SFI PRINCIPLES

SFI® program participants believe forest landowners have an important stewardship responsibility and a commitment to society. They recognize the importance of maintaining viable commercial, family forest and conservation forest land bases.

Participants support sustainable forestry practices on forestland they manage and promote it on other lands. They support efforts to protect private property rights and help all private landowners manage their forestland sustainably.

In keeping with this responsibility, SFI® program participants must achieve the following principles which apply to the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard and SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard. These SFI Principles are supported by additional mandatory requirements including more specific objectives, performance measures and indicators. Learn more on the SFI website.

Sustainable Forestry. To practice sustainable forestry to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs by practicing a land stewardship ethic that integrates reforestation and the managing, growing, nurturing and harvesting of trees for useful products and ecosystem services such as the conservation of soil, air and water quality, carbon, biological diversity, wildlife and aquatic habitats, recreation and aesthetics.

Forest Productivity and Health. To provide for regeneration after harvest and maintain the productive capacity of the forest land base, and to protect and maintain long-term forest and soil productivity. In addition, to protect forests from economically or environmentally undesirable levels of wildfire, pests, diseases, invasive exotic plants and animals, and other damaging agents and thus maintain and improve long-term forest health and productivity.

Protection of Water Resources. To protect water bodies and riparian areas, and to conform with forestry best management practices to protect water quality.

Protection of Biological Diversity.To manage forests in ways that protect and promote biological diversity, including animal and plant species, wildlife habitats, and ecological or natural community types.

Aesthetics and Recreation. To manage the visual impacts of forest operations and to provide recreational opportunities for the public.

Protection of Special Sites. To manage lands that are ecologically, geologically or culturally important in a manner that takes into account their unique qualities.

Responsible Fiber Sourcing Practices in North America. To use and promote among other forest landowners sustainable forestry practices that are both scientifically credible and economically, environmentally and socially responsible.

Legal Compliance. To comply with applicable federal, provincial, state and local forestry and related environmental laws, statutes, and regulations.

Research. To support advances in sustainable forest management through forestry research, science and technology.

Training and Education. To improve the practice of sustainable forestry through training and education programs.

Community Involvement and Social Responsibility. To broaden the practice of sustainable forestry on all lands through community involvement, socially responsible practices and through recognition and respect of Indigenous Peoples’ rights and traditional forest-related knowledge.

Transparency. To broaden the understanding of forest certification to the SFI Standards by documenting certification audits and making the findings publicly available.

Continual Improvement. To continually improve the practice of forest management and to monitor, measure and report performance in achieving the commitment to sustainable forestry.

Avoidance of Controversial Sources including Illegal Logging in Offshore Fiber Sourcing. To avoid wood fiber from illegally logged forests when procuring fiber outside of North America, and to avoid sourcing fiber from countries without effective social laws. (Note: Applies only to the SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard.)