NOVEMBER 2010

PAGE ONEwww.sfiprogram.org www.goodforforests.com

IN THIS ISSUE

SAVE THE DATE2011 SFI ANNUAL

CONFERENCESEPT. 13-15, 2011Burlington, Vermont

THE 2009/2010 UNECE/FAO FOREST PRODUCTS ANNUALMARKET REVIEW is the most recent report to show a growing convergence among third-party forest certification systems.

“Over the years, many of the issues that previouslydivided the systems have become much less distinct,”the review says. “The largest certification systems nowgenerally have the same structural programmaticrequirements. Convergence has been driven in part by the need for the various systems to conform to equivalent international standards, either for mutualrecognition under the PEFC (Programme for theEndorsement of Forest Certification) framework or toensure acceptance in various public- and private-sectorprocurement policies.”

Earlier this year, Dovetail Partners Inc. releasedForest Certification: A Status Report, which says:“Significant changes have occurred within the majorcertification programs in recent years, and, in severalways, it is increasingly difficult to differentiate betweencertification systems in North America.”

See page 2 for a table prepared by Dovetail thatoutlines characteristics of Sustainable ForestryInitiative® (SFI®), Canadian Standards Association

UN Report Finds Certification Convergence(CSA), American Tree Farm System (ATFS), ForestStewardship Council (FSC) and PEFC.

The SFI program has developed background infor-mation, posted at (www.sfiprogram.org/sustainable-forestry-initiative/sfi-recognition.php), showing howSFI compares with other certification standards. It usesobservations from respected organizations around theworld, such as the National Association of StateForesters, the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers andthe American Consumer Council and TerraChoice (seepage 2 for an item about the latest 2010 Sins ofGreenwashing report).

The UN market review notes that about nine percentof the world’s forests are certified, and says the increasein chain-of-custody certification in the last year indicates “strong trade interest in certification as a toolto demonstrate high environmental performance andto differentiate products in a depressed marketplace.”The UN Economic Commission for Europe(UNECE)/Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)Forestry and Timber Section operates to a mandateagreed to by 56 countries. The report is posted athttp://timber.unece.org/index.php?id=303.

Forest Certification ProgramCharacteristics ............................. 2

New Members Strengthen SFI Inc. Board .............................. 2

Maryland Seeks Dual Certification for State Forests ....... 2

SFI Listed Among LegitimateStandards .................................... 2

Conservation Research GrantsAchieving Results ......................... 3

SFI Implementation Committees ... 4

Briefs .............................................. 4

Latest Habitat Partnership in British Columbia ............................ 4

FTC Seeking Comments on ProposedGreen Guides Revisions .................... 4

Quebec Program Encourages Use of Certified Products ............. 4

SFI Annual Conference Report ...... 5

SFI Will Vote Against LEEDCertification Benchmarks ............. 6

Senators Challenge USDA LEEDPolicy ............................................. 6

Working Together to Make aDifference ..................................... 6

Trade Show Update ..................... 7

SFI Sponsors GRAPH EXPO 2010 .. 7

Introducing the Forest FootprintDisclosure Project ......................... 7

SFI Represented at GreenGovSymposium .................................... 7

New Certifications and Program Statistics ......................... 8

Helping You Promote Your SFICertification .................................... 8

About SFI Inc. ................................ 8

public revenues. When forests are logged illegally, thisundermines good forest governance and reduces theirpotential to contribute to sustainable livelihoods indeveloping countries and countries in transition.

“Our involvement in the Alliance is just one moreway SFI and its program participants can help tackleillegal logging and show why it’s important to makesure forest products come from legal and responsiblesources,” says Nadine Block, SFI Senior Director,Government Outreach.

Earlier this year, WRI received an SFI Conservationand Community Partnerships Grant to create the ForestLegality Alliance Risk Tool, an online dynamic riskassessment tool that importers and other stakeholderscan use to avoid importing illegal forest products intothe United States.

For more information about The Alliance, visithttp://www.wri.org/fla/ or contact Nadine Block.

SFI INC. HAS JOINED THE FOREST LEGALITY ALLIANCE, ajoint effort of the World Resources Institute (WRI) andthe Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) aimed atreducing illegal logging by encouraging the supply oflegal forest products. The international, multi-stake-holder initiative is supported by the United StatesAgency for International Development and stakeholdersin the forest sector.

“The Alliance will raise awareness and equip partic-ipants in forest product supply chains with practical,interactive and freely accessible tools so they can exercise due care and keep illegally harvested forestproducts out of the market,” says Adam Grant, WRISenior Associate. “Our aim is to help show that it isboth feasible and cost-effective to comply with lawssuch as the Lacey Act.”

