About Michigan’s Sustainable Forestry Initiative Program

The SFI Standard (click here to view) spells out the requirements of compliance with the program. The SFI Standard is based on nine principles that address economic, environmental, cultural and legal issues, in addition to a commitment to continuously improve sustainable forest management. The Board of Directors of Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Inc. solely governs the content of the SFI Standard and all aspects of the program. The diversity of the board members reflects the variety of interests in the forestry community. Of the 15 board members, five are the CEOs of nonprofit environmental groups; five board members are the CEOs of forest products companies; and the remaining board members represent stakeholders from the broader forest community.

Keeping our forests healthy is important. Healthy forests will continue to provide the wood and paper products that are vital to all of us while also ensuring that we have forests and wildlife for future generations of Americans. The Sustainable Forestry Initiative program is based on the premise that responsible environmental practices and sound business practices can be integrated to the benefit of landowners, shareholders, customers and the people they serve.

The SFI program provides a means for foresters, landowners, loggers and wood and paper producers to satisfy the growing demand of the American people for environmental responsibility while still being able to produce -- at an affordable price -- the forest products upon which people have come to rely.

“The Sustainable Forestry Initiative will have terrific long-term payoffs for improved forest conservation in the United States”

-James W. Giltmier, Senior Fellow, Pinchot Institute for Conservation


Michigan SFI Program Highlights

  • Twenty one members managing over five-million acres in Michigan.
  • The State Implementation Committee includes representation from non-industrial private landowners, timber harvesters, Michigan State University Extension, and the Michigan DNR, as well as several major forest products industry companies. 
  • A sign program featuring a toll-free “inconsistent practices hotline” was initiated as part of the process to address inconsistent practices and as a communication tool.
  • SFI program participants have provided support to Michigan forest education programs the Michigan Forest Resource Alliance (MFRA), Michigan Forest Forever (MFF) and the Teaching Responsible Environmental Education (TREE).
  • The State Implementation Committee and SFE Committee are partnering with the Michigan Governor’s Upper Peninsula Office to offer ongoing log truck safety training sessions as part of the Michigan SFE program.

One very exciting project that the SIC is involved in is the production of the Michigan Forests Forever video. It is an award-winning video that examines the past, present and future of Michigan’s forest industry. The SIC is also involved with many exciting collaborative projects with MFRA and the TREE program. New projects include development of a sustainable forestry DVD and the creation of a private landowner information booklet that will help guide Michigan's diverse and numerous private landowners through many of the issues they will face in managing their forest land.

National SFI Program Highlights

  • Over 130 million acres have been independently third-party audited to the SFI Standard; largest program in the US.
  • In 2007, established Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Inc., a stand-alone independent organization to consolidate all management and operational functions of the SFI Program. The 15 member board represents diverse interest groups including: the American Bird Conservancy, Conservation International, the Conservation Fund, Duke University, the Nature Conservancy, the University of British Columbia, and the Wildlife Management Institute. The board was established to improve multi-level stakeholder participation in developing and executing the certification programs of SFI, Inc.
  • Program growth continues with non-industrial land, public, and academic properties. 
  • Currently developing product labeling capability.
  • Currently developing a national communication campaign to improve the recognition and the public awareness of the SFI program.
  • In 2000, a Mutual Recognition Agreement was signed between the American Tree Farm System and the SFI Program.

Board, Staff, and Contact Information

The Chairman of the Michigan SIC for 2010 is Jessica Turino, Procurement Forester for Weyerhaeuser, located in Grayling, Michigan.

The Michigan SIC Coordinator for 2010 is Maggie Cox, Director of Operations for the Michigan Forest Products Council, located in Lansing, Michigan.

For more information about Michigan’s SFI Program please contact:

Maggie Cox
Michigan Forest Products Council
110 W. Michigan Ave, Suite 100
Lansing, MI 48933
517-853-8880 (office)
1-800-474-1718 (SFI Inconsistent Practices Hotline)
mcox@michiganforest.com

Michigan Participating Organizations

Forest Products Companies

GMO Threshold Timber/Sustainable Forest Technologies - Norway, MI
Louisiana Pacific - Newberry and Sagola, MI
NewPage Corporation - Escanaba, MI
Northern Hardwoods - South Range, MI
Packaging Corporation of America - Filer City, MI
Plum Creek Timber Company - Escanaba, MI
Potlatch Corporation - Gwinn, MI
Smurfit-Stone - Ontonagon, MI
Stora Enso - Niagara, WI
Timber Products of Michigan - Munising, MI
Verso Paper, Norway, MI
Weyerhaeuser - Grayling, MI

Governmental Organizations 

Michigan Department of Natural Resources - Lansing, MI

Forestry Associations

Michigan Forest Association - Ann Arbor, MI
Michigan Tree Farm Program - Augusta, MI

Forestry Consultants

Jerry Grossman - Newberry, MI
Tom Stadt - Augusta, MI

Universities

Bay de Noc College - Escanaba, MI
Michigan State University - East Lansing, MI
Michigan Tech University - Houghton, MI

Loggers

Warren Suchovsky - Stephenson, MI
Ray Hansen - L’Anse, MI
Jim Carey - Channing, MI

Sustainable Forestry Education Program

Michigan’s forest products industry community is committed to leading the way on sustainable forestry through programs such as Sustainable Forestry Education (SFE) – Michigan SFI’s logger education program and Michigan’s Sustainable Forestry Initiative.

