Certification
Most SFI Program Participants have obtained or are pursuing certification to the SFI Standard, which is a way to verify that an organization is adhering to all of the requirements related to the practice of or support for sustainable forestry as described in the SFI Standard.
SFI offers certification options for:
- Forestland owners – Any company or individual landowner (typically with a minimum of 10,000 acres) can work to certify the sustainability of their forest management practices to the SFI Standard.
- Procurement or wood sourcing operations – Companies or other entities that don't own forests, but purchase wood to use in the manufacture of products can have their procurement or wood sourcing operations certified to the SFI Standard.
What is required?
An independent audit is required for all SFI certifications. These audits are rigorous, on-the-ground assessments of an organization's operations conducted by highly qualified and accredited auditors.
Certification and Labeling
SFI Program Participants that certify their operations to the SFI Standard can also pursue various labeling options, ranging from on-product labels to chain-of-custody and fiber-sourcing labels. SFI currently has:
- More than 2,500 SFI chain-of-custody certificate holders
- 245 certificate holders meeting the SFI program's fiber sourcing or responsible procurement requirements
For more information on certification and labeling, visit the SFI Inc. website.
Logger + Trainee Database
The SFI training program was developed to satisfy the wood-procurement and harvesting requirements of the many SFI-certified wood purchasing companies in Michigan. SFE training consists of two components core training (CT) and continuing education training (CE). This database can be checked by foresters and procurement staff who work for SFI-certified companies.
Facts About Forestry
Who is the largest forest owner in Michigan?
The State of Michigan is the largest landowner, holding about 4.1 million acres of state forest, state parks, and other lands. Plum Creek owns approximately 580,000 acres of forest land, making them the largest private forest owner.