Illegal logging is a critical issue in developing coun-tries where it can lead to the loss of wildlife habitat and

SFI Supports Forest Legality Alliance

PAGE TWO

Maryland Seeks Dual Certification forState Forests

IN ITS 2010 THE SINS OF GREENWASHINGREPORT, TerraChoice once again hasincluded SFI on its limited list of “legitimate”environmental standards and certifications,which include EcoLogo, ENERGY STAR, andGREENGUARD.

This is the second time TerraChoice,part of Underwriters Laboratories GlobalNetwork, has named SFI as a trusted eco-label. In the 2009 Seven Sins ofGreenwashing, it listed SFI among the mostwidely recognized eco-labels that met its keycriteria of being third-party certified, havinga publicly available standard and having atransparent standard development process.

For the 2010 report (posted at http://sin-sofgreenwashing.org/findings/greenwash-

SFI Listed Among Legitimate Standardsing-report-2010/), researchers visited 19retail stores in the United States and Canada,surveying 5,296 products that make an envi-ronmental claim. They tested the claimsagainst best practice and guidelines providedby the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, theCompetition Bureau of Canada and the ISO14021 standard for environmental labeling,and found that more than 95 percent aremisleading consumers.

The number was substantially lower forproducts certified to a recognized third-partycertification, and for marketers and productmanufacturers that have focused on environ-mentally preferable practices longer —including building, construction and officeproducts, and tissues.

THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OFNATURAL RESOURCES (DNR) is seekingSFI and FSC certification for its westernstate forests — adding to about 67,000acres/27,000 hectares of state forests on theEastern Shore that already maintain dualcertification status.

A news release issued by GovernorMartin O’Malley included quotes fromsome of the many groups welcoming thedecision, including conservation groups,industry and the state forester.

“Dual certification under both theForest Stewardship Council and theSustainable Forestry Initiative demon-

strates that Maryland’s State Forests protectand restore sensitive natural resourceswhile maintaining sustainable levels of forest products to local industries, thus pre-serving local jobs and creating ruralwealth,” said Steve Koehn, Director of theMaryland Forest Service.

“The Nature Conservancy believes thatforest certification is an integral part of sustainable forest management and weapplaud DNR for seeking dual certificationfor the Western Maryland State Forests as ithas done for the Eastern Shore,” said SteveBunker, the Director of ConservationPrograms for The Nature Conservancy.

NEW MEMBERS STRENGTHENSFI INC. BOARD

The independent SFI Inc. Board of Directors haselected three new members who will contribute tothe 18-member board’s diverse range of knowledge.The new board members, announced during the2010 SFI Annual Conference in Vancouver, are:

JOHN M. HAGAN III, President of the non-profitManomet Center for Conservation Sciences, whosework has helped transform how the forest sectorthinks about protecting biodiversity. Manomet(www.manomet.org) works to build a sustainableworld through a non-advocacy use of science thatallows policy makers and the public to make well-informed decisions.

STEWART HARDACRE, President and ChiefOperating Officer, Habitat for Humanity Canada.Accredited as a certified management accountant,Hardacre has more than 20 years of experience insenior executive positions. Habitat for HumanityCanada (www.habitat.ca) has 73 affiliates and50,000 volunteers across Canada, and has placedalmost 1,800 families into new homes since 1985.

CHARLES TATTERSALL (TAT) SMITH JR.,Professor, Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto.In 2008, while he was dean of the University ofToronto’s Faculty of Forestry, Smith led a workshopthat brought together experts on sustainable bio-mass production, resulting in recommendationsand changes in the SFI 2010-2014 Standard.

The SFI Inc. board represents environmental, socialand economic sectors equally to meet the manyneeds of forests and communities. Hagan joins theboard’s environmental chamber, and Hardacre andSmith are part of the social chamber. Current boardmembers include representatives of environmental,professional and academic groups, independentloggers, family forest landowners, public officials,labor and the forest products sector.

FOREST CERTIFICATION PROGRAM CHARACTERISTICS

The 2009/2010 UNECE/FAO Forest Products Annual Market Review used a table prepared by Dovetail Partners Inc. to show the largest certificationsystems generally have the same structural programmatic requirements:

PROGRAM THIRD-PARTY AUDITORS? CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY? PUBLIC REPORTING? STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION? INDEPENDENT GOVERNANCE? ON-PRODUCT LABEL?

American Tree Farm System YES YES YES YES YES NO

Canadian Standards Association YES YES YES YES YES YES*

Forest Stewardship Council YES YES YES YES YES YES

Programme for the Endorsement YES YES YES YES YES YESof Forest Certification

Sustainable Forestry Initiative YES YES YES YES YES YES

* CSA has adopted the PEFC on-product label and discontinued use of the original CSA on-product label.

