Standards, Rules for Label Use, Procedures and Guidance

SFI 2015-2019

STANDARDS AND RULES

JANUARY 2015
STANDARDS, RULES FOR 

LABEL USE, PROCEDURES 

AND GUIDANCE

SFI 

2015-2019 

STANDARDS 

AND RULES

WHAT’S INSIDE?

INTRODUCTION SECTION 1

SFI 2015-2019 FOREST MANAGEMENT STANDARD SECTION 2

SFI 2015-2019 FIBER SOURCING STANDARD SECTION 3

SFI 2015-2019 CHAIN OF CUSTODY STANDARD SECTION 4

RULES FOR USE OF SFI ON-PRODUCT LABELS 

AND OFF-PRODUCT MARKS SECTION 5

GUIDANCE TO SFI 2015-2019 STANDARDS AND RULES SECTION 6

SFI POLICIES SECTION 7

SFI STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT AND 

INTERPRETATIONS PROCESS SECTION 8

SFI 2015-2019 AUDIT PROCEDURES AND AUDITOR 

QUALIFICATIONS AND ACCREDITATION SECTION 9

COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC REPORTING SECTION 10

PUBLIC INQUIRIES AND OFFICIAL COMPLAINTS SECTION 11

OPTIONAL MODULES SECTION 12

SFI DEFINITIONS SECTION 13

INTRODUCTION

JANUARY 2015

SECTION 1

INTRODUCTION

standards for forest management and fiber sourcing, as well as 

chain-of-custody practices — all of which are third-party audited 

by accredited certification bodies. The SFI program has on-product 

labels to help buyers and consumer interact with the forestry supply 

chain by supporting responsible forestry by choosing products with the 

SFI label.The three SFI standards are: 

•	 SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard

•	 SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard

•	 SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard

SFI® — ONE PROGRAM, THREE STANDARDS1

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® Inc. (SFI)2 is an independent, 

non-profit organization dedicated to promoting sustainable forest 

management. SFI Inc. is governed by a three-chamber Board 

of Directors representing environmental, social and economic 

sectors equally. The SFI Board sets SFI’s strategic direction and is 

ultimately responsible for maintaining, overseeing and improving 

the internationally recognized SFI program. Forests certified to 

the SFI Standard cover a quarter-billion acres, stretching from 

Canada’s boreal forest to the U.S. South, and the SFI Fiber Sourcing 

and Chain-of-Custody Standards extend their reach further across 

North America and globally. Endorsement by the Programme for 

the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) increases SFI’s 

international recognition and enhances marketing opportunities for 

SFI Program Participants around the world.

SFI Standards are revised every five years following an inclusive, 

public review process, which includes recommendations from 

multi-stakeholder committees. SFI also holds standard revision 

workshops in cities across North America. The process includes an 

initial 60-day open public comment period, a second 60-day open 

public comment period and a final draft review period of at least 45 

days by the SFI Board. As part of the standard revision process, the 

SFI External Review Panel provides external independent oversight 

to ensure the standard revision process is objective and credible and 

that all comments are treated equally and fairly.

The SFI External Review Panel is an independent body of experts 

that provides diverse perspectives and expertise to the SFI program

while contributing to quality assurance and continual improvement. 

This volunteer panel is made up of 15 to 18 external experts 

representing conservation, environmental, forestry, academic, public 

and government organizations. 

Sustainably managed forests make a vital contribution to society by 

providing economic, environmental and social benefits indispensable 

to our quality of life. SFI Program Participants make a commitment 

to sustainable forest management that encompasses a variety of 

responsibilities including maintaining forest productivity and health 

and protecting water quality, biological diversity and special sites. 

This commitment also involves providing employee, contractor and 

harvesting professionals with training and education, supporting 

research, and broadening the practice of sustainable forestry through 

landowner outreach and community involvement. 

