SFI & INVASIVE SPECIES

Andrew de Vries

Richmond, BC January 2015

SFI STANDS FOR FUTURE FORESTS

SFI stands at the intersection of sustainable forests and sustainable communities. SFI Program Participants are the foundation of this success, SFI Implementation Committees are the grassroots network that broadens the reach, and customers and buyers can support the growth of certified forests, research and conservation by recognizing SFI in the marketplace.

1/4 BILLION ACRES

With a quarter of a billion acres of forestland certified, SFI is a “living laboratory” demonstrating how environmental, social and economic interests can coexist.

SFI’S COMMITMENT TO CONSERVATION RESEARCH

SFI’s commitment to research is evidence that SFI is more than just a standard. Supporting research is a central tenet of the SFI program. In fact, the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management and SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standards are the only forestry standards in the world that require support of forestry research. We see it as a way to further the conservation value of SFI-certified forests and to SFI’s fiber sourcing requirements.

SFI GRASSROOTS INVOLVEMENT

The work of SFI starts with a standard but SFI is much more – it’s a community that stands for the future of forests. This grassroots network involves private landowners, independent loggers, forestry professionals, local government agencies, academics, scientists and conservationists.

BROADENING GLOBAL MARKET LEADERSHIP The SFI community is building credible, responsible market leadership. We understand that the buying decisions of consumers, corporate leaders and governments prove how much they care about using natural resources sustainably. That’s why encouraging responsible purchasing is an SFI priority. SFI encourages private and public sector leaders to include SFI in their policies as part of responsible wood, paper and packaging purchasing.

PEFC sets benchmarks that national forest certification programs must meet or exceed to be endorsed. PEFC endorsement increases international recognition and enhances marketing opportunities for SFI Program Participants around the world.

GLOBAL RECOGNITION OF THE SFI STANDARD

SFI® - ONE PROGRAM, THREE STANDARDS

SFI SPANS THE SUPPLY CHAIN: FOREST MANAGEMENT, FIBER SOURCING, CHAIN OF CUSTODY AND ON-PRODUCT LABELS

SFI Standards are based on principles that promote continual improvement in sustainable forest management practices settings standards for forest management and fiber sourcing, as well as chain-of-custody practices. The SFI program has on-product labels to help buyers and consumer interact with the forestry supply chain by supporting responsible forestry by choosing products with the SFI label. The three SFI standards are:

• SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard • SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard • SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard

THIRD-PARTY INDEPENDENT CERTIFICATION AUDITS

• The SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules require third-party independent certification audits for all three certifications — Forest Management Standard, Fiber Sourcing Standard and Chain-of-Custody Standard.

• All SFI certification bodies must be accredited

by a member of the International Accreditation Forum (ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board, American National Standards Institute or the Standards Council of Canada (SCC)).

FOREST MANAGEMENT STANDARD

WHAT THE STANDARD DOES The SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard promotes sustainable forestry practices based on:

• 13 Principles • 15 Objectives • 37 Performance Measures, and • 101 Indicators

These requirements include measures to protect water quality, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, species at risk and Forests with Exceptional Conservation Value.

WHAT THE STANDARD COVERS The SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard applies to any organization that owns or has management authority for forestlands.

GEOGRAPHIC APPLICATION The SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard applies to organizations in the United States and Canada.

2. FOREST PRODUCTIVITY AND HEALTH To provide for regeneration after harvest and maintain the productive capacity of the forest land base, and to protect and maintain long-term forest and soil productivity. In addition, to protect forests from economically or environmentally undesirable levels of wildfire, pests, diseases, invasive exotic plants and animals and other damaging agents and thus maintain and improve long-term forest health and productivity. 8. LEGAL COMPLIANCE To comply with applicable federal, provincial, state, and local forestry and related environmental laws, statutes, and regulations. 9. RESEARCH To support advances in sustainable forest management through forestry research, science and technology.

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PRINCIPLES

10. TRAINING AND EDUCATION To improve the practice of sustainable forestry through training and education programs. 11. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY To broaden the practice of sustainable forestry on all lands through community involvement, socially responsible practices, and through recognition and respect of Indigenous Peoples’ rights and traditional forest-related knowledge. 12. TRANSPARENCY To broaden the understanding of forest certification to the SFI Standard by documenting certification audits and making the findings publicly available. 13. CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT To continually improve the practice of forest management, and to monitor, measure and report performance in achieving the commitment to sustainable forestry.

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PRINCIPLES

OBJECTIVE 2. FOREST HEALTH AND PRODUCTIVITY To ensure long-term forest productivity, carbon storage and conservation of forest resources through prompt reforestation, afforestation, minimized chemical use, soil conservation, and protecting forests from damaging agents.

