2019 SFI ANNUAL CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS

OCTOBER 21-24, 2019

FORESTS OF OPPORTUNITY

“The time is now for SFI and our network to focus on solutions to global sustainability challenges, such as carbon sequestration, species recovery, and

the ocean plastics crisis, through forest-focused collaborations.”

KATHY ABUSOW President and CEO of SFI Inc.

“If you look at SFI, one of the themes is that increasingly, groups that are working on the environment are becoming more and more connected, and the

opportunity, both now and in the future, is to collaborate.”

GUY GLEYSTEEN Chair Greenblue and SFI Board Chair

“Just as Virginia’s economy has grown and evolved over time to remain successful, we know that forestry needs to continue to

evolve. And I know [SFI] plays a very critical role in that.”

BETTINA RING Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry

and SFI Board Member

2 2019 SFI ANNUAL CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS ADVANCING SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH FOREST-FOCUSED COLLABORATIONS

8 COUNTRIES

BY THE NUMBERSDIVERSITY OF OUR AUDIENCE

AUSTRALIABRAZIL CANADA DENMARK

FINLANDSWITZERLANDU.K.U.S.

30 U.S. STATES

5 CANADIAN PROVINCES

SUSTAINABILITY MEASURES1. Travel and conference carbon offsetting through The Conservation

Fund’s North Coast Forest Initiative. Thanks to Resolute sponsorship.

2. Paper hotel cards made with SAPPI SFI Chain-of-Custody-certified

paper.

3. Programs made with SAPPI SFI Chain-of-Custody-certified paper.

4. Attendees were automatically enrolled in the hotel’s “Make A

Green Choice” program, which plants a tree through the Arbor

Day Foundation for every day attendees chose to opt out of

housekeeping. The Arbor Day Foundation is an SFI partner.

5. Biodegradable conference badges and lanyards.

6. Single-use water bottles were not available

during conference.

7. Leftover food was donated to Doorways, a

registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides

lodging and support for Virginia Commonwealth

University hospital patients and their loved ones.

8. Food and beverages sourced from local farms,

breweries, and distilleries, when possible.

27 13STUDENTS UNIVERSITIES FROM

These students participated at the SFI Annual Conference thanks to the support of the SFI Rob Olszewski Memorial Education Fund for

Future Forest Leaders and SFI Student Scholarship Sponsors.

3 2019 SFI ANNUAL CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS ADVANCING SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH FOREST-FOCUSED COLLABORATIONS

SFI-CERTIFIED ORGANIZATIONS CONSERVATION AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS RESEARCHERS, ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS, AND STUDENTS CUSTOMERS, CERTIFICATION BODIES, AND OTHER FOREST-SECTOR REPRESENTATIVES GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

CONFERENCE ATTENDEE BREAKDOWN

BY THE NUMBERS

20 SESSIONS, WORKSHOPS AND PRESENTATIONS

4 DAYS

NETWORKING EVENTS16

OF ATTENDEES SAID THEY’D RECOMMEND CONFERENCE TO A COLLEAGUE

XX%

OCT

94%

37% 28%

9%

8% 7%

200+MEMBERS OF THE SFI COMMUNITY TOOK PART IN THE LAUNCH WORKSHOP

REVISING AND UPDATING THE SFI STANDARD REQUIREMENTS

4 2019 SFI ANNUAL CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS ADVANCING SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH FOREST-FOCUSED COLLABORATIONS

CLIMATE & CONSERVATION

“I would say that pretty much anywhere we look in our pilot areas we see that SFI-managed lands are

contributing to these really big regional conservation priorities.”

ARA ERICKSON Director Corporate Sustainability,

Weyerhaeuser

“I think we just have actually crossed a tipping point on people understanding that it’s not just forests and climate change, it’s forests and forest products, and

they are understanding now, this critical role that forest products play.”

JAD DALEY President and CEO, American Forests

WHAT THEY SAID

“We’re trying to figure out how we bring in additional sources of information that tell us something not only

about whether forest cover is changing but, the quality of existing forests?”

CRYSTAL DAVIS Director, Global Forest Watch, World Resources Institute

5 2019 SFI ANNUAL CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS ADVANCING SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH FOREST-FOCUSED COLLABORATIONS

“We are very pleased to have SFI working with us and sharing the very good insights and collaboration that

we have seen through the years with SFI.”

LUIS ROCHARTE Director, Forest Solutions Group, WBCSD

“WestRock has an incredibly intense focus on developing sustainable solutions, innovative solutions to replace

plastic, reduce packaging, reduce waste, and otherwise make a more sustainable landscape for packaging today.”