SFI SPANS THE SUPPLY CHAIN: FOREST

MANAGEMENT, FIBER SOURCING, CHAIN OF CUSTODY 

AND ON-PRODUCT LABELS

SFI Standards are based on principles that promote continual 

improvement in sustainable forest management practices. SFI sets 

1

 This introduction is informative, and as such, is not an auditable element.

2

 Words in italics throughout the SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules are listed in Section 13 - SFI Definitions.

INTRODUCTION | 1/5

SFI PRINCIPLES

The following SFI Principles apply to the SFI 2015-2019 Forest 

Management Standard and SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing 

Standard. These SFI Principles are supported by additional 

mandatory requirements including more specific objectives, 

performance measures and indicators.

1. Sustainable Forestry

To practice sustainable forestry to meet the needs of the present 

without compromising the ability of future generations to meet 

their own needs by practicing a land stewardship ethic that 

integrates reforestation and the managing, growing, nurturing 

and harvesting of trees for useful products and ecosystem 

services such as the conservation of soil, air and water quality, 

carbon, biological diversity, wildlife and aquatic habitats, 

recreation and aesthetics.

2. Forest Productivity and Health 

To provide for regeneration after harvest and maintain the 

productive capacity of the forest land base, and to protect and 

maintain long-term forest and soil productivity. In addition, 

to protect forests from economically or environmentally 

undesirable levels of wildfire, pests, diseases, invasive exotic 

plants and animals, and other damaging agents and thus 

maintain and improve long-term forest health and productivity.

3. Protection of Water Resources 

To protect water bodies and riparian areas, and to conform with 

forestry best management practices to protect water quality.

4. Protection of Biological Diversity

To manage forests in ways that protect and promote biological 

diversity, including animal and plant species, wildlife habitats, 

and ecological or natural community types.

5. Aesthetics and Recreation 

To manage the visual impacts of forest operations, and to 

provide recreational opportunities for the public.

6. Protection of Special Sites

To manage lands that are ecologically, geologically or 

culturally important in a manner that takes into account their 

unique qualities.
2/5 | INTRODUCTION

FOREST MANAGEMENT STANDARD

What the Standard Does 

The SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard promotes 

sustainable forestry practices based on 13 Principles, 15 

Objectives, 37 Performance Measures and 101 Indicators. These 

requirements include measures to protect water quality, 

biodiversity, wildlife habitat, species at risk and Forests with 

Exceptional Conservation Value. 

What the Standard Covers

The SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard applies to 

any organization that owns or has management authority 

for forestlands. 

Geographic Application 

The SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard applies to 

organizations in the United States and Canada.

FIBER SOURCING STANDARD

What the Standard Does

The SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard promotes responsible 

forestry practices based on 14 Principles, 13 Objectives, 21 

Performance Measures and 55 Indicators. These fiber sourcing

requirements include measures to broaden the practice of 

biodiversity, use forestry best management practices to protect water 

quality, provide outreach to landowners, and utilize the services of 

forest management and harvesting professionals. 

What the Standard Covers

The SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard applies to any organization 

with a fiber sourcing program that acquires roundwood and fieldmanufactured or primary-mill residual chips, pulp and veneer to 

support a forest products facility. Appendix 1 applies to any primary 

producer or secondary producer who uses the SFI Certified Sourcing 

on-product label or claim. 

Geographic Application

The SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard applies to organizations 

in the United States and Canada that procure wood domestically or 

globally. Secondary producers who utilize Appendix 1 can apply to any 

organization globally. 

CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY STANDARD

What the Standard Does

The SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard is an accounting 

system that tracks forest fiber content through production and 

manufacturing to the end product. Companies can use chain-ofcustody certification to track and communicate how much of their 

product comes from certified lands, fiber sourcing, recycled content 

or non-certified forest content. 

What the Standard Covers

The SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard applies to any 

organization that sources, processes, manufactures, handles, 

trades, converts or prints forest-based products.

Geographic Application

The SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard applies to any 

organization globally.

