Our History
Early History
In the past, forest product companies owned and managed forests primarily for a simple economic objective – profit from timber production. As the U.S. economy roared through the 1950s and 1960s, companies used their ingenuity and experience with sound forest management to meet the country’s ever-increasing demand for wood products, generating economic activity that supported local industries and communities.
However, evolving public concerns began to be raised about whether forest products companies were considering the impacts arising from their activities. A number of new terms entered the popular vocabulary – terms like biodiversity, habitat conservation, and ecosystem services. The prevailing management policy shifted from “sustained yield forestry,” which emphasized maintaining a constant flow of timber from the forest, to “sustainable forestry,” which sought to sustain all forest values, including non-timber values such as wildlife habitat and water quality.
In the 1980s, the public and organized environmental interest groups had become increasingly concerned about the effect forest products companies, particularly the large industrialized forest-products companies in the U.S., were having on the environment. The forest products industry was realizing at the time that it had a credibility problem. It was viewed as part of the problem, rather than part of the solution. In response, the US forest products industry launched a series of initiatives in the early 1990s to improve transparency and sustainability.
In October 1990, the American Forest Council, an education and outreach organization that supplemented the lobbying activities of the American Paper Institute (API) and the National Forest Products Association (NFPA), convened a “Future of Forestry Conference” to examine public concerns regarding management of private forests. A task force was formed to develop specific recommendations for improving forestry practices across the forest products industry. At the same time, API was crafting a set of environmental, health, and safety principles for pulp and paper manufacturing. These efforts eventually converged and on May 12, 1992, API adopted a set of 10 Forest Management Principles, drawing influence from global sustainability efforts such as the 1987 Bruntland Commison’s report on sustainable development (“Our Common Future”) and the 1992 Earth Summit Principles of Forest Management. The new API principles, and their required adoption by all API members, laid the foundation.
NFPA also commissioned public opinion research in February 1992 to assess perceptions of the forest product industry’s forest management practices. The study revealed a significant perception gap between industry leaders and other influential groups, such as politicians, media, academia, and environmental organizations. While industry CEOs believed their weakness in public support stemmed from poor communications, other groups saw it as a behavioral issue that was undermining their credibility.
API merged with NFPA on January 1, 1993 to form the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), and the following year launched a nationwide, collaborative effort with industry leaders, foresters, and stakeholders to develop and refine a strategic plan to improve the credibility of the industry. The program that evolved, the cornerstone of the strategic plan, was the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), a “proof-of-performance” program that would “visibly improve industrial forest practices and report results.”
1995
SFI Principles & Guidelines
The American Forest & Paper Association’s 425 members, at the time, accounted for approximately 85% of the paper production, 50% of the solid wood production, and 90% of the industrial forestlands in the United States. The new SFI Program was officially rolled out on January 1, 1995. The heart of the program was the “Sustainable Forestry Principles and Implementation Guidelines” that represented, in writing, the industry’s commitment to fundamentally improve. The guidelines established clear objectives and performance measures by which the public could evaluate whether AF&PA members were meeting their commitments. Click on the image above to view the original guidelines.
The Principles and Guidelines were introduced to members as “…working documents, open to occasional revision and modification as we improve our understanding of both forest management and program implementation.“
Compliance with the SFI Guidelines became a condition of continued AF&PA membership on January 1, 1996. As a testament to their commitment to the SFI Program, the Association suspended the membership of 17 non-compliant companies that year. At the time, AF&PA spokesman Luke Popovich stated “If this were simply a PR gimmick, we wouldn’t be losing members over it.”
1995
The External Review Panel
As the SFI Program was being established in 1995, the AF&PA Board of Directors formed the Independent Expert Review Panel (renamed External Review Panel in 2001), a diverse group of outside forestry experts that were invited to voluntarily provided external quality control for the program and advise the AF&PA Board of Directors on appropriate changes to help SFI achieve its mission. Panel members included representatives from conservation, academic, professional, and government organizations. A strong effort was made to empanel a group of experts that was above reproach.
