With about 90 percent of Maine covered by forests, it is no surprise that the citizens of Maine want to know that the people who own and work in the Maine woods are managing them with an eye toward keeping them productive for the present and sustained for future generations.
That’s where the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) comes in. SFI is a program designed to ensure that forests in Maine and across the country are managed sustainably. The Program fosters continuous improvement in forest management by requiring Certified Organizations to commit to ongoing research, continuing professional education, and consistent communication with the general public concerning developments within the SFI Program.
What's new!
The Maine SFI Implementation Committee hires Peter B. Johnson to lead the organization
Non-profit organization serves 7.8 million acres of land certified to SFI sustainability standard in Maine The Maine Sustainable Forestry Initiative’s State Implementation Committee (Maine SIC) is pleased to announce that Peter B. Johnson of Rangeley has joined the organization as the next Executive Director. As Executive Director, Pete will facilitate the implementation of the Sustainable […]
2024 Annual Fisheries Improvement Network Meeting
On October 30, 2024, Weyerhaeuser hosted the annual Fisheries Improvement Network (FIN) meeting at the Bingham office. Following the presentations, the group toured Weyerhaeuser’s “chop and drop” project. Established in 2013, FIN is a collaboration between the Maine SIC, MFPC, state and federal agencies, private landowners and conservation groups to improve stream connectivity and enhance […]
What is the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Program?
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Program was a response to the public’s obvious concern about the long-term sustainability of the country’s forest resources.
In practice, the SFI program involves the development and implementation of forest management standards. Certified Organizations are evaluated on the following objectives:
- Forest Management Planning
- Forest Health and Productivity
- Protection and Maintenance of Water Resources
- Conservation of Biological Diversity
- Management of Visual Quality and Recreational Benefits
- Protection of Special Sites
- Efficient Use of Fiber Resources
- Recognize and Respect Indigenous People’s Rights
- Climate Smart Forestry
- Fire Resilience and Awareness
- Legal and Regulatory Compliance
- Forestry Research, Science, and Technology
- Training and Education
- Community Involvement and Landowner Outreach
- Public Land Management Responsibilities
- Communications and Public Reporting
- Management Review and Continual Improvement
In broader terms, the five underlying principles of SFI are to:
- Meet the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations.
- Promote environmentally and economically responsible practices.
- Improve forest health and productivity.
- Manage our forests to protect their special qualities.
- Continuously improve forest management and measure progress.
SFI Inc. is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that is solely responsible for maintaining, overseeing and improving the internationally recognized Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) program. Across the United States and Canada, 350 million acres /nearly 140 million hectares are certified to the SFI forest management standard. In addition, the SFI program’s unique fiber sourcing requirements promote responsible forest management on all suppliers’ lands. SFI chain of custody (COC) certification tracks the percentage of fiber from certified forests, certified sourcing and post-consumer recycled content. SFI on product labels identify both certified sourcing and COC claims to help consumers make responsible purchasing decisions. SFI Inc. is governed by a three-chamber board of directors representing environmental, social and economic sectors equally. Learn more at https://forests.org/who-we-are/and https://sfidatabase.org/search/search-products