ON-PRODUCT CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY LABELS

What the Labels Do 

The SFI program has on-product labels to help buyers and consumer 

interact with the forestry supply chain by supporting responsible 

forestry by choosing products with the SFI label.

What the SFI Certified Chain-of-Custody Labels Cover 

The SFI Certified Chain-of-Custody labels communicate the use 

of fiber from certified forests or certified sourcing or recycled 

content. These products do not contain controversial sources and 

7. Responsible Fiber Sourcing Practices in North America 

To use and promote among other forest landowners sustainable 

forestry practices that are both scientifically credible and 

economically, environmentally and socially responsible.

8. Legal Compliance 

To comply with applicable federal, provincial, state, and 

local forestry and related environmental laws, statutes, and 

regulations.

9. Research 

To support advances in sustainable forest management through 

forestry research, science and technology.

10. Training and Education 

To improve the practice of sustainable forestry through training 

and education programs.

11. Community Involvement and Social Responsibility 

To broaden the practice of sustainable forestry on all lands 

through community involvement, socially responsible practices, 

and through recognition and respect of Indigenous Peoples’ 

rights and traditional forest-related knowledge.

12. Transparency 

To broaden the understanding of forest certification to the SFI 

Standards by documenting certification audits and making the 

findings publicly available.

13. Continual Improvement 

To continually improve the practice of forest management, and 

to monitor, measure and report performance in achieving the 

commitment to sustainable forestry.

14. Avoidance of Controversial Sources including Illegal Logging

in Offshore Fiber Sourcing* 

*Applies only to the SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard

To avoid wood fiber from illegally logged forests when procuring 

fiber outside of North America, and to avoid sourcing fiber from 

countries without effective social laws.
INTRODUCTION | 3/5 SECTION 1

the content is calculated using one of three optional approaches for 

chain of custody: physical separation, average percentage and the 

volume credit method.

What the SFI Certified Sourcing Label Covers

The SFI Certified Sourcing label does not make claims about 

certified forest content. It tells buyers and consumers that fiber in a 

product comes from legal and responsible sources. These sources 

are from a company that conforms to the SFI 2015-2019 Fiber 

Sourcing Standard, or comes from pre- or post-consumer recycled 

content, or from a certified forest and does not contain controversial 

sources. 

SFI Office of Label Use and Licensing

The SFI Office of Label Use and Licensing is a centralized body 

that reviews and approves all label use requests from qualified 

organizations using the SFI label with a valid certificate issued by 

an accredited certification body. Prior to gaining access to the SFI

labels, an organization must conform with Section 5 - Rules for Use 

of SFI On-Product Labels and Off-Product Marks, which includes 

requirements for green marketing claims and eco-labels.

Geographic Application

SFI Certified Chain-of-Custody labels apply to any 

organization globally.

THIRD-PARTY INDEPENDENT CERTIFICATION

The SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules requires third-party 

independent certification audits by competent and accredited 

certification bodies for all three certifications — forest management 

certification, fiber sourcing certification and chain-of-custody 

certification. All certification bodies must be accredited by a member 

of the International Accreditation Forum (i.e., ANSI-ASQ National 

Accreditation Board (ANAB), American National Standards Institute 

(ANSI) or the Standards Council of Canada (SCC)). For more details, 

refer to auditor procedures in Section 9 of the SFI 2015-2019 

Standards and Rules.

CERTIFICATION BODIES

The following certification bodies have completed an accreditation 

program and are approved to perform certification audits to 

SFI Standards. 

Accredited certification 

body qualified to conduct 

audits to SFI Standards

SFI Forest 

Management

SFI Fiber 

Sourcing

SFI 

Chain of 

Custody

Bureau de normalisation 

du Québec - 

Enregistrement de 

système (BNQ)

� ��

Bureau Veritas 

Certification � ��

KPMG Performance 

Registrar Inc. � ��

NSF International 

Strategic Registrations � ��

PricewaterhouseCoopers 

LLP � ��

SAI Global � ��

Timber Products 

Inspection, Inc. � ��

BM TRADA Certification 

North America, Inc.