JIM PORTER President, Business Development and Latin America,

WestRock

THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND FOREST SOLUTIONS

“There’s an opportunity for you to lead...we need materials to be circular, we need materials to be

sustainable, and we need the right material for the right application...You have an excellent story to tell on

sustainable forestry.”

SUZANNE SHELTON Principal, Shelton Group

“We choose to source here because markets for forest products provide a powerful incentive for landowners to continue planting trees, and thereby, sequestering more CO2 from the atmosphere, by keeping forests as forests.”

WILL GARDINER CEO, Drax

6 2019 SFI ANNUAL CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS ADVANCING SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH FOREST-FOCUSED COLLABORATIONS

BETTER BUILDING SOLUTIONS

“Cross-laminated timber is one of the amazing disruptions that I believe our building industry needs to deliver this low-carbon economy. These buildings are quite unique in the

marketplace, they’re premium products, and they’re getting great results.”

MARK THOMSON Architect, Director, Eco Effective Solutions & Board member,

Responsible Wood Australia (PEFC Australia)

“Vibrant timber cities leverage the multitude of benefits that wood offers when it’s procured responsibly from a

certified forest. They really store carbon, raise the quality of life for everyone.”

MELISSA BAKER Senior Vice President, Technical Core

U.S. Green Building Council

“It’s exciting to see all the different industries that are involved in SFI...Cross-laminated timber is one of the biggest opportunities we have in regards to climate

change. And green building, in general, is advancing globally…”

CASEY MALMQUIST President and General Manager, SmartLam

7 2019 SFI ANNUAL CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS ADVANCING SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH FOREST-FOCUSED COLLABORATIONS

LEARNING IS IN OUR NATURE

“We’re excited about a new course with PLT and teaching youth and communities about forests. It’s

these opportunities that we really have to take on behalf of the profession to engage and do some great work.”

TERRY BAKER CEO,

Society of American Foresters

“We created the African-American land ethic as a way of educating African-Americans and empowering

them to understand that they too are part of the conservation and environmental movement.”

EBONIE ALEXANDER Executive Director,

Black Family Land Trust and SFI Board Member

“Definitely seeing more women in forestry is just inspiring altogether. Look at how many of us are in

the room right now. I’m blown away.”

GABBY HIGNEY Gabby Higney, Youth Representative,

PLT Canada Green Jobs and Forest Technologist, Mistik Environmental

Services Ltd.

“I’m really impressed with this conference, and the amount of dedication that is being given to green jobs,

that thread is evident throughout the conference.”

TINELLE BUSTAM Director (acting), Conservation Education,

U.S. Forest Service, State and Private Forestry

Project Learning Tree Launches Green Jobs:

Exploring Forest Careers Curriculum

to Engage Youth in Exploring Green

Careers

RECOGNITION

SFI CONSERVATION LEADERSHIP AWARD

Dr. Healy Hamilton, NatureServe’s Chief Scientist,

and Emily Jo Williams, Vice President, Migratory Birds

and Habitats at the American Bird Conservancy, were

recognized for their leadership in facilitating projects

that illustrate conservation values on lands certified to

the SFI standards or affected by SFI Fiber Sourcing.

Learn more.

SFI IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE AWARD

The Georgia SFI Implementation Committee was

selected for its leadership on logger training, water

quality, and outreach to landowners, educators, and

legislators. They collaborated with government partners

to engage new and underserved landowners in an

SFI-aligned technical assistance program, addressed

workforce development needs, and helped Scouts earn

their sustainability merit badge. Learn more.

SFI DR. SHARON HAINES MEMORIAL AWARD

Dr. T. Bently Wigley, retired Vice President of Forestry

Programs at the National Council for Air and Stream

Improvement (NCASI), was this year’s winner. Wigley’s

contributions to wildlife and forestry science are

extensive and will be influential for decades to come.

He was instrumental in setting the precedent for robust,

well-designed, and impactful research within the forestry

sector. Learn more.

SFI PRESIDENT’S AWARD

The Yakama Nation was this year’s winner for their

ongoing leadership in advancing sustainable forest

management and their commitment to SFI. The Yakama

Nation is a model of sustainability. SFI commends

the Yakama Nation’s leadership in exemplifying

comprehensive, culturally grounded approaches to

sustainable forest management. Learn more.

9 2019 SFI ANNUAL CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS ADVANCING SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH FOREST-FOCUSED COLLABORATIONS

SOCIAL MEDIA72,000TWITTER IMPRESSIONS EARNED

375 OUTLETS PICKED UP CONFERENCE ARTICLESOVER

150 POSTS USING #SFICONF

sficonference.org

SAVE THE DATEVANCOUVER

WESTIN BAYSHORE, VANCOUVERBRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

SFI ANNUAL CONFERENCEOCTOBER 20-232020