Winter 2015 Found Itself Losing Ground with Public Sentiment and Spent Much of (Issue # 35) the Previous Decade on the Defensive
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Pennsylvania Sustainable Forestry Initiative® Implementation Committee (SIC) NEWS 20th Anniversary of Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee In October 1994, the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) announced a landmark program for its membership - the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®). The announcement came dur- ing a period of rising national concern and animosity over industrial forestry practices. Across the country, the forest products industry Winter 2015 found itself losing ground with public sentiment and spent much of (Issue # 35) the previous decade on the defensive. In Pennsylvania, new research was beginning to raise concerns that sound silvicultural practices Pennsylvania SFI Implementation were lacking throughout the state. Not everyone agreed that things Committee (SIC) Members were so bad, but the tide was turning and something needed to be done. The announcement by AF&PA was timely. With a goal to enhance the environment and im- prove public confidence by visibly changing the practice of forestry on industrial and other pri- Ken Roberts, Chairman, Verso Corporation* vate forest lands, AF&PA members, who represented the majority of wood manufacturing and Dennis Brehm, Vice Chair, Weaber Lumber* industrial timberlands throughout the country, were committing to a program of self-regulation Chuck Coup, PA SIC Program Manager and continuous improvement. In 1995, AF&PA officially rolled out the guidelines which were to Charlie Brown, Glatfelter Pulp Wood* become the foundation of the SFI program, and compliance became a condition of continued Keith Craig, PA HDC membership. To prove the SFI program was more than just a public relations gimmick, as some Chuck Dibble, Craftmaster Manufacturing, Inc. claimed, in 1996, during a period of significant downsizing, the association suspended the mem- Amy Doty, SFI Inc. bership of 17 noncompliant companies. Dan Evans, Domtar Paper Co., LLC* AF&PA recognized that successful implementation of the guidelines would depend upon Jim Finley, Penn State University action by member companies in cooperation with local interests from various public and private Bob Hobbes, Hobbes Forestry forest sector stakeholders. Therefore, as part of the 1995 program rollout, AF&PA established SFI Mark James, Moplus Timberlands Mgmt., LLC Implementation Committees made up of volunteers that included a variety of stakeholders and Matt Keefer, PA Bureau of Forestry AF&PA members in states where they operated. The Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Com- Jeff Kochel, Forest Investment Associates* mittee (PA SIC) formed that year and began meeting monthly at the Autoport in State College. It Paul Lyskava, PA Forest Products Association was quickly decided that the Hardwood Lumber Manufacturers Association of Pennsylvania Rand Mathews, Georgia-Pacific, LLC* (HLMA - now the Pennsylvania Forest Products Association) would organizationally house and Nancy McCloskey, FORECON, Inc. Rudean Reynolds, Weyerhaeuser* provide administrative support to the newly formed SIC. Ron Rohall, PACD The PA SIC had their work cut out for them. The guidelines required that AF&PA members Todd Sparks, Hancock Forest Management* not only practice sustainable forestry on their own lands, but also reach beyond and include Susan Stout, USDA Forest Service efforts to educate loggers and nonindustrial landowners. It was therefore a challenge, to say the Sue Swanson, AHUG least, to develop the SFI program in a state where the majority of private forestlands are not Barrett Wiggins, Deer Park Lumber Co. industry owned, rather, they are held by more than a half-million nonindustrial private forest David Williams, Georgia-Pacific, LLC* landowners. Furthermore, the forest products industry was largely composed of a collection of small sawmills and a large, unorganized workforce of independent loggers. To make matters * Denotes SFI® Certified Program Participant worse, change did not come easily. Many felt that improvement was not needed and what they had been doing for years was working just fine. Entrenched mindsets and behaviors had to be Questions or comments regarding the PA SIC challenged and changed. newsletter, contact: In the early years, questions and details on how to implement the SFI guidelines in Pennsyl- Pennsylvania SFI® vania needed to be worked out. The PA SIC made a conscious effort to in- Visit PA SFI online: Implementation Committee clude a representative cross-section of forest sector stakeholders, which www.sfiofpa.org 211 Barrington Lane meant members representing conflicting interests and opinions were sitting Bellefonte, PA 16823 at the same table. “At times the atmosphere