Our History
A LEGACY ROOTED IN PEOPLE, PURPOSE, AND THE PLANET
At first glance, the name Sustainable Forestry Initiative may seem to suggest a focus solely on trees and timber, but at its core, our story is about people coming together to answer one of humanity’s most pressing questions: “How can we live off the resources of this earth without degrading them?”
SFI is a testament to the power of community, vision, and collective action. It’s a story of forward-thinking leaders in the forest products industry who, decades ago, recognized the need for change. They understood that true sustainability wasn’t just about conservation — it was also about people. It was about ensuring that communities, workers, and ecosystems could thrive together, and not just for today, but for generations to come.
SFI’s journey is a powerful reminder that when people come together with purpose and passion, they can turn challenges into opportunities. It’s a call to action for all of us — to recognize the value of our natural world, to utilize forests responsibly, and to work collaboratively towards a sustainable future
Download Our History Booklet
We invite you to download A History of SFI & The Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee 1995–2025 to learn more about the history and progress of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative in Pennsylvania and beyond. Simply click on the image above to download a copy of the publication.
Early History
For much of the 20th century, forest products 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, by the late 20th century, the public and organized environmental interest groups began to raise concerns about whether forest products companies were considering the environmental impacts arising from their activities. The prevailing management paradigm began shifting 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.
The forest products industry began to realize in the 1980s that it had a credibility problem. It was viewed as part of the problem rather than part of the solution. In response, industry leaders, through two influential industry groups, the American Paper Institute (API) and the National Forest Products Association (NFPA), launched a series of reforms. API merged with NFPA in 1993 to form the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), and in 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 program designed to improve forest practices and transparently report performance.
1995
SFI Principles & Guidelines
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Program was approved by the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) Board of Directors on October 14, 1994, and officially launched on January 1, 1995. At its core were the Sustainable Forestry Principles and Implementation Guidelines, which set clear objectives and performance measures so the public could evaluate industry progress.
At the time, AF&PA’s 425 member companies represented about 85% of U.S. paper production, 50% of solid wood production, and 90% of industrial forestlands. Compliance with SFI became a requirement for membership. That year, AF&PA suspended 17 companies for failing to comply. As spokesman Luke Popovich noted at the time, “If this were simply a PR gimmick, we wouldn’t be losing members over it.”
Click on the image above to view the original guidelines.
1995
Implementation Committees
Originally called “state groups” in the early SFI Guidelines, State Implementation Committees (SICs) were formed by AF&PA members to accomplish the program at the local level. These committees brought together AF&PA members and diverse volunteers to implement SFI across different forest types and regional conditions.
By engaging local stakeholders and experts, SICs helped ensure SFI was both rigorous and adaptable. This grassroots network, unique among forest certification systems, built trust and encouraged collaboration among groups with differing views on forest management.
Today, nearly 1,000 volunteers serve on 33 SFI Implementation Committees operating across the United States and Canada.
1995
Pennsylvania's Implementation Committee
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
SFI required the Implementation Committees to develop locally focused logger training programs by 1996, recognizing that loggers influenced most harvesting decisions (only about 20% of harvests on Pennsylvania’s private forestlands involved a forester working with the landowner). In Pennsylvania, training was built off the Timber Harvesting Council’s (THC) Timber Harvester Certification Program, launched in 1989 by NORTIM (derivation of Northern Timberlands) Corporation, a provider of workers compensation for loggers. Twelve hundred loggers received training under the THC. The PA Implementation Committee took over THC’s training program in 1997 and expanded course offerings over time. Today, more than 8,000 loggers, foresters, landowners, and professionals have participated in the PA Implementation Committee’s training program. SFI continues to be the only certification program in the world that trains loggers and helps them become better at doing their jobs on the ground.
1997
Private Landowner Outreach
Industry leaders behind SFI recognized that improving forestry on AF&PA company-owned lands alone (only about 14% of U.S. timberland) would not be enough to change public perception of industry practices or secure future wood supplies (In Pennsylvania, non-industrial private landowners provided roughly 80% of the forest products industry’s raw material, making their engagement essential).
The SFI Guidelines therefore set out to foster the practice sustainable forestry on all forestlands, not just industrial properties. This meant engaging private forest owners with clear information about environmental impacts, reforestation, best management practices (BMPs), and responsible harvesting.
The Implementation Committees led these outreach efforts. In Pennsylvania, the committee created objective landowner guidance materials, including “Forestry with Confidence” and the Timber Harvest Checklist, covering topics like regeneration, species retention, and protecting future forest potential. More than 26,000 of these landowner information packets were distributed across the state. As online access grew, these resources were expanded and made available digitally through our website.