OBJECTIVE 4. CONSERVATION OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY To manage the quality and distribution of wildlife habitats and contribute to the conservation of biological diversity by developing and implementing stand- and landscape-level measures that promote a diversity of types of habitat and successional stages, and the conservation of forest plants and animals, including aquatic species, as well as threatened and endangered species, Forests with Exceptional Conservation Value, old-growth forests and ecologically important sites.

OBJECTIVE 11. TRAINING AND EDUCATION To improve the implementation of sustainable forestry practices through appropriate training and education programs.

OBJECTIVE 12. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND LANDOWNER OUTREACH To broaden the practice of sustainable forestry through public outreach, education, and involvement, and to support the efforts of SFI Implementation Committees.

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OBJECTIVES

PERFORMANCE MEASURE 2.4. Program Participants shall manage so as to protect forests from damaging agents, such as environmentally or economically undesirable wildfire, pests, diseases and invasive exotic plants and animals, to maintain and improve long-term forest health, productivity and economic viability. Indicators:

1. Program to protect forests from damaging agents.

2. Management to promote healthy and productive forest conditions to minimize susceptibility to damaging agents.

3. Participation in, and support of, fire and pest prevention and control programs.

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PERFORMANCE MEASURE

PERFORMANCE MEASURE 4.1. Program Participants shall conserve biological diversity.

There are 8 indicators including:

7. Participation in programs and demonstration of activities as appropriate to limit the introduction, spread and impact of invasive exotic plants and animals that directly threaten or are likely to threaten native plant and animal communities.

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PERFORMANCE MEASURE

PERFORMANCE MEASURE 11.2. Program Participants shall work individually and/or with SFI Implementation Committees, logging or forestry associations, or appropriate agencies or others in the forestry community to foster improvement in the professionalism of wood producers.

There are 3 indicators including:

1. Participation in or support of SFI Implementation Committees to establish criteria and identify delivery mechanisms for wood producer training courses and periodic continuing education that address:

(c) reforestation, invasive exotic plants and animals, forest resource conservation, aesthetics and special sites;

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PERFORMANCE MEASURE

PERFORMANCE MEASURE 12.1. Program Participants shall support and promote efforts by consulting foresters, state, provincial and federal agencies, state or local groups, professional societies, conservation organizations, Indigenous Peoples and governments, community groups, sporting organizations, labor, universities, extension agencies, the American Tree Farm System®.

There are 3 indicators including:

2. Support, individually or collaboratively, education and outreach to forest landowners describing the importance and providing implementation guidance on:

(f) control of invasive exotic plants and animals;

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PERFORMANCE MEASURE

The SFI Standard addresses invasive species through its Principles, 4 Objectives, 4 Performance Measures and 6 Indicators.

These objectives and indicators require programs to address invasive species in the context of forest health and the conservation of biological diversity.

These objectives and indicators also require outreach and education on invasive species, and the engagement of SICs.

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THE STANDARD & INVASIVE SPECIES: SUMMARY

Conservation Research

since 2010, totaling more than $1.9 million — fostering conservation and community-building projects With project partner contributions, that total investment exceeds

50+ SFI GRANTS

$7.1 MILLION

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INTERIOR FORESTS THROUGH INVASIVE PLANT MANAGEMENT • Six year project (2011-2016)

• Occurring on Weyerhaeuser and Gorman Bros SFI-certified operating area in the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys

GOAL: to determine what seed mix gives the quickest competitive impact to effectively reduce invasive plants to a level where they are no longer an environmental threat, and also identify if this management technique is enhanced when combined with herbicide application.

CONSERVATION OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

• Surveyed ~60 forestry roads and cutblocks for invasive plants within a 5000 ha coverage area

• Eleven priority invasive plant species were inventoried/mapped

• All data was entered into the provincial database - Invasive Alien Plant Program (IAPP) application

• Identified two suitable research sites (low and high elevation) for random block design (4 replicates of 8 distinct treatments)

• Testing use and timing of herbicide in conjunction with seeding, and seeding alone

TARGET SPECIES: sulphur cinquefoil and hawkweeds

INTERIOR FORESTS THROUGH INVASIVE PLANT MANAGEMENT

CONSERVATION OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY IN BRITISH COLUMBIA’S

• Three custom seed mixes have been designed, following in depth consultation with forestry companies, many professionals and review of the most current literature

• Spraying is completed and plots have been seeded at research sites

• Additional seeding trials along edges of forestry roads occurred fall 2014 and will continue in spring 2015

• Initial research results will be showcased during a field session in the spring 2015

• Monitoring of seeding results will continue for several years

INTERIOR FORESTS THROUGH INVASIVE PLANT MANAGEMENT

CONSERVATION OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY IN BRITISH COLUMBIA’S

SFI is committed to promoting sustainable forest management in North America and responsible procurement of forest products globally. The future of forests will be secured when products, services and values derived from well-managed forests are valued in the marketplace.

WE STAND FOR FUTURE FORESTS.

THANK YOU

learn more:

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