The Panel reviewed the information provided by AF&PA to its member companies, as well as the aggregated data the member companies were required to report for inclusion in SFI’s Annual Progress Report to the public. In their first annual report the Panel stated, “We are convinced that the SFI is designed to achieve a genuine behavioral change in America’s commercial forestry practices, and that the effects will be both significant and positive for the future of America’s forest.” In their second annual report they expressed, “those panel members who have been involved throughout the process have become convinced that the majority of the forest products industry has genuinely committed to achieving the goals of the SFI.”
In 1997, the Panel adopted an independent operating charter and began to select its own membership and develop its own agenda to represent the public interest as an outside observer of the SFI Program. Pennsylvania’s State Forester (1994-2007), Jim Grace, served as a member of the SFI External Review Panel from 2001 to 2008.
Today, the SFI External Review Panel continues to provide ongoing independent review of SFI and its work (https://sfierp.org/).
1995
Implementation Committees
Originally referred to as “state groups” in the Guidelines (Objective 10), AF&PA Members began to form “State Implementation Committees” made up of diverse stakeholders that could provide a more locally focused approach for implementing the SFI Program across a wide variety of forest types and regional conditions in the United States. The Committees were made up of local AF&PA members and a diversity of volunteers that carried out the work of SFI in addition to their regular duties. By involving a variety of local stakeholders and experts, the Implementation Committees helped ensure that the SFI Program was both rigorous and adaptable to different contexts. This grassroots network of Committees, unique to SFI among existing forest certification systems, allowed the program to be more responsive to local concerns and build greater trust with stakeholders by fostering collaboration between groups with differing perspectives and opinions on managed forests. Today, nearly 1,000 people comprise the 35 SFI Implementation Committees that operate across the United States and Canada.
*Note the SFI program logo depicted above was not created until 1999. It was designed to convey the central messages of stewardship, conservation, and environmental sustainability.
1995
Pennsylvania's Implementation Committee
The Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee was formed in 1995, and became “housed” within the Hardwood Lumber Manufacturers Association of Pennsylvania (now the Pennsylvania Forest Products Association) the following year.
The Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee met for the very first time on June 2, 1995, at the South Ridge Motor Inn in State College. It was co-chaired by John Skovran of Proctor & Gamble and Dave Hagg of International Paper. Although they were an SFI Implementation Committee, the group started under the name “Pennsylvania Forest Sustainability Committee” and quickly pivoted to “Forest Industry Committee for Sustaining Pennsylvania Forests.” On November 14, 1996, the members decided that the program should operate under the name “Sustainable Forestry Initiative of Pennsylvania” and the Committee became the “SFI of PA State Implementation Committee.”
Like other Implementation Committee’s, the early focus was on the difficult work of establishing itself as an organization, generating operating funds, building broad support, and developing the collaborative programming that would achieve the new SFI Guidelines – specifically, logger training and landowner outreach.
1996
First SFI Annual Conference
Pittsburgh hosted the very first SFI annual conference on August 6-7. Over 60 representatives from State Implementation Committees, industry, associations, the Expert Review Panel, the SFI Implementation Task Force, and the Tree Farm Program gathered for the two days to learn from each other and assess state-level progress of implementing the new SFI Guidelines. This was the first time national and state representatives met to discuss the success and challenges each faced.
In addition to this meeting, many early SFI planning and strategy meetings were held at Grey Towers National Historic Site in Milford, PA.
1996
Pennsylvania's First Program Manager
Pennsylvania became the first Implementation Committee in the country to hire a full-time staff member to coordinate its operations and programming when Ken Manno was brought on as the Program Manager in September 1996. Shortly after, an office was established in State College. Ken coordinated the massive undertaking of establishing the program in Pennsylvania from scratch and gaining support among numerous stakeholders.
1996
Pennsylvania Government Endorsement
The Pennsylvania General Assembly, both the Senate and the House, became the first state legislature in the nation to adopt resolutions that “endorse the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and its self-regulatory objectives of increasing knowledge, professionalism, and stewardship that will foster the sustainability of Pennsylvania’s forests…” and advocated for the program’s support. Click on the images above to read the resolutions.
1996
Logger Training & Education
From the very beginning, the SFI Guidelines required that AF&PA members fully commit to logger education programs. In fact, logger training and education programs were required to be in place by January 1, 1996.