PAGE THREE

BARELY SIX MONTHS AFTER SFI INC.ANNOUNCED the first of its Conservationand Community Partnerships Grants, theprojects have started to deliver results.

“From the day we announced the grants itwas obvious we were filling a real need,” saysAllison Welde, SFI Director, ConservationPartnerships and Communications. “It hasled to some fantastic projects that are alreadyadvancing many of the conservation objec-tives SFI shares with conservation and community partners.”

SFI’s Conservation and CommunityPartnerships Grant Program fosters partner-ships between organizations interested inimproving forest management in the UnitedStates and Canada, and responsible procure-ment globally. In May 2010, the programannounced a commitment of $675,000 tosupport nine conservation initiatives — andplans are in the works for the 2011 grants.Through the involvement of partners, projects funded to date will leverage addi-tional resources and achieve a total value ofalmost $2.7 million.

Delegates to the SFI annual conferencewere treated to enthusiastic presentations bytwo grant recipients — Dan Petit of theNational Fish and Wildlife Foundationand Pete Davidson of Bird Studies Canada.The session was so well-received that SFIplans to repeat them via webinars so a wideraudience can learn how this work reinforcesconservation and certification goals — webi-nar details will be posted at www.sfipro-gram.org/ SFIwebinars/index.php as theybecome available.

Petit said the SFI grant was critical for theNational Fish and Wildlife Foundation project, which he expects will garner massivehabitat gains for birds that depend onyounger forests. “The SFI Standard andunderlying philosophy are highly compati-ble with this kind of effort,” he said. “SFI andthe National Fish and Wildlife Foundationare both interested in obtaining increasedand enhanced biological diversity in man-aged landscapes.”

He said the grant will lead to partnershipswith as many as 30 SFI program participantsin 14 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces,allowing access to about 175 million acres/ 70million hectares of certified, high-qualitymanaged forestland. The $75,000 SFI invest-ment will leverage total value in cash and

resources of $600,000. Petit said he hopes tobe invited to next year’s SFI conference inVermont because “we expect to have somegreat stories to tell.”

Davidson of Bird Studies Canada told delegates birds are a great indicator species,and his organization is able to provide long-term monitoring data cost-effectively throughcitizen science — developing programs so thepublic can collect information. The SFI-supported project is meeting or exceeded itstargets — nearly 4,000 participants completedmore than 30,000 hours of surveys, the equiv-alent of 16 full-time positions.

Davidson estimated that the return onSFI’s investment would be 10:1 cash, withadditional leverage through volunteer con-

tributions, contributed databases and pro-gram outreach.

Other conservation grant project accom-plishments include:

In the Great Lakes Region, the RuffedGrouse Society held two of the six WisconsinCoverts workshops for private landownersplanned over three years. The project enlistsand educates landowners about manage-ment best practices for their land and thewildlife on it, so they can lead by exampleand help others better understand their roleas land stewards. The grant means there is nocost for the workshops so they are a lot moreaccessible to family forest landowners — andsociety organizers selected applicants whoare most likely to influence management onlarge tracts of land, either on their own or byinfluencing other area landowners.

In the southeast United State, The

American Chestnut Foundation is gearing up to create a national databasewhich will support the development of man-agement and restoration guidelines forblight-resistant American chestnut trees.Welde and Jay Eagle, Operations SupportAnalyst from MeadWestvaco, spoke at theFoundation’s annual meeting in Octoberabout certification, opportunities to workwith SFI Implementation Committees, andthe environmental and economic impor-tance of restoring the American chestnut.

In British Columbia, coastal grizzly bearecologist Grant MacHutchon completed atechnical review of grizzly bear habitats alongthe Pacific Coast for the British ColumbiaMinistry of Environment Ecosystems Branch,

one of the partners working with the SouthCoast Conservation Program. About1200 grizzly bear habitats were reviewed inthe mid-coast portion of the project area,and some were adjusted in size, shape orlocation because of new classifications orprevious errors.

In South Carolina, Clemson Universityposted a website at www.clemson.edu/public/whip/ about its project, which aims to helplandowners of all sizes adopt and implementpractices to improve wildlife habitat on managed lands. The website will track theprogress of the project, while making thepublic more aware of responsible forest man-agement and the SFI program.

For more information about the conserva-tion and community grants, go to www.sfiprogram.org/conservation-grant/index.phpor contact Allison Welde.

Conservation Research Grants Achieving Results

Private landowners at a Wisconsin Coverts workshop in August, one of six workshops the RuffedGrouse Society will hold in the Great Lakes Region with the help of an SFI conservation grant.

