SFI® Forest Management Certification
For Landowners and Land Managers that Meet the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® Standard
What is SFI® Forest Management Certification?
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.
Why Choose SCS?
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.
Getting certified under the Sustainable Forestry Initiative helps organizations:
- Gain global entry to markets for certified sustainable forest products because SFI certifications are compliant with the internally recognized Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) Standard
- Drive sustainable wood production in the United States
- Ensure that proper procedures are in place for responsible forest management to make reputable claims
- Minimize negative impacts and maximize positive impacts including social, economic, and environmental
- Reduce risks and identify additional steps that can be taken to further reduce risk
- Demonstrate commitment to sustainability to stakeholders
Dual FSC Forest Management and SFI certification further amplifies your commitment to responsible forest management and demonstrates to your supply chain that they are purchasing certified wood, backed by the most stringent standards.
SCS offers both certifications as a bundled package, as well as providing certifications to FSC Chain of Custody, SFI Chain of Custody and PEFC Chain of Custody standards, and timber legality, carbon footprint, and forest carbon offset verifications. Contact us to find out which certification best suits your organization.
Apply for Certification
Representatives of your forest management operation fill out an application.
Audit Proposal
SCS evaluates the application and prepares a proposal, including the costs and a timeline for the evaluation process. The applicant then authorizes a work order and the certification process begins.
On-Site Audit – Stage 1
The assessment team conducts an on-site preliminary audit to review the applicant’s management system, processes, procedures, and stakeholder information to determine the readiness of the applicant for the stage 2 audit.
On-Site Audit – Stage 2
The SCS team evaluates the implementation, including effectiveness, of the applicant’s management system. The SCS team assesses forest conditions and conducts stakeholder consultations to acquire outside input regarding the applicant’s management performance throughout the certification cycle. Upon completion of all audits, a report is produced that details the results of the evaluation.
Certification Decision
The SCS certification committee reviews the assessment report and decides whether or not to approve certification. If granted, a certificate is issued for a five-year period, subject to annual surveillance audits. Please refer to Forest Conservation Program Forest Management & Fiber Sourcing Certification Manual for details.
Visit the SFI database here.
1. Search for SFI CoC Certificates at sfidatabase.org/search/search-coc.
2. Select “SCS Global Services” as the Certification Body to see our certificate holders.
Search for SFI Fiber Sourcing Certificates at sfidatabase.org/search/search-fiber-certs.
Select “SCS Global Services” as the Certification Body to see our certificate holders.
Search for SFI Certified Sourcing Certificates at sfidatabase.org/search/search-certified-sourcing.
Select “SCS Global Services” as the Certification Body to see our certificate holders.
| File Name | Document |
|---|---|
| Application - Forest Conservation Program | English |
| Forest Conservation Program Forest Management & Fiber Sourcing Certification Manual | English |
| Logo Usage Guidelines | English |
| SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard | Visit Site |
| SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard | Visit Site |
| SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard | Visit Site |
| SFI Small Lands Group Certification Module | Visit Site |
Related Resources
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