of the SIC was cooperative, (814) 355-1010 or (888) 734-9366 (toll free) other times it was intense, and sometimes downright heated (Continued) Fax: (814) 355-1022 Have a smart phone? You can instantly access the PA SFI website on your phone by scanning [email protected] orwww.sfiofpa.org the Quick Response (QR) code to the right using a QR code reader app like RedLaser or QR Droid. Check it out! and confrontational,” recalled former SIC From the outset, the SIC also recog- Sustainable Forestry Initiative® member and Chairman, Tom Buzby. “The nized the need to measure program suc- group had to slowly work their way through cess. There was agreement that this could (SFI®) Program a lot of uncharted territory.” be achieved by developing a uniform re- SFI Inc. (www.sfiprogram.org) is an inde- While discussions were contentious at porting system for monitoring Best Man- pendent non-profit organization that is times, the committee meetings themselves agement Practices. The system was intend- solely responsible for the internationally provided value beyond developing the SFI ed to provide a measure of performance recognized Sustainable Forestry Initiative program. “The SIC meetings provided tre- and inform direction for the SIC’s training (SFI) program. The program promotes mendous benefit in that they created a and outreach efforts; however, it never sustainable forest management, improved forum in which all segments of Pennsylva- attained its potential. Nonetheless, the SIC forestry practices, and responsible pur- nia’s forest sector could come together and continues to work towards instituting a chasing of forest products through its gain a better understanding of each other,” statewide BMP monitoring system. forest certification standard. said Dan Evans, former PA SIC Chairman, Looking back over the last 20 years, and original SIC member who is still active the PA SIC and its partners are very proud SFI is the largest single forest certification today. “It was apparent that we are all of many successes and accomplishments. standard in the world, with more than 250 linked together and each link is important Their efforts have helped shine a light on million acres certified. The Pennsylvania to the sustainability of our forests as well as sustainable forestry and timber harvesting SFI Implementation Committee (SIC) is one the industries and people that depend on practices across Pennsylvania. In 1996, both of 34 SICs spread across North America them.” the Senate and the House of the Pennsylva- that responds to local needs and issues The early focus of the SIC was on de- nia General Assembly passed resolutions through the program at the state, provin- cial, or regional level. Committees pro- veloping landowner and public outreach, endorsing the Sustainable Forestry Initiative mote the SFI forest standard as a means to establishing a logger training program, and and advocating for its support. In 2001, the broaden the practice of responsible forest- exploring a Best Management Practices PA SIC was recognized for its outstanding ry and achieve on-the-ground progress. (BMP) monitoring system for measuring work in implementing the SFI Program and rd Since 1995, the Pennsylvania SIC has success. These three efforts eventually awarded the 3 Annual SIC Achievement worked with local conservation groups, developed into the core of the PA SIC’s Award by SFI Inc. government agencies, forestry and profes- programing for many years. In the last two decades, the SIC has sional associations, landowner groups, and Comprehensive information and re- distributed more than 26,000 landowner many others in providing leadership and source packets about sustainable forestry outreach packets. Today, with web access sharing best practices to improve forest were developed for landowners in coopera- (www.sfiofpa.org), these materials have management on both certified and uncer- tion with Penn State Extension. Among been updated, made more comprehensive, tified lands. other things, the packets equipped private and are now more accessible to a wider landowners with resources on the im- audience. portance of ensuring adequate regenera- The Professional Timber Harvester SFI Certified Program Partici- tion and the negative effects of highgrad- Training Program, designed to improve pants Supporting the PA SIC ing. They were primarily distributed by safety, professionalism, and management company foresters during visits with land- knowledge of the industry segment, has These companies participate in the SFI® owners. had direct impact on the state’s forest re- Program and are certified to be in con- From the very beginning, the SFI source. Training focused on reducing the formance with the SFI 2015-2020 Stand- guidelines required that AF&PA members impacts of harvesting operations on soil ard. They provide direct involvement fully commit to logger education programs.