In Pennsylvania, the Implementation Committee understood that the most significant impact on forest sustainability was timber harvesting. Data indicated that only about 20% of harvesting decisions involved foresters working with landowners, meaning that 80% of harvesting decisions were being made with the advice of loggers. Consequently, the Implementation Committee worked intensely on developing basic training programs for loggers.
A great deal of effort was invested into developing the Pennsylvania SFI Professional Timber Harvester Training Program. Training began in full force in 1997, after courses were developed and pilot tested during the two previous years. Early on, the training program was very fluid as it continually grew and evolved. Five programs were initially developed and included 8-hour courses in Logging Safety, Environmental Logging, Advanced Environmental Logging and 4-hour courses in First Aid and Truck Safety. Continuing Education courses were later included to further participants’ proficiency in specific areas and to keep them involved in the program.
Today, more than 8,000 loggers, foresters, landowners, and other natural resource professionals and stakeholders have participated in training through the Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee.
1996
First Annual SFI Progress Report
AF&PA published its first Annual Progress Report on the SFI Program titled “Sustainable Forestry for Tomorrow’s World”. The report represented AF&PA’s commitment to be open and transparent with the public about the progress and performance of its membership’s compliance with the SFI Guidelines and Principles.
The External Review Panel was tasked with assuring that the aggregated progress data reported by the SFI program managers in the annual reports were accurately analyzed and presented each year, and to make their views known to the public. The Panel spent many hours reviewing methods, results, and the interpretation of those results. When all were assured that the information in the annual progress report was as accurately and honestly presented as possible, the text went to press.
1997
Private Landowner Outreach
Industry leaders who developed the SFI Program recognized that public perception would not change if the program was only successful in improving management on the approximately 14% of timberland owned by AF&PA member companies. Additionally, the forest products industry in Pennsylvania depended on private landowner resources for an estimated 80% of its raw material. Ensuring the availability of the resource in the future was essential.
The SFI Guidelines therefore set out to foster the practice of sustainable forestry on all forestlands. Broadening the practice of sustainable forestry beyond the industry’s lands required that the SFI Program engage with non-industrial private landowners to ensure they have current information about the environmental impacts of forest management, and to encourage reforestation, the use of environmental Best Management Practices, and to improve the appearance of harvesting operations, particularly in highly visible areas.
The State Implementation Committees were the vehicles to conduct these important outreach and education efforts. In Pennsylvania, the Implementation Committee developed a packet of objective guidance on the use of BMPs, species retention, regeneration, residual stand protection and potential, and the impact of harvesting activities on future management options. “Forestry with Confidence” and the Timber Harvest Checklist were two key resources developed by the Implementation Committee for the packets.
Industry members distributed these landowner packets during their interactions with private woodland owners. More than 26,000 SFI landowner packets were developed and distributed across Pennsylvania by the Implementation Committee.
As more people sought information through the internet, these materials were updated, made more comprehensive, and made available through the Pennsylvania Implementation Committee’s website.
1998
SFI Licensee Program
AF&PA developed a SFI Licensee program whereby non-member companies could enroll their forestland and forestry operations in the SFI Program. By expanding the program to include outside groups, AF&PA looked to foster partnerships with diverse stakeholders to expand the number of forest acres in the U.S. that are managed wisely and in an environmentally friendly manner. Private and public organizations were invited to join as SFI Program Licensees, and were required to fulfill the same requirements as AF&PA member companies. The Conservation Fund was the first SFI Program Licensee, and St. Louis County in Northern Minnesota became the first public land agency to enroll their forestlands in the SFI Licensee program. The Pennsylvania DCNR Bureau of Forestry enrolled in the SFI Licensee Program in 2001.
By May of 2003, some 85 public and private organizations in the United States and Canada had committed to the SFI standard through the SFI Licensee program, bringing some 24 million additional acres under the SFI Standard. The Licensee program was discontinued in 2013 and eligible participants were required to seek and acquire certification to the SFI Standards by the end of 2015.
1999
SFI Voluntary Verification Process
Up to this point, verification of actual performance by SFI Participants was “first-party” through self-reporting of progress. In other words, it was based on the assurances of the company itself that it was in fact managing in accordance with the SFI Principles. This created challenges with the program’s credibility.