PAGE FOUR

MEMBERS OF THE WESTERN CANADIANSFI IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE willhelp Habitat for Humanity GreaterVancouver build six townhouses in Burnaby,British Columbia.

Ainsworth Engineered Canada, HusbyForest Products Ltd., Hancock ForestManagement Inc., West Fraser Mills Ltd. andiLevel by Weyerhaeuser will contribute nearly$25,000 for certified products, including engi-neered wood products, plywood for roofing,lumber, OSB and cedar fencing. The SFIImplementation Committee from Washingtonstate will also make a contribution.

Construction begins next year for thestructure, part of a 27-townhouse community

Latest Habitat Partnership in British Columbia

Habitat for Humanity is building thatincludes three accessible units at groundlevel. It will be certified to the standards ofBuilt Green Canada, a voluntary green build-ing program that promotes green buildingpractices to reduce the impact buildings haveon the environment.

“Like all Habitat projects, these homes willbe built to simple, decent specifications andquality standards,” said Anneke Rees, CEO ofHabitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver. “Asa bonus, our partnership with the SustainableForestry Initiative means we can use woodproducts from organizations committed toresponsible forest management — and com-mitted to local communities.”

THE U.S. FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSIONhas released proposed revisions designed to update its Guides for the Use ofEnvironmental Marketing Claims. The guidesare designed to make it easier for companiesto understand and use so they can avoid making misleading environmental claims.

“In recent years, businesses have increas-ingly used ‘green’ marketing to capture consumers’ attention and move Americanstoward a more environmentally friendlyfuture,” FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said ina news release. “But what companies thinkgreen claims mean and what consumers really understand are sometimes two differentthings. The proposed updates to the GreenGuides will help businesses better align their

FTC Seeking Comments on ProposedGreen Guides Revisions

product claims with consumer expectations.”The proposed changes were developed

using information collected from three public workshops, public comments, and astudy of how consumers understand certainenvironmental claims. They include newguidance on marketers’ use of product certi-fications and seals of approval, “renewableenergy” claims, “renewable materials”claims, and “carbon offset” claims.

The FTC is accepting comments untilDec. 10 – a summary of the proposed revi-sions is posted at www.ftc.gov/os/2010/10/101006greenguidesproposal.pdf. SFI is cur-rently reviewing the draft guides and willsubmit comments. For more informationcontact Jason Metnick.

QUEBEC COMPANIES ARE BEING offeredcustomized training and coaching services sothey can establish a traceability chain fortheir products – including help to prepare forchain-of-custody certification or pursue multiple certifications.

The $4.6-million Forest ProductsTraceability Program, a pilot project adminis-tered by the Quebec Wood Export Bureauand funded by the Canadian and Quebecgovernments, will help to raise awarenessacross the supply chain of the benefits ofthird-party forest certification, and encour-age more companies to seek multiple chain-

Quebec Program Encourages Use ofCertified Products

of-custody certifications — increasing supplyoptions for customers.

“This will both raise awareness across thesupply chain of the benefits of third-partyforest certification, and encourage morecompanies to seek multiple chain-of-custodycertifications — increasing supply optionsfor customers,” says Danny Karch, SFINational Director, Green Building.

Wood manufacturing and remanufacturingcompanies that have expressed interest in pur-suing or expanding chain-of-custody certifica-tion include sawmills, and producers of lum-ber, furniture, flooring, windows and doors.

SFI IMPLEMENTATIONCOMMITTEES

North Carolina Produces Invasive Species DVDThe North Carolina Forestry Association has produced a50-minute DVD Invasive Species — Stop the Spreadgeared toward loggers, landowners and other forestryinterests. The project was supported by SFIImplementation Committees in Alabama, Kentucky,Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.From cogongrass to gypsy moths, the program showshow to identify some of the worst threats to forests andreviews actions loggers can take to prevent the spreadof invasive species. “The DVD can be a valuable addi-tion to logger training programs,” says Roger Pyle of theNorth Carolina Forestry Association. “Invasive speciescost billions of dollars each year in lost productivity,attempts to control, and eventual loss of species.” TheDVD costs $495 and license rights are also available.For more information, contact Pyle at 919-834-3943.

BRIEFS

SFI Blog Among 50 Best

The Guide To Online Schools, an online educationdirectory that specializes in online degrees, onlineschools, and distance learning, has named the SFIGood for Forests blog one of the 50 best forestry andconservation blogs. It says Good for Forests “coversrecent news about ways (SFI), and other certificationand governance schemes, are helping to makeforestry more sustainable.” Check out the full list athttp://www.guidetoonlineschools.com/tips-and-tools/best-forestry-blogs.

