SFI and Audubon Team Up Bird Scientists with Forest Managers to Implement Conservation Programs

WASHINGTON, June 18, 2013 /CNW/ - The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) announced today that it has awarded the National Audubon Society $60,000 under the SFI Conservation and Community Partnership Grant Program. The three-year project is designed to develop and implement the latest bird conservation best practices by engaging Audubon scientists working closely with forest managers across six states along the Atlantic flyway of the Eastern United States.

"Hundreds of bird species from the Acadian Flycatcher to the Wood Thrush breed in and migrate through the forests of the Atlantic Flyway. Working lands, like those managed by SFI-certified companies represent some for the best opportunities for conserving breeding habitat. By working with SFI and its members we can promote forest management that will create forests that work for birds and provide income from timber," said Jim Shallow, Audubon's Atlantic Flyway eastern forest project manager.

"In each of these Atlantic Flyway states, SFI has a local-grass roots implementation committee which continually engage in landowner outreach. It just makes sense for SFI to work with our community and to leverage our existing networks to collaborate with conservation organizations like Audubon," said Kathy Abusow, President and CEO of SFI Inc. "We're proud to support Audubon's work to help forest managers understand the latest bird science and adopt best practices to protect birds and their critical forest habitats."

The National Audubon Society will work with partners, Audubon state chapters and several organizations certified to the SFI Standard, to develop and adapt bird science conservation practices for sustainable forest management. Audubon will engage their bird-science experts with forest managers to pilot and refine workshops and incorporate feedback from foresters into best management practices for bird habitat. The project team will work together to widely distribute these best practices to foresters across six states along the Atlantic Flyway including Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Vermont.

In 2010, SFI Inc. first invested $400,000 to create the Conservation and Community Partnerships Grant Program to foster partnerships and conservation research that improve forest management in the United States and Canada, and responsible procurement globally. In a few short years, by leveraging partner contributions, SFI has achieved a total investment of $4.8 million in conservation partnerships and research, supporting more than 40 grants with 150 partners across North America.

The SFI program is the only forest certification standard in North America that requires participants to support and engage in research activities to improve forest health, productivity and sustainable management of forest resources.

About the National Audubon Society
Now in its second century, Audubon connects people with birds, nature and the environment that supports us all. Our national network of community-based nature centers, chapters, scientific, education, and advocacy programs engages millions of people from all walks of life in conservation action to protect and restore the natural world. Visit Audubon online at www.audubon.org and follow @audubonsociety.

About Sustainable Forestry Initiative
SFI Inc. is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that is solely responsible for maintaining, overseeing and improving the internationally recognized Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) program. Across the United States and Canada, 240 million acres are certified to the SFI forest management standard. In addition, the SFI program's unique fiber sourcing requirements promote responsible forest management on all suppliers' lands. SFI chain-of-custody (COC) certification tracks the percentage of fiber from certified forests, certified sourcing and post-consumer recycled content. SFI on-product labels identify both certified sourcing and COC claims to help consumers make responsible purchasing decisions. SFI Inc. is governed by a three-chamber board of directors representing environmental, social and economic sectors equally. Learn more at http://www.sfiprogram.org/ and http://sfiprogram.org/BuySFI.

Contact: Monique Hanis, VP of Marketing and Communications & COO, 202-596-3457

SOURCE: Sustainable Forestry Initiative

http://www.sfiprogram.org