In early 1999, the SFI Principles and Implementation Guidelines were expanded into a formal industry standard consistent with other national and international standards and SFI established a process for conducting voluntary verification to determine conformity with the SFI Standard. The SFI Voluntary Verification Process gave companies the option to audit themselves (first party), have AF&PA, a customer, or another company do it (second party), or have an independent certifier audit their practices (third party). Only third-party verification constituted ‘certification’. Those who chose to voluntarily pursue certification had to follow a standard set of procedures and practices. Verifiers had to meet qualification criteria, companies had to achieve specific verification indicators, and reverificaiton was required within the first 3 years and every 5 years thereafter.
Voluntary certification was rapidly adopted, with some 700,000 acres going through third-party verification in the first year. By the end of 2002, over 96 million acres were certified. By 2004, the number of acres independently certified under the SFI program surpassed 100 million.
1999
The Forest Monitoring Project
The External Review Panel, AF&PA, the Izaak Walton League of America, The Conservation Fund, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund cooperated to establish a Forest Monitoring Project (FMP). The FMP conducted over 50 randomly selected field reviews over a 3-year period, evaluating how effectively practices on the land supported the Annual Progress Reports.
On the basis of the FMP results, the Panel could assure the public that the progress reported was an accurate reflection of what was taking place in the participating forests. With all lands in the SFI Program eventually being required to undergo independent third-party certification, the FMP was discontinued and oversight of quality control in the field shifted to the independent auditors.
2000
The Sustainable Forestry Board
The SFI program was initially designed and operated within the AF&PA organization, but internal management limited the program’s credibility. As a result, AF&PA took a bold step forward in July 2000 by chartering a 15-member multi-stakeholder Sustainable Forestry Board (SFB) and imparting it with full responsibility of managing the SFI Standard (subject to AF&PA’s endorsement), SFI Vertification Procedures, and SFI program compliance. This new body was composed of 1/3 conservation and environmental organizations, 1/3 professional and academic experts, and 1/3 SFI Program Participants. In other words, outside stakeholders comprised a majority of the SFB.
To enhance the autonomy of the SFI Program, the SFB filed Articles of Incorporation in January 2002 to become an entity separate from AF&PA, and was awarded 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. This ensured that governance of the SFI Program was conducted by an independent organization. The new Sustainable Forestry Board, Inc. also rebalanced so that one-third of the Board members consisted of conservation and environmental organization representatives, one-third represented SFI Program Participants appointed by AF&PA, and the remaining one-third was drawn from the broader forestry community such as forestry research institutes, unions and trade associations. Directors served staggered three-year terms and could serve no more than two consecutive full terms. For any action to be passed by the SFB, a minimum of 80% of the directors present, which had to include at least two representatives from each membership sector, needed to vote in support of the action.
The SFB selected its own Executive Director. Carlton Owen, founder of The Environmental Edge, LLC, an environmental consultancy and former Vice President of Forest Policy at Champion International Corporation, was hired as SFB’s Interim Executive Director in Feburary of 2001. William H. (Bill) Banzhaf was announced as the new President and CEO of the SFB in January 2003.
The SFB was chaired by CEOs from the forest products industry until April 28th 2005, when Lawrence Selzer, President and CEO of the Conservation Fund, was elected Chair. The election of a Chair from the environmental community for the first time was a sign of continued maturation of the SFB.
AF&PA and the SFB had a “sister relationship, but with distinct responsibilities, until 2007. AF&PA still guided the Implementation Committees, got involved with policy issues that affected certification in the marketplace and, starting in 2002, they ran the Office of Licensing and Label Use.
2000
Mutual Recognition with Tree Farm Program
The SFI Program signed a mutual recognition agreement with the American Tree Farm System® to help promote sustainable forestry on nonindustrial private lands. The agreement recognized SFI as a credible standard for industry and Tree Farm program as a credible standard for non-industrial landowners. It had a goal of making Tree Farm consistent with the SFI Standard so that it could serve as the size-appropriate functional equivalent of SFI for small forest ownerships. It also provided SFI with a means to provide additional outreach to family forest owners, a key audience for “fostering the practice of sustainable forestry on all forestlands.” Many AF&PA member companies had helped launch the Tree Farm system back in 1941 as a mechanism to promote reforestation on non-industrial private forest lands.
