Tuesday, December 1, 2009

SFI Lumber

The “building green” movement is one of the most significant efforts in helping to protect our environment. The
Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Inc. is proud to be a strong partner in the movement by certifying more environmentally
responsible building materials than any other standard.
Here are just a few of the reasons why SFI certified wood fits squarely within the goals of Green Building rating systems.

n INDEPENDENT GOVERNANCE
On January 1, 2007, a new, fully independent organization, the SFI, Inc. was created to direct all elements of the
SFI® program.
The multi-stakeholder board of SFI, Inc. is now the sole governing body over the SFI Standard and all aspects of the
program, including chain of custody certification and labeling, marketing and promotion. SFI, Inc.’s board members
represent environmental and conservation organizations, public officials, professional and academic groups, independent
logging professionals and forest landowners.
u Broad Support:
The SFI program enjoys support from more than two dozen conservation groups, organized labor,
family forest owners, scientists, universities and public agencies. The SFI program does not rely exclusively on annual
foundation funding or grants and has the support and funding infrastructure necessary to ensure an economically viable
program into the future.
u Independent Audits:
SFI, Inc. requires auditors to be accredited by an independent third-party. The SFI program
sets the standards for certification and auditor qualifications but does not accredit auditors. The SFI program requires auditors
be accredited by an independent body, such as the American National Standards Institute. SFI Audit Procedures and
Qualifications require that audited organizations be in full compliance with the SFI Standard at the time of the audit.
u Independent Assessments:
Numerous independent, unbiased, science-based studies comparing the SFI and Forest
Stewardship Council (FSC) programs have shown the two programs to be nearly identical when it comes to on-the-
ground performance. These studies have been conducted by respected organizations like Metafore, The Pinchot Institute,
and ProForest (for the UK Government). The UK Green Buildings Standard fully recognizes the SFI program as does the
official UK government procurement policy.
The Japanese government’s procurement policy requires the government to purchase wood and wood products that are
harvested in a legal and sustainable manner. This policy recognizes SFI certified products as meeting those criteria. In
addition, Japan’s green building system, Comprehensive Assessment System for Building Environmental Efficiency, fully
recognizes SFI certified products.
u Label and Chain of Custody:
The SFI program has a comprehensive Chain of Custody and labeling program that
includes percent content labels for those who choose to use Chain of Custody (CoC).
u Internationally Recognized:
The SFI program has been internationally recognized by the Programme for the Endorsement
of Forest Certification (PEFC). www.pefc.org
u Abundant Supply:
The SFI program is the largest forest certification program in North America, with more than 133
million acres independently certified. Eighty-five percent of wood panel products and 50 percent of dimensional lumber
products in the United States are produced by SFI program participants. This means the SFI program can provide
a reliable source of materials for those in the green building market.

Recognizing wood from the SFI program and other credible certification systems will expand
sustainable forestry and green building practices worldwide.
GREEN BUILDINGS AND SFI CERTIFIED WOOD
www.sfiprogram.org
“The Sustainable Forestry Initiative”, “Growing Tomorrow’s Forests Today”, “SFI” and the SFI logo are registered marks associated with the SFI program.