021 Forest Management Standard through a rigorous third-party audit. Certifying to SFI sends a strong signal about Arkansas’s commitment to sustainable forest management, conservation, and economic opportunity for its citizens.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) is pleased to announce the election of Michael P. Doss to the SFI Board of Directors. Doss is President and CEO of Graphic Packaging Holding Company. His election strengthens SFI’s position as a sustainability leader focused on future forests. “Mike is a great fit for SFI because he brings a wealth of leadership experience on sustainability and community building. His approach shows that financial results and corporate responsibility are not mutually exclusive. Mike’s message that we have to reach far beyond day-to-day business operations and really have a positive impact on our shared quality of life resonates with the entire SFI community,” said Kathy Abusow, President and CEO of SFI Inc.

TimberWest is the first Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Program Participant to achieve the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) Bronze certification under the Progressive Aboriginal Relations (PAR) program. This certification demonstrates to Indigenous communities that TimberWest is a good business partner, a great place to work and is committed to the prosperity of Indigenous communities. TimberWest is also the first BC forest company to earn PAR certification.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) announced today that the Maine SFI Implementation Committee is the winner of the 2017 SFI Implementation Committee Achievement Award. This award, announced at the SFI Annual Conference, recognizes the exceptional work of the grassroots network of 34 SFI Implementation Committees across the U.S. and Canada. Groups ranging from Habitat for Humanity and Boy Scouts to universities and Ducks Unlimited Canada work with SFI Implementation Committees.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) announced today that J.D. Irving (JDI) is the 2017 winner of the SFI Leadership in Conservation Award. This award, announced at the SFI Annual Conference, recognizes SFI Program Participants across Canada and the U.S. who are involved in strong partnerships focused on conservation.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) announced the 2017 SFI President’s Award at the SFI Annual Conference today. Craig Blair, President and CEO, Resource Management Service (RMS) LLC is this year’s winner. Craig is being recognized for providing the vision and strong leadership that helped Project Learning Tree (PLT) find a new home at SFI. Founded in 1976, PLT is an award-winning environmental education program that uses trees and forests as windows on the world to increase youth understanding of the environment and actions they can take to conserve it.

Nature Canada, Canada’s oldest national nature conservation charity, is pleased to recognize and honour Ms. Inger Andersen, Director General of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as its 151st member of Women for Nature. Ms. Inger Andersen, is being featured as a keynote speaker at today’s Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) annual conference in Ottawa at the Westin Hotel. SFI’s annual conference, with its theme: Forests. A Way of Life, is as an ideal venue to recognize Andersen because it brings together the foremost thought leaders from the fields of sustainability, conservation and youth outreach. More than 600 people attended Andersen’s keynote address.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) announced today that Obishikokaang Resources Corporation has certified more than 1 million hectares of the Lac Seul Forest in Northern Ontario to the SFI 2015-2021 Forest Management Standard. Lac Seul First Nation, also known as Obishikokaang, is the oldest Reserve in the Sioux Lookout District. Lac Seul First Nation has over 800 members and is made up of the communities of Kejick Bay, Whitefish Bay and Frenchman’s Head, all located on the shores of Lac Seul.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) announced today that Structurlam is the first Canadian manufacturer of cross-laminated timber (CLT) to be certified to the SFI 2015-2021 Chain-of-Custody Standard. Structurlam blends the expertise of wood science with the ingenuity of European fabrication to produce mass timber products including CLT, the next-generation of engineered wood products. Structurlam has manufactured CLT for six years and supplied the product to over 350 projects in North America. Extensively tested, the product has vast applications for construction.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) welcomed two new officers and one new member to its Board of Directors: Mark Rodgers as Board Chair, Guy Gleysteen as Vice Chair, and Laura Downey as a new member in the social chamber. These new members will play a key role as SFI continues to enhance the sustainability of well-managed forests and the communities that depend on them across the U.S. and Canada.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and Habitat for Humanity Greater Ottawa (Habitat GO) are joining forces for a “Women in Wood” Build Day on Tuesday, August 15 to help build homes alongside Ottawa families in need of affordable housing. The second-ever “Women in Wood” Build Day will take place at Habitat GO’s largest build to date, Leacross Landing, which consists of 16 townhomes being built in Orléans at the corner of Jeanne d’Arc Blvd. and Fortune Drive. Phase 1, involving four townhomes, will be completed in 2017, with the other homes finished over the next two years.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) announced today the opening of its annual request for proposals (RFP) for the SFI Conservation and Community Partnerships Grant Program. The grants program supports SFI’s work to promote sustainable forest management through partnerships with conservation groups that are contributing to the understanding of critical links between forests and communities across the range of American and Canadian forests, and community groups working at the intersection of sustainable forestry, responsible procurement and thriving communities.