In 2002, the Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee established a MOU with the Pennsylvania Tree Farm Committee, the first agreement of its kind between SFI and the Tree Farm Program at the state level.
2000
SFI Expands to Canada
The SFI Program expanded into Canada and established an Implementation Committee in British Columbia. “State Implementation Committees” were renamed “SFI Implementation Committees” in recognition of the newly included Province.
2000
Pennsylvania DEP Expresses Supports for SFI
In a final rulemaking for updating Chapter 102 of the Pennsylvania Code, which addresses earth disturbing activities and Best Management Practices, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) stated “DEP has been working with several groups of stakeholder in addressing the use of BMPs for timber harvesting and road maintenance activities. The Department supports the non-regulatory approaches of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative…in promoting, educating and training persons conducting these activities to use BMP techniques and standards to minimize accelerated erosion and thereby enhance the quality of this Commonwealth’s waters.”
2001
Pennsylvania Receives 3rd Annual Achievement Award
The Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee was recognized for its outstanding work in implementing the SFI Program and awarded the 3rd Annual SFI Implementation Committee Achievement Award by AF&PA.
Pennsylvania received the annual award for its significant strides in outreach efforts with policymakers and the forestry community; for implementation of a comprehensive communications program; for greatly expanding the number of affiliations of companies/organizations directly involved in the program; and for fostering new partnerships.
2002
SFI Launches 2002-2004 Standard
One of the first official actions of the Sustainable Forestry Board (SFB) was the initiation of a public review of the SFI Standard which resulted in the adoption of the enhanced 2002-2004 Standard in December of 2001. “These program enhancements are the result of the most comprehensive and thorough review of the SFI Standard since the programs’ launch in 1994,” says SFB Chairman Rick Holley.
The new Standard introduced, among other things, explicit measures to improve outreach to family forest owners and for the protection of forests with exceptional conservation value. It also contained provisions to help prevent illegal logging and to promote the conservation of biodiversity hotspots and major wilderness areas. The new standard required SFI Participants to develop plans for the location and protection of known sites with viable occurrences of species and communities that are identified as critically imperiled or imperiled, working with NatureServe or another organization with similar expertise.
At this point the Standard Review Process is set on three-year cycles to ensure a commitment to continual improvement.
2002
AF&PA Launches On-Product Labeling
In June, AF&PA launch its SFI on-product labeling program. Four on-product labels were available to Program Participants, with different labels used for those mills that received most of their raw material directly from the forest (“Primary Producers”) and those that ran largely processed wood (“Secondary Producers”). SFI Program Participants who successfully completed third-party certification to the enhanced 2002-2004 SFI Standard and met strict on-product label requirements began using the on-product label during that year. Periodic (annual) surveillance audits were required for all SFI Certifications where a Program Participant wished to use an SFI on-product label.
AF&PA managed the Office of Licensing and Label use until 2007 when SFI Inc. took over.
Today, the SFI on-product labeling program continues to provide SFI Certified Organizations the opportunity to give customers and consumers in the marketplace a visible stamp of assurance that they are purchasing products from organizations committed to sustainable forestry.
2005
SFI Launches 2005-2009 Standard
The Sustainable Forestry Board (SFB) initiated a second review of the SFI Standard in December 2003 which resulted in a new 2005 Standard published in late 2004. The Standard went into effect on January 10th, 2005. It included new provisions to conserve old-growth forests; to strengthen fiber sourcing from jurisdictions outside of North America and supply chain monitoring; and to address invasive exotic species. It introduced new performance measures and indicators related to the certification of public forestlands, including requirements to confer with affected indigenous peoples.
The External Review Panel commented that “The 2005-2009 SFI Standard is a sustainable forestry standard that can be fairly compared against any in the world.“
In order to ensure the relevance of the program to current forest conditions, and continue to fulfill its commitment to continuous improvement, the SFI Standard is moved to a 5-year revision cycle.
