SFI® Invests in Forest Conservation Research

WASHINGTON, and OTTAWA, April 21, 2014 /CNW/ - The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® Inc. (SFI®) has awarded more than $400,000 to 10 conservation projects as part of its 2014 Conservation and Community Partnerships Grant Program. These projects support efforts towards continuous improvement in sustainable forest management and forest conservation throughout North America.

"The 2014 conservation grant recipients represent a wide and invaluable cross section of research supporting future forests across the United States and Canada," said Kathy Abusow, President and CEO of SFI Inc. "The SFI program is the only forest certification standard in North America that requires participants to support and engage in research activities to improve forest health, productivity and sustainable management of forest resources. We're looking forward to supporting each of these worthy projects."

Since 2010, SFI has awarded more than 50 conservation partnership grants totaling more than $1.9 million to foster research and pilot efforts to better inform future decisions about our forests. When leveraged with project partner contributions, that total investment exceeds $7.1 million.

This year's projects include improving wildlife habitat management, mitigating impacts on wetlands, and conserving indigenous cultural features, just to name a few. 

2014 Conservation Grant Recipients:

The American Bird Conservancy (ABC) will identify priority habitats for bird conservation, develop improved management scenarios for these habitats, and focus on locations where land ownerships intersect with critical habitats and flyways in North America.

The Communities for Healthy Forests, Inc. will engage the local community, deliver educational tools and support restoration efforts in the Douglas Complex area in Oregon that was devastated by wildfires last summer.

FPInnovations will create a national best management practice guide for field practitioners to mitigate the impact of forest roads on Canadian wetlands.

The Fundy Model Forest study provides a unique opportunity to study the effects of forest harvesting 20 years post-harvest at a site where initial biodiversity studies were started in 1992.

The Heiltsuk First Nation will create a database process to record, track, and manage culturally modified trees through spatial analysis in Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

The Longleaf Alliance project will ensure the development of an informational tool to help landowners engaged in restoration of the Longleaf Pine ecosystem.

NCASI Canada will help ensure survival of young caribou by using new scientific methods to study nutrition  in forest stands.

Stephen F. Austin State University will study forest mammals to help inform future management in a mixed forest landscape.

The Nature Conservancy, North Carolina Chapter will focus on private landowner outreach in the Cape Fear Arch in an effort to sustain biodiversity and restore longleaf pine in working forests.

Finally, the US Endowment for Forests and Communities' project will focus on sustainable forest management as a generational land retention strategy for minority landowners in the U.S. South.

SFI's 2014 investment includes ongoing multi-year research grant commitments for projects awarded to groups like Nature Trust B.C. to mitigate impacts on biological diversity through management of invasive plant species, and to the American Bird Conservancy to showcase the value of habitat improvements, including thinning, understory management, and the creation of snags for bird conservation within the context of meeting economic and forest health goals.

For more information about The SFI Conservation Grant Program, visit sfiprogram.org/community-conservation/conservation-community-partnerships-grant-program/.

About SFI Inc.
SFI Inc. is an independent, nonprofit organization that is solely responsible for maintaining, overseeing and improving the internationally recognized Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) program. Across the United States and Canada, about 250 million acres (more than 100 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 sfiprogram.org and sfiprogram.org/Buy-SFI/.

SOURCE: Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)

For further information: Media Contact: Isabelle Des Chênes, Communications, Sustainable Forestry Initiative, 202-596-3452, [e-mail]