Conservation Fund #1 Rated Charity

Charity Navigator has named The Conservation Fund#1 on its list of 10 of the Best Charities Everyone’sHeard Of – for efficient and fiscally responsible performance. The Charity Navigator evaluates thefinancial health of more than 5,500 of America'slargest charities. Larry Selzer, President and CEO ofThe Conservation Fund, is a member of the SFI Boardof Directors and was the first winner of the Dr.Sharon Haines Memorial Award for Innovation andLeadership in Sustainability, sponsored by SFI andInternational Paper. Using a non-advocacy approach,The Conservation Fund and its partners have pro-tected more than 6.5 million acres/2.6 millionhectares of irreplaceable wildlife habitat, watershedsand waterways, working landscapes, historic sitesand recreation areas in all 50 states.

SFI ANNUAL CONFERENCE: THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIPS

THE 15TH ANNUAL SFI CONFERENCE showed the true power of partnerships. It attracted more than 200 people from every link of the supply chain who heard about howSFI and its many partners are improving forest management, strengthening communities and raising awareness about the value of third-party forest certification.

“I often point out how partnerships fuel the SFI program, but it takes an event like this to truly demonstrate just how much we all gain through collaboration,” SFIPresident and CEO Kathy Abusow said after the conference, held in Vancouver, British Columbia. “This year we had 20 sponsors – the most ever. That tells me some-thing about the growing enthusiasm for certification and the SFI program.”

Check out the conference website at www.sfiprogram.org/conference-2010.php to view the multi-media closing release and videos along with other conferencenews releases, photographs and presentations.

SFI Awards Recognize Partnerships

PAGE FIVE

PLATINUM SPONSOR GOLD SPONSORS

CONSERVATION CORNER SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSORS

THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIPS WASREFLECTED IN THE AWARDS presented atthe SFI 2010 Conference. The outstandingachievements recognized sent a clear messageabout the strength of the program’s many sharedsuccesses — from conserving habitat for endan-

gered species to logger training and outreach toincreasing the amount of certified forestland.

Time Inc., Hearst Enterprises, Verso Paper,NewPage Corporation and Sappi Fine Papersreceived the SFI President’s Award for a pilot pro-gram that increased the amount of certified landin Maine by making third-party certificationmore accessible to small- and medium-sizedlandowners. The companies worked in partner-ship with SFI Inc. and ATFS.

Port Blakely Tree Farms received an SFIConservation Leadership Award for BiodiversityResearch for its participation in a cooperativeproject to reintroduce endangered Oregon spot-ted frogs to their historic range in Washingtonstate. The project, led by the state Department ofFish and Wildlife, also involved the WashingtonDepartment of Natural Resources, U.S. Army, U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service, Northwest Trek WildlifePark, Oregon Zoo, Point Defiance Zoo, University

of Washington, The Evergreen State College,Washington Department of Transportation andThe Nature Conservancy of Washington.

Alabama received the 12th annual SFIImplementation Committee achievement awardfor outreach activities and logging professionaltraining that strengthens forest practices and rais-es awareness about the benefits of using woodfrom responsible sources. It was the second timeAlabama received the achievement award.“Implementation of best management practicesin Alabama stands at 97 percent – thanks in largepart to the training and outreach led by theAlabama SFI Implementation Committee,” saidAlabama State Forester Linda S. Casey.

All of the award winners were presented withcarvings that represented a symbol of the FirstNations culture, and were created by Muliszas,whose given name is Curtis Wilson, an artist andcarver from northern Vancouver Island.

Alabama committee members (left to right) Chris Erwin,Sam Hopkins and chair Mike Griggs receive the 12thannual SFI Implementation Committee achievementaward from SFI President and CEO Kathy Abusow.

PAGE SIX

SFI Will Vote Against LEED Certification Benchmarks

THE SENATE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEEwants the U.S. Department of Agriculture toreconsider a policy that encourages the use ofthe U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadershipin Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)rating system for new construction.

The letter, signed by CommitteeChairman Blanche Lincoln (Democrat-Arkansas) and Ranking Member SaxbyChambliss (Republican-Georgia), says LEEDdiscourages the use of U.S. wood productsby allowing points only for wood certified toFSC and failing to recognize wood certifiedto SFI or ATFS standards. It says that sincemost FSC-certified forests are outside ofNorth America, this means LEED is encour-aging the use of imported wood productsover domestic sources. LEED also discrimi-nates against the 191 million acres/77 million hectares of U.S. national forestssince they are not currently certified, even

Senators Challenge USDA LEED Policythough timber harvest is tightly regulated.