2007
SFI Becomes Fully Independent Organization
In July of 2006 a plan to provide complete independence of the SFI program from AF&PA was jointly approved by the boards of both organizations. The Sustainable Forestry Board (SFB) agreed to assume full and independent administration of all aspects of the SFI program by January 1, 2007.
Under the plan a new entity, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. was created to govern all aspects of the SFI program, including chain of custody, labeling, communications and promotion. Still today, SFI Inc. is governed by a 18-member SFI Board of Directors. Governance of SFI is structured purposefully to ensure equal voting power to environmental, social, and economic interests.
On July 23, 2007, SFI Inc announced that Kathy Abusow would be its new President and CEO.
2009
Pennsylvania's Second Program Manager
Nate Fice was hired as the second Program Manager for the Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee. In the midst of The Great Recession, Nate quickly streamlined the program’s administrative operations to match the Committee’s declining financial environment and reduced staff capacity while maintaining the integrity and high level of service delivered by the program. Nate’s tremendous efforts modernized the program and incorporated the use of technology. He also increased emphasis on safety and professionalism in the PA SFI Professional Timber Harvester Training program by integrating Game of Logging training into the core requirements.
2010
SFI Launches 2010-2014 Standard
SFI Inc. launched the new SFI 2010-2014 Standard, the result of an extensive 18-month transparent review process that considered public input, scientific and economic factors, and conflicting demands. The SFI 2010-2014 Standard was based on 14 core principles that promote sustainable forest management, including measures to protect water quality, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, species at risk, and Forests with Exceptional Conservation Value. It had five more principles than the SFI 2005-2009 Standard, including separate principles for protection of special sites, biodiversity, aesthetics and recreation, and new principles for responsible procurement practices in North America, avoidance of controversial sources offshore, research, training and education, and public involvement.
2012
Pennsylvania's Third Program Manager
Chuck Coup became the third Program Manager for the Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee. Chuck continued to streamline administrative processes and improve program accessibility and reach by developing a user-friendly website, increasing the use of electronic communications and learning systems, serving as a technical expert on numerous statewide policies and initiatives aimed at driving sustainable forestry forward in Pennsylvania, expanding partnerships and support, and improving training program administration and recordkeeping.
2015
SFI Launches 2015-2019 Standard
SFI Inc. launched its 2015-2019 Standard in a new structure comprising three standalone standards dealing with forest management, fiber-sourcing, and chain of custody.
The new Forest Management Standard promoted sustainable forestry practices that protect water quality, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, species-at-risk, and forests with exceptional conservation value.
The Fiber-sourcing Standard promoted responsible forestry practices for forests that are not certified by directing how SFI Program participants procure wood from non-certified land. These requirements included measures to broaden the conservation of biodiversity, use forestry best management practices to protect water quality, provide outreach to landowners, and utilize the services of trained forest management and harvesting professionals.
The Chain of Custody Standard tracked the percentage of fiber from certified forests, certified sourcing, and recycled content through production and manufacturing to the end product.
2015
SFI Celebrates 20 Years of Sustainable Forestry
SFI and the Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee celebrated their 20th anniversary. SFI started as an industry-led initiative to promote sustainable forestry practices. Over the previous two decades, it evolved into an internationally endorsed forest certification program. Similarly, those who use the SFI Standards grew from just industry users to a diverse group including conservation organizations, community groups, the public sector, universities, indigenous peoples, and many more. By this point SFI was a fully independent, multi-stakeholder organization widely regarded as a leader in promoting responsible forestry, conservation and sustainable communities.
2015
SFI Sets World Record
To bring added recognition to the 20th anniversary, SFI successfully organized an effort to set a new Guinness World Record, simultaneously planting 202,935 trees in one hour across multiple locations in the United States and Canada with 29 teams of 25-100 people. Pennsylvania had two teams that planted 7,323 trees during the hour-long event.
2015
Pennsylvania Receives 17th Annual Achievement Award
The Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee was presented with the 17th annual SFI Implementation Committee Achievement Award. Pennsylvania was selected for this award primarily for the Committee’s innovative work in adapting the Professional Timber Harvester Training program into an entry-level program for aspiring logging or forest industry workers and incorporating it into the curriculum of high school programs in Pennsylvania.
