SFI® Forest Management Certification

For Landowners and Land Managers that Meet the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® Standard

Stefan Bergmann   |  
+1 510.457.9012   |  

SCS provides third-party certification to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Forest Management Standard in North America. SFI certification enables organizations to create exceptionally economically viable products, while also promoting credible responsible forestry practices, building stakeholder confidence, and ensuring timber legality. The standard encourages sustainable forestry principles that help protect water quality, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, species at risk and forests with exceptional conservation value.

Landowners and land managers achieve SFI certification to enhance their reputation and credibility with claims, increase market access for sustainable forest products, demonstrate they’re meeting regulations, influence policy, and have greater access to resources. Certificate holders can benefit from leveraging the larger SFI community which is committed to improving forestry practices, education, and workforce training throughout North America.

Certification involves a third-party assessment that includes document reviews, a site visit to the forestry operation, stakeholder engagement, and a final audit report with certification decision. Wood and fiber products certified through the SFI system are also recognized internationally by Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). SCS also offers certification to SFI Fiber Sourcing, SFI and PEFC Chain of Custody and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards.

 

SCS Global Services offers bundled Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) and SFI audits, allowing you to cost-effectively maintain both certifications with only one audit per year. SCS’s customer service sets us apart, with reliable and responsive full-time staff, team expertise in forest management, experienced auditors local to your region, and a connected network of sustainability experts in various industries.

  • Service Offerings
  • Benefits
  • Complementary Services
  • Process
  • Certified Clients
  • Program Documents

SCS offers SFI Forest Management certifications to all types and sizes of forest operations including private companies, government forestry agencies, timberland investment management organizations, and community forests, as well as individual and groups of small landowners.

Forest Management Standard for Single-site or Multi-site: A forest management entity with one or several sites operating under a single forest management plan. This standard includes measures to protect water quality, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, species at risk and Forests with Exceptional Conservation Value.

Fiber Sourcing Standard: For organizations that have a fiber sourcing program that acquires roundwood and field manufactured or primary-mill residual chips, pulp and veneer to support a forest products facility. Applies to organizations in the US and Canada that procure wood domestically or globally.

Chain of Custody Standard: For organizations to track forest fiber content through production and manufacturing to the end product, allowing them to communicate how much of their product comes from certified lands, certified fiber sourcing, recycled content and/or non-certified forest content.


Remote Audits

Due to the spread of COVID-19 in the United States, Canada and internationally, travel and medical restrictions may impact SFI auditing activities. In order to give flexibility to certification bodies and Program Participants impacted by these restrictions, SFI Inc. is issuing the following guidance.

  • For Program Participants with a SFI Forest Management Standard or a SFI Fiber Sourcing certificate the surveillance audit can be conducted remotely using other audit techniques, such as documentation and records review, technology, etc.

In response to SFI guidance regarding audit restrictions due to COVID-19, SCS has developed a suite of tools that utilize technology including virtual video meetings, field tested cameras and satellite imagery. As a result, approved on-site audit visits can now be replaced with remote audits, ensuring the health and safety of our auditors and clients alike.

Apply Now

Ready to start the process? Complete an Application.

Related Resources

Click to learn more or download resources related to this service

Press Release
SCS Global Services today announced its accreditation to perform audits under the Sustainable Forestry Initiative…
Video
This video was prepared for the XV World Forestry Congress in Seoul, Republic of Korea, from May 2-6, 2022. According…