“Unfortunately the LEED rating systemdiscourages the use of domestically grown andprocessed wood products that are vital to ruralcommunities all across the U.S.,” Lincoln andChambliss say. “Nationally, about 360,000men and women, most of whom reside inrural communities, depend on the woodproducts industry for their livelihoods.”

The letter urges Agriculture Secretary TomVilsack to reconsider his department’s and theForest Service’s policy regarding LEED andinstead either encourage the use of all crediblegreen building rating systems or develop a policy that encourages the use of domesticallyproduced wood products in its buildings.

For the latest information about USGBC,the proposed LEED benchmarks and the SFIposition, and to find out how to registeryour views, visit www.sfiprogram.org/leed/index.php.

SFI INC. WILL VOTE AGAINST the forestcertification evaluation proposed by the U.S.Green Building Council (USGBC) for itsLeadership in Energy and EnvironmentalDesign (LEED) rating system.

In a recent statement, SFI Inc. says USGBCmade zero changes to the final version of thebenchmarks, despite the numerous commentsit received from SFI and others. “We believe inthe power of working with stakeholders to findsolutions that promote responsible forestryand support our communities across NorthAmerica,” the statement says. “These ideas arethe very essence of our own program. It wasfor these reasons we participated in each of thefour rounds of comments on the USGBCbenchmarks. The fact is, a process that is beingcriticized by all sides is not a ‘winning formula’— it means we need to find a different solution,one that can achieve broader buy-in.”

Currently only wood certified to the ForestStewardship Council (FSC) is eligible for the certified wood credit under LEED. USGBCmembers who have opted in to the consensusbody will vote on the proposed new forest certification benchmarks until Nov. 23.

SFI Inc. says USGBC should replace thecomplex process involving 81 detailed bench-marks with a simpler solution such as one putforward by the National Association of StateForesters that identifies five key elements ofcredible forest certification: independent governance; multi- stakeholder standard; inde-

pendent certification; credible complaints andappeals process; and open participation andtransparency. The full policy statement is posted on the NASF website.

The SFI statement says that with only 10percent of the world’s forests certified, USGBCshould listen to the thousands of individualsand organizations — including 99 U.S.Congressmen and Governors — urging it torecognize the value of wood products certifiedto all credible third-party forest standards,including SFI, FSC, the Programme for theEndorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC),Canadian Standards Association (CSA) andAmerican Tree Farm System (ATFS).

SFI President and CEO Kathy Abusow saysthat while the USGBC understandably mustlisten to the voices within its membership, “itshould also listen to a broader set of stakeholders,such as elected officials who are entrusted withthe public good.”

She says SFI is willing to work with theUSGBC and other interests to find a sustain-able and workable solution. “Until a solutionis found, the building community candemonstrate their pride and support for NorthAmerican forests, communities, and jobs bygiving up the one point available for certifiedwood products and continuing to use SFI-certified products in LEED buildings.”

For more information about LEED andforest certification, visit the update websiteor contact Jason Metnick.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY AND SFI INC. have a lotin common — both support strong communities andboth emphasize the principle of partnerships.

Stewart Hardacre, President and Chief OperatingOfficer of Habitat for Humanity Canada, talked aboutthis shortly after being elected to the SFI Board ofDirectors in September: “Habitat for HumanityCanada and SFI both are grass-roots organizationsthat rely on collaboration with diverse partners tomake a difference in our communities.”

Terry Petkau, National Director of BuildingServices for Habitat for Humanity Canada, later rein-forced the point at the SFI annual conference. He tolddelegates a true partnership involves organizationsthat help each other to become the best they can be— which is why Habitat for Humanity is thrilled towork with partners like SFI and Built Green Canada,a voluntary green building program that promotesgreen building practices to reduce the impact build-ings have on the environment. Habitat for HumanityCanada and Built Green Canada both recognize allforest certification standards in use in Canada.

Petkau and Ann Ralph from Built Green Canadadiscussed the power of partnerships on the sameday the latest SFI-Habitat-Built Green Canada partnership was announced in Burnaby, BritishColumbia.To date, SFI partners and participants havedonated time and resources for Habitat projects inBritish Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Tennessee,Maine and Minnesota — including the first Habitathome on a First Nations reserve in Canada and thefirst Habitat homes certified to the Built GreenCanada and the ANSI/ICC 700-2008: National GreenBuilding Standard green rating systems.

Ann Ralph, Executive Officer of Built Green Canada,discusses sustainable building initiatives.

Terry Petkau, National Director of Building Servicesfor Habitat for Humanity Canada at the SFI annualconference.

WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

PAGE SEVEN

THE SFI PROGRAM TOOK PART IN THEFIRST U.S. GreenGov Symposium whereleaders from government and the private sector met to identify opportunities to greenthe federal government.

The three-day educationalevent was sponsored by theWhite House Council onEconomic Quality, and focusedon President Obama’sExecutive Order 13514, whichset sustainability goals for fed-eral agencies, specifically onenvironmental, energy andeconomic performance. SFIwas an event sponsor as well asan exhibitor. Additionally, SFIsponsored the “Greening theSupply Chain” track, helpingto draw attention to the manysteps that can be taken to helpmake more efficient procure-ment decisions.

“All federal agencies arerequired to meet the goals setout in the executive order, somany of the delegates whostopped by our booth wereinterested to learn how theycould improve environmen-tal performance,” said Nadine

Block, SFI Senior Director, GovernmentOutreach. “We were able to show the valueof certification as a simple and straightfor-ward tool to support responsible procure-ment decisions.”

SFI Represented at GreenGovSymposium

Introducing the Forest FootprintDisclosure Project

THE SFI PROGRAM HOSTED A WEBI-NAR in September to introduce the ForestFootprint Disclosure Project, which helpsinvestors identify how an organization seeks tominimize deforestation through its activitiesand supply chains.

Participating companies are asked to dis-close how their operations and supply chainsare impacting forests worldwide, and what isbeing done to manage those impacts responsi-bly. The information is reported annually,enabling investors to identify the sustainablebusinesses of the future as well possible risksrelated to a company’s forest footprint.

Tracey Campbell, Director of the ForestFootprint Disclosure, provided backgroundabout the project, and talked about the 2010

disclosure request. Jim Stark,Manager Sustainable Forestsand Products for Weyerhaeuser,told participants the surveyoffers a good opportunity forSFI-certified organizations todemonstrate their commitment to responsiblewood fiber sourcing. Companies receive feed-back about their performance relative to a peergroup, including specifics on where they areperforming well and where more effort mightbe needed.

A streamed recording of the webinar is postedon the SFI webinar website at www.sfi pro-gram.org/SFI-webinars/index.php. More infor-mation about the Forest Footprint Disclosure isavailable at http://forestdisclosure.com.

SFI SPONSORS GRAPH EXPO 2010

Print professionals attending GRAPH EXPO 2010learned how SFI-certified and labeled products canincrease awareness of the importance of forest certification and demonstrate a commitment toresponsible forestry.

“It was encouraging to find that many printers— large and small — are familiar with chain-of-custody certification,” says Jason Metnick, SFISenior Director, Market Access and Label Use, and aspeaker at the event. “Professionals in the printingand publishing fields can generate change withprocurement policies that recognize all credible forest certification standards, including SFI.”

GRAPH EXPO 2010, considered the commercialprinting, publishing, package printing, mailing andtransactional exposition for the Americas, wasattended by 26,000 printers, packagers and graphicprofessionals. Nearly 80 percent of the attendeesare decision makers and key influencers in theirorganizations. SFI was title sponsor of GREENSpace,a section of the show devoted exclusively to exhibitson sustainability-focused products and services thatwill offer personalized applications and solutions.

Trade ShowsThe SFI program was represented at a number of

recent trade shows, including:

Sustainable Packaging Forum Sept 14-16Phoenix, AZ

Canadian Office Products AssociationEnvironmental Symposium Sept. 28

Mississauga, ON

Graph Expo Oct. 3-6 Chicago

GreenGov Symposium Oct. 5-7 Washington, DC

Canadian Business for Social Responsibility Oct. 21 Toronto

• KATHY ABUSOW,202-596-3453 (United States)613-722-8734 (Canada)President & CEOKathy.Abusow@sfiprogram.org

• JENNIFER FARANT, 613-722-8734Executive Assistant to Kathy AbusowJennifer.Farant@sfiprogram.org

• RICK CANTRELL, 864-653-7224Vice President & COORick.Cantrell@sfiprogram.org

• KAREN BRANDT,+46 070 289 1012 (Europe)Vice President, Market AffairsKaren.Brandt@sfiprogram.org

• JASON METNICK, 602-374-6539Senior Director, Market Access and Label Use Jason.Metnick@sfiprogram.org

• NADINE BLOCK, 202-596-3456Senior Director, Government OutreachNadine.Block@sfiprogram.org

• ALLISON WELDE, 202-596-3452Director, Conservation Partnerships and CommunicationsAllison.Welde@sfiprogram.org

• SUE MCMILLAN, 250-508-8323Director, MarketingSue.McMillan@sfiprogram.org

• DANNY KARCH, 514-629-7405National Director, Green BuildingDanny.Karch@sfiprogram.org

• AMY DOTY, 202-596-3458Manager, Community OutreachAmy.Doty@sfiprogram.org

• JULIA HERSHBERGER, 202-596-3450Office ManagerJulia.Hershberger@sfiprogram.org

The SFI program is endorsed by theProgramme for the Endorsement of ForestCertification schemes (PEFC), an internationalumbrella organization recognizing rigorous forest certification programs. PEFC and itsendorsed standards are accepted by govern-ments around the world.