2016
US Green Building Council Recognition
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) created a pathway for forest certified to SFI to earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) credits through a new pilot Alternative Compliance Plath (ACP) credit designed to further advance responsible forest management and help rid buildings of illegal wood by promoting the use of wood that is verified to be legal. Despite years of advocacy, this was the first time that USGBC recognized SFI since the LEED program was launched in 1998.
Green Globes (US and Canada), Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM – United Kingdom), Built Green Canada, Built Green Colorado, Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency (CASBEE – Japan) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) National Green Building Standard (US) had all already recognized SFI certification within their standards.
2019
Pennsylvania DCNR Forests Certified to SFI
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Bureau of Forestry certified all 2.2 million acres of State Forests in Pennsylvania to the SFI Forest Management Standard.
2022
SFI Launches 2022 Standard
SFI Inc. launched its new SFI 2022 Standards and Rules after a two-year revision process. Major innovative improvements in the SFI Standards were made to address key sustainability challenges. The new standards proactively address climate change, reduce the impact of wildfires and promote the positive benefits of prescribed fire, and recognize Indigenous peoples’ rights.
2023
Pennsylvania Implementation Committee and PA Game Commission Enter Cooperative Agreement
The Pennsylvania Game Commission entered into a 3-year cooperative agreement with the Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee to support the Implementation Committee’s valuable educational outreach to the professional loggers that are integral to completing forest habitat management work on State Game Lands, and its outreach to Pennsylvania citizens that utilize PGC forest lands or who own private forest lands that host critical wildlife habitat.
2024
Pennsylvania Receives 26th Annual Achievement Award
The Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee was presented with the 26th annual SFI Implementation Committee Achievement Award. Pennsylvania was selected to receive this award for effectively leveraging technical knowledge and outreach platforms to increase the uptake of sustainable forest management practices and for its leadership in providing expert technical guidance that has profoundly influenced sustainable forestry practices across the state and throughout the SFI network.
2025
SFI Celebrates 30 Years of Sustainable Forestry
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and the Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee is celebrating its 30th anniversary, marking three decades of remarkable progress in advancing sustainable forest management across North America.
In 1997, the SFI External Review Panel stated in their second annual report “There is a significant change underway in America’s forests – a change for the better – and the forest products industry, through the SFI, is a leader of that change. This change will not occur overnight, but through incremental progress it will occur.“
The Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee is proud to have been a leader of incremental progress in Pennsylvania’s forests over the last 30 years, and we look forward to continuing our work in making positive change into the future.
As we consider the next 30 years, we look forward to finding new and innovative ways of advancing sustainable forestry through forest-focused collaborations with partners and supporters that share our vision of a world that values and benefits from sustainably managed forests. We hope that you will join us.
SOURCES:
Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee internal correspondences.
AF&PA and SFI Inc. Annual Progress Reports: 1996-2014.
Berg, Scott, and Rick Cantrell. “Sustainable forestry initiative: toward a higher standard.” Journal of forestry 97.11 (1999): 33-35.
Cantrell, Rick. “AF&PA’s Sustainable Forestry Initiative – A Bold New Program That Works for the U.S.A.” Biomass and Bioenergy 14.4 (1998): 325-328.
Cantrell, Rick. “SFI: A Progress Report.” Pulp & Paper 80.11 (2006): 64.
Guillery, Phil, et al. A Beginners Guide to Third-Party Forest Certification: Shining a Light on the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). Dovetail Partners, Inc, 20 Oct. 2004.
McMahon, John P. “Forest industry’s commitment to the public.” Journal of Forestry 90.10 (1992): 38-40.
Sample, V Alaric. “Spring 2000.” Forest History Society, 25 Oct. 2017, ww.foresthistory.org/periodicals/spring-2000/. Accessed 10 May 2025.
Sampson, R Neil. “The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Program: Seven Years of Sustainable Forestry.” Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, www.fao.org/4/xii/0700-a1.htm. Accessed 10 May 2025.
Wallinger, R. Scott. “A commitment to the future: AF&PA’s sustainable forestry initiative.” Journal of Forestry 93.1 (1995): 16-19.
Wallinger, R. Scott. “SFI: Sustainable forestry initiative program.” Journal of Forestry 101.8 (2003): 9.