The SFE program enhances the ability of SFI-certified wood purchasing companies to demonstrate that they are complying with sustainable harvesting and land management practices, and all logging firms working for these certified companies must undergo SFE training. The SFE program is critically important to gaining public support for forest management and timber harvesting and enhancing the industry’s credibility.

For a list of MSUE and MFPC-sponsored SFE training courses, as well as approved CE credit-bearing courses offered by outside agencies and organizations, please click here. To download the training schedule, please click here. To register for an SFE course, please call the Crawford County MSU Extension Office toll free at 866-339-1587 or 989-344-3263.

SFE FAQs

What is Michigan’s SFI Trained Company Standard?
The SFE 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 core and continuing education (CE) training.

The most recent trained company standard can be found here. Each logging company must have at least one owner/operator and one key field person (i.e., field supervisors) who have completed the SFE core training program. The core consists of three days of training covering forest ecology, BMPs, MIOSHA awareness, silviculture, and a field day where many of the classroom subjects will be witnessed firsthand. An individual must complete all three days of training in order to be trained under the core program.

Each company must accrue eight hours of CE training each year as well. CE programs are offered by the MSU Extension SFE program, the Michigan Forest Products Council, and other agencies and organizations with an interest and expertise in aspects of forest management.

How many CE credits is a class worth?
Credits are based on the length of class in terms of hours. Most MSUE and MFPC-sponsored sessions are worth either 4 or 8 hours. Approved outside agency/organizational CE sessions may be worth different amounts of CE credit. Consult course flyers and this website if in doubt about CE credit values.

Who keeps track of all this stuff, and what does it cost?
MSUE and the MFPC jointly administer and maintain a training database to track and verify each individual participating in the SFE program. There is currently no charge for taking MSUE or MFPC-sponsored training sessions.

Many training sessions are NOT sponsored by MSUE or the MFPC. For these classes, you must submit a sign-in sheet and/or the certificate of completion in order to receive CE credit. Additionally, some of these courses may charge a program fee.

What if a training session isn’t advertised as carrying CE credit? Can I still get credit for taking the class?
It is possible to receive CE credit for a training session that is not advertised as carrying credits by contacting the SIC Coordinator, listed above. All requests for granting CE credit are reviewed and decided upon by the SFE subcommittee. It is important that you make requests PRIOR to the date of the training session, and that you get a copy of your sign-in sheet and/or training certificate to submit to MSUE or the MFPC as proof of course completion. Please click here for a flowchart detailing the credit application and review process.

How can I check on my training status?
The database that is maintained by MSUE and the MFPC can be checked by staff of either of those organizations, as well as by foresters who work for SFI-certified companies. It is also very important that you maintain your own training records in case a database error arises.

What are some of the currently approved Continuing Education classes?

Michigan Forest Products Council

  • Advocacy/Lobbying
  • Log Truck Safety Training *

MSU Extension SFE Program

  • Advanced Water Quality BMPs
  • Basic Safety& Maintenance of Equipment**
  • Forest Health Update
  • Forest Soils
  • Hardwood Bucking to Improve Value Recovery
  • Hazardous Spill Cleanup & Planning
  • Protecting Sensitive Sites and Native Vegetation
  • Pulpwood Timber Cruising
  • Safety Refresher**
  • Technology Conference
  • Visual Quality Management

Michigan Ruffed Grouse Society

  • Landowner/Logger Meeting

MSU Extension Forestry AoE Team

  • Advanced Timber Sale Income Tax Seminar

Sustainable Resources Institute

  • NE WI/UP MI Logger and Timber Industry Conference

University of Wisconsin Extension

  • Road & Stream Crossing Workshop

* Offered in partnership with the Michigan Governor’s Upper Peninsula Office, Marquette, MI
** Offered in partnership with Bay de Noc College, Escanaba, MI

What Can I Do if I Witness Logging Practices that Do Not Appear to be Consistent With SFI Guidelines?
You can call the SFI "Inconsistent Practices Hotline" at 1-800-474-1718 to report logging practices that are "inconsistent" with the guidelines of the SFI program. When you call, you will be asked for some basic informtion about the logging that is taking place. The SFI program will determine if the logging is being conducted by an SFI-trained logger, and if so, the complaint will be investigated by one of our district representatives until some resoultion is reached.

SFE Training Calendar (View) (Download)

SFE Training Database

Forest Certification News

01/12/2006 - LANSING, MI. – The Michigan Forest Products Council today hailed the dual-certification of nearly 4.0 million acres of state forestland managed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

http://www.michiganforest.com/documents/forestcertificationpr06.doc

10/29/2005 – GRANTS PASS, OR (AP Newswire) - Private timber companies have been getting "green" certifications for the past decade to boost sales among consumers who want to be assured that forests are not harmed by producing the lumber they buy. Now the U.S. Forest Service, battered by court battles over balancing logging against fish and wildlife habitat, is looking into it.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1262126