• RACHEL DIEROLF, 613-274-0124Secretary, PEFC US Governing BodyManager, Statistics and LabelingRachel.Dierolf@sfiprogram.org

SFI INC. CONTACTS:

PEFC/29-1-1

SFI Inc. is an independent 501c(3) non-profit charitable organization, and is solely respon-sible for maintaining, overseeing and improving the internationally recognized SustainableForestry Initiative (SFI) program (www.sfiprogram.org). Across North America, more than175 million acres/70 million hectares are certified to the SFI forest management standard,making it the largest single standard in the world. SFI chain-of-custody certification tellsbuyers how much certified, responsibly sourced and/or recycled content is in a product.The SFI program’s unique fiber sourcing requirements promote responsible forest manage-ment on all suppliers’ lands. SFI Inc. is governed by a three-chamber board of directorsrepresenting environmental, social and economic sectors equally.

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NEW SFI CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY CERTIFICATIONS

NEW SFI CERTIFICATIONS (EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 31, 2010)

More than 2,500 individuals and organizations are meeting SFI requirements and/or working with the program to strengthen forest practices and fiber sourcing. They include forest products companies, industrialand family forest owners, conservation groups, universities, public agencies, manufacturers, retailers,printers, resource professionals and many others who share a passion for responsible forest management.You can find lists of all SFI program participants and certifications at www.sfiprogram.org under resources.

NEW SFI FIBER SOURCING (SFI ANNEX 1) & PROCUREMENT CERTIFICATIONS (SFI 2005-2009 STANDARD OBJECTIVES 8-13)

Amcor Packaging Distributions, Rock-Tenn Company, Useful Products Inc.

NEW SFI FOREST MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATIONS

Timbervest LLC, Orion Timberlands, Huber Resources Corporation, Fruit Growers Supply Company

NEW SFI PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS

Timbervest LLC, Orion Timberlands, Huber Resources Corporation, Fruit Growers Supply Company, C & C Wood Products

CURRENT PROGRAM STATISTICS (AS OF OCTOBER 31, 2010)

SFI PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS: 251

AREA THIRD-PARTY CERTIFIED TO THE SFI 2005-2009 STANDARD OR SFI 2010-2014 STANDARD: 181.1 MILLION ACRES/73.3 MILLION HA

CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY CERTIFICATES: 959

CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY CERTIFIED LOCATIONS (A company with multiple facilities, such as a paper merchant or printer, has the option of including more than one facility under its certificate.): 2338

COMPANIES CERTIFIED FOR RESPONSIBLE SOURCING AND ASSOCIATED LABELS: 102

PEFC ANNEX 4 (U.S.) CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY CERTIFICATIONS: 345

Apex Color, Briggs & Stratton, Business Ink, Co., CADMUS, The Whitehall Group, Capital Corrugated & Carton, Compte's Inc.,Connemara Converting, Crownhill Packaging Ltd., Forest City Trading Group LLC, Graphics, Innovations LLC, GRC Direct,Greystone Print Solutions, Hitchcock Printing, Lawrence dba Lawrence Ink, Lithographix Inc., Menasha Packaging CompanyLLC - Display Philadelphia, Nebraska Printing Company Inc., Printfacility Inc., PrintingForLess.com, Proteus Packaging Corp.,RR Donnelley, Specialty Wood Products, Star Acquisitions LLC, Streeter Printing & Graphics, Inc., Tangent Graphics, Tri-StateEnvelope Corporation, TWP Enterprises dba TW Perry, Wellborn Cabinet, Woodland Pulp LLC

SFI INC. IS SURVEYING its program partici-pants to make sure they have the resourcesthey need to tell customers about certificationand encourage responsible sourcing of forestproducts. The survey, sent the second week ofNovember, tests existing marketing and communications materials available in a “certification promotion kit” found on the

Helping You Promote Your SFI Certification

members-only website, and also solicits feed-back on additional tools that might be helpfulfor sales, marketing and communications staffwithin the SFI community. SFI will release anupdated promotion kit in early 2011. Formore information, a link to the survey, or forspecific marketing and communications support requests, contact Sue McMillan.

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