Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee Updates

As the Program Manager for the Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee, I am very proud of all the work we do to promote sustainable forestry across Pennsylvania; however, we are only a cog in the wheel of a much larger organization, and it is striking to step back and look at the combined efforts of the whole SFI Community.

The 2017 Progress Report clearly illustrates that we are so much more than a forest and forest product certification standard. SFI has grown to become a solutions-oriented sustainability organization. We collaborate on forest-based conservation and community initiatives that demonstrate and enhance our shared quality of life. And we provide supply chain assurances for brand owners and consumers around the world through standards, data, and authentic stories about the life-sustaining value of managed forests. Our efforts help people, organizations, and companies make informed choices when it comes to sustainably sourced forest products and the management of forest resources to ensure a healthy tomorrow. The SFI supply chain starts in North America's well-managed forests and stretches around the world.
More than 285 million acres of forestland are currently certified to the SFI Forest Management Standard. These lands, stretching from Canada's boreal forest to the U.S. South, are owned and managed by the public and private sectors, conservation groups, indigenous peoples, and academic institutions. SFI has consistently gained more certified forest area than any other forest management standard in North America since 2000 and more than doubled since 2005.

Collectively these lands have the scale to work as a living research lab for forest conservation and responsible management. In fact, SFI is the only forestry standard that requires its program participants to invest in forest research. Since 1995, SFI program participants have directly invested nearly $1.6 billion in forest research. In 2016, more than 70% of these investments were allocated to conservation-related objectives.

The SFI Fiber Sourcing Standard is designed for manufacturers that don't own forestland, but source directly from the forest. It influences millions of additional landowners through promotion, education, and outreach, addressing such issues as biodiversity, use of trained logging and resource professionals, prompt reforestation, and protection of water quality through best management practices. Around 362 million cubic meters of wood are procured under the SFI Fiber Sourcing Standard in Canada and the U.S. (the equivalent of 2.6 million average-sized homes).

There are many other remarkable statistics included in the report that demonstrate the global reach and recognition of SFI. For example, 22% of all fortune 100 companies used the SFI label in 2016, and products certified to the SFI Standards were sold in more than 120 countries. Did you know that SFI accounts for almost 25% of global certified forests? The SFI logo is also becoming more recognized as a sign of sustainable forest management in the marketplace. According to the Natural Marketing Institute Survey, 36% of U.S. consumers surveyed recognize the SFI logo, more than any other forest certification standard.

The take-home message is that SFI is a community of people who stand for future forests because forests affect us all. Together we are making a difference.

For more information about the Pennsylvania Sustainable Forestry Initiative Implementation Committee, please visit the website or call 888-734-9366.