2000
The Sustainable Forestry Board
The SFI program was initially designed and operated within the AF&PA organization, but internal management by a national trade association limited the program’s credibility. To strengthen the program, AF&PA created a 15-member Sustainable Forestry Board (SFB) in July 2000, giving it full responsibility for managing the SFI Standard (subject to AF&PA’s endorsement), verification procedures, and program compliance. A majority of the board came from outside stakeholders, ensuring diverse input.
In 2002, the SFB became an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit, with board seats divided equally among conservation groups, industry participants, and the broader forestry community. Major decisions required 80% approval with representation from each sector. Until 2007, AF&PA and the SFB maintained a “sister” relationship, but with distinct responsibilities: AF&PA continued guiding Implementation Committees, addressed policy issues that affected certification in the marketplace, and ran the Office of Licensing and Label Use starting in 2002, while the SFB oversaw all other aspects of the program.
2001
Pennsylvania Receives 3rd Annual Achievement Award
The Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee was honored with the 3rd annual SFI Implementation Committee Achievement Award by AF&PA for its outstanding work. The award recognized Pennsylvania’s success in outreach to policymakers and the forestry community, expanding program affiliations, implementing a comprehensive communications strategy, and fostering new partnerships.
The award was first presented to Minnesota in 1999 and Maine in 2000.
2007
SFI Becomes Fully Independent Organization
In July 2006, AF&PA and the Sustainable Forestry Board approved a plan for full independence of the SFI Program, which took effect on January 1, 2007. A new nonprofit, Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI Inc.), was created to govern all aspects of the SFI program, including chain of custody, labeling, communications, and promotion.
SFI Inc. is governed by an 18-member, three-chambered board giving equal voice to environmental, social, and economic interests. Kathy Abusow became President and CEO in July 2007.
Former Pennsylvania State Forester Ellen Shultzabarger served on the board’s Social Sector from 2021–2023.
2012
SFI Certified Forestlands Reach 200 Million Acres
SFI certified forests reached 200 million acres in North America in 2012, making it the largest single forest certification standard in the world. Tens of millions more acres were being positively influenced by the SFI Fiber Sourcing Standard. “With 200 million acres now certified to the SFI forest management standard, which is roughly the size of California and Newfoundland/Labrador combined, we know we are influencing responsible forestry on a significant scale,” SFI Inc. president and CEO Kathy Abusow stated in a press release.
2015
SFI Program Celebrates 20 Years
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
Pennsylvania Receives 17th Annual Achievement Award
The Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee received the 17th Annual SFI Implementation Committee Achievement Award for adapting the Professional Timber Harvester Training program into an entry-level program for aspiring logger or forest industry workers and integrating it into the curriculum of partnering high school programs. This marked the second time Pennsylvania earned the award.
2017
SFI and Project Learning Tree Join Forces
On July 15, 2017, Project Learning Tree (PLT) was transferred to SFI Inc. from the American Forest Foundation. PLT, an award-winning environmental education program, uses trees and forests to teach youth about the environment and conservation. Its integration into SFI expanded PLT’s reach and strengthened SFI’s community engagement and sustainability education efforts.
Established in 1970, PLT became fully administered by AFF in 1993 before joining SFI. Today, the PLT Education Operating Committee, part of the SFI Board, guides PLT’s leadership, strategy, and direction.
2018
SFI Certified Forestlands Reach 300 Million Acres
Forests certified to the SFI Forest Management Standard reached 305 million acres in North America, including more than 20 million new acres certified in 2017. The SFI Forest Management Standard represented a quarter of all certified lands globally and the SFI Fiber Sourcing Standard was positively impacting millions of acres of additional lands.
2020
New Implementation Committee Logos
As the SFI program evolved, so have the branding of the Implementation Committees. In 2000, 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. The logos used by the Implementation Committees have similarly evolved over time, with the latest revision occurring in 2020.
2024
Pennsylvania Implementation Committee Becomes Independent Nonprofit Organization
On February 12, 2024, the Pennsylvania Implementation Committee became an independent nonprofit, receiving 501(c)(3) federal status to better reflect its public benefit mission and expand eligibility for grants and funding. The organization was officially renamed Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee Inc. While now independent from the Pennsylvania Forest Products Association, the two organizations continue to collaborate closely.
2024
Pennsylvania Receives 26th Annual Achievement Award
The Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee received the 26th Annual SFI Implementation Committee Achievement Award for its leadership in technical guidance and outreach that advanced sustainable forestry practices across Pennsylvania and the SFI network. This marked the third time Pennsylvania earned the award, with only Minnesota and Maine having received it more often.
SOURCES:
Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee internal correspondences and newsletters.
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.
