SFI to Bring Together Global Forestry and Brand Leaders to Push Forward Health of Future Forests

SFI Annual Conference | September 16-18, 2014 | Montréal, Canada

WASHINGTON and OTTAWA, June 5, 2014 /CNW/ - In celebration of Canadian Environment Week, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® Inc. (SFI®), today announced it will bring together stakeholders across a broad spectrum – from landowners to brand owners – to discuss and determine actions related to our most important issue globally – our forests. The SFI Annual Conference will be held September 16-18, 2014 in Montreal, Canada and will address green building, advancements in forestry research and other emerging forest issues that help shape North America's future forests.

"Our Conference is known as a venue for action-oriented discussion about conservation initiatives and sustainable communities from Canada's Boreal to the U.S. South and beyond," said Kathy Abusow, President and CEO of SFI Inc. "I'm looking forward to hearing from a diverse range of voices representing environmental, economic and social organizations with a stake in our forests' future. I'm particularly pleased to be hosting our premiere annual event in Montreal this year."

Featured speakers include:

• James Griffiths, Director, Forest Solutions Group of the World Business Council on Sustainable Development;
• Larry Selzer, President and CEO of The Conservation Fund and SFI Board Chairman;
• Greg Siekaniec, CEO of Ducks Unlimited Canada
• Carlton Owen, President and CEO, US Endowment for Forestry and Communities;
• James (Jim) Hannan, CEO and President, Georgia-Pacific LLC; and
• Mark Rodgers, COO for Habitat for Humanity Canada.

Speakers will discuss conservation opportunities arising from the SFI certification footprint; conservation and community initiatives to promote water quality and foster sustainable forests and communities; opportunities and challenges facing brand owners in a global marketplace; and diversity issues around landownership, including African-American landowners in the United States.

SFI Conference participants include a wide cross-section of individuals and organizations who rely on the health of future forests, including forest managers, customers, landowners, manufacturers, printers, researchers, conservation and community organizations, retailers, Aboriginals and Tribal Nations, sustainability coalitions and government agencies.

"As publishers, we take seriously the commitment for sourcing our paper responsibly and keeping up on issues affecting our certified fiber supply," says Hans Wegner, Chief Sustainability Officer of the National Geographic Society. "The SFI Annual Conference is a great place to gather related information, make connections, and ensure we're meeting our obligation to be the best steward of our forest resources that we can be."

Greg Siekaniec, CEO, Ducks Unlimited Canada says, "We're looking forward to discussing priorities for the Boreal Forest and opportunities to work cooperatively with a range of interests across this important landscape to ensure the future of our forests."

"Every participant and speaker will come away from the SFI Conference with a better understanding of how they can help support the future of our forests," concluded Abusow.

The SFI Annual Conference takes place at Le Centre Sheraton Montréal Hotel. Media MUST pre-accredit to participation. For more information and to apply for accreditation, go to www.sficonference.org.

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 Canada and the United States, more than 100 million hectares/about 250 million acres 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 http://www.sfiprogram.org/ and http://sfiprogram.org/Buy-SFI/.

SOURCE: Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc.

Rebecca Peters, 604 637 6649 (direct), 604 762 2098 (mobile), [email protected]