Project Learning Tree (PLT) Canada will be placing 1000 youth in green jobs using the Sustainable Forestry Initiative’s (SFI) diverse network of program participants, conservation leaders, Indigenous partners, and community groups. PLT Canada has received approximately $7 million in federal funding from the Government of Canada’s Summer Work Experience Program to get youth working in the great outdoors through the summers of 2018 and 2019.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) announced five conservation grants today that will advance our shared understanding of the conservation benefits associated with well-managed forests across the United States and Canada. These grants feature collaboration between SFI and a diverse range of partners and experts from 45 organizations to advance SFI’s ground breaking Conservation Impact Project. 

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) announced 18 community grants today that will advance the quality of life in communities across the United States and Canada. SFI is bringing together a diverse range of people from 102 organizations to support community engagement projects. SFI engages local communities through a variety of initiatives including youth outreach, forest education programs, supporting tribal and Indigenous values, and green building projects for low-income families.

A commitment to use responsibly sourced wood products has earned Whistler-based Innovation Building Group an award from the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). The SFI Certified Wood Award is part of the Wood Design & Building Awards program. Innovation Building Group received the award, for its multi-residential project Solana in Whistler, BC, at the Wood WORKS! BC 2018 Wood Design Awards Gala in Vancouver on February 26.

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.