�

Det Norske Veritas 

Certification, Inc.

�

Orion Registrar, Inc. �

SGS North America Inc. �

FOREST MANAGEMENT, FIBER SOURCING, AND CHAIN OF CUSTODY

SFI CHAIN OF CUSTODY
4/5 | INTRODUCTION

GLOBAL RECOGNITION OF THE SFI STANDARD

PEFC’s endorsement of SFI adds international value to SFI’s 

position as a highly respected, third-party certification program

in North America. PEFC sets minimum benchmarks that 

national forest certification programs must meet or exceed to be 

endorsed. PEFC endorsement increases international recognition 

and enhances marketing opportunities for SFI Program Participants 

around the world. PEFC benchmarks cover a wide variety of 

requirements, including but not limited to:

• Standard setting requirements that conform with ISO/IEC Guide 59.

• Principles, criteria and indicators for sustainable forest 

management established through intergovernmental processes 

— including the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of 

Forests in Europe (MCPFE), the Montréal Process and a variety 

of intergovernmental processes related to Africa, Asia and 

South America. 

• Requirements for third-party certification bodies to be accredited 

by national members of the International Accreditation Forum — 

including ANSI, ANAB and SCC.

A GLOBAL VISION OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

SFI officially came into being in 1995 as one of the forest sector’s 

contributions to the vision of sustainable development established 

by the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and 

Development (UNCED). Following UNCED, many nations began to 

consider how they would measure and track their progress toward 

the goal of sustainability. This conference led to the Montréal 

Process. 

By endorsing and working with the Montréal Process criteria and

indicators, participating countries have made a national commitment 

to work toward the sustainable management of their forests. 

Montréal Process criteria and indicators are intended to track 

progress at a national level and provide an international reference 

for policy-makers. Many can be reinforced and supported at a 

local level and are, therefore, reflected in the SFI 2015-2019 Forest 

Management and SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standards.

The SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard also recognizes and 

adopts the principles outlined in the United Nations Declaration for 

the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).3 The Declaration says 

that consideration should be given to Indigenous Peoples’ rights to 

maintain and strengthen their distinct spiritual relationship with 

their traditionally owned or otherwise used lands and territories.4

In adopting the UNDRIP articles, SFI Program Participants are 

encouraged to communicate and collaborate with local Indigenous 

Peoples in order to better understand their traditional practices and 

experiences with respect to forest management. 

BROADENING GLOBAL MARKET LEADERSHIP

The SFI community is building credible, responsible market 

leadership. We understand that the buying decisions of consumers, 

corporate leaders and governments prove how much they care 

about using natural resources sustainably. That’s why encouraging 

responsible purchasing is an SFI priority. SFI encourages private 

and public sector leaders to include SFI in their policies as part of 

responsible wood, paper and packaging purchasing.

SFI IS RECOGNIZED BY MARKET LEADERS

The trend toward recognizing all forest certification standards is on 

the rise. GreenBlue, the World Business Council for Sustainable 

Development (WBSCD), The Sustainability Consortium and the 

National Association of State Foresters have made statements 

supporting an inclusive approach to recognizing certification. 

• GreenBlue, a non-profit that equips business with the science 

and resources to make products more sustainable, recognizes 

SFI for supporting environmental quality throughout the paper 

supply chain. 

• The Sustainability Consortium, which works to improve consumer 

product sustainability, recognizes the value of SFI certification 

standards in its key performance indicators. 

• The National Association of State Foresters, a non-profit 

comprising the directors of state forestry agencies, renewed a 

resolution recognizing SFI as a credible standard. 

• The World Business Council for Sustainable Development is the 

leading platform for strategic collaboration for the global forestry 

industry and its value-chain partners. WBCSD’s Forest Solutions 

Group recognizes and supports SFI.

SFI KEY DIFFERENTIATORS

SFI GRASSROOTS INVOLVEMENT

The work of SFI starts with a standard but SFI is much more — it’s 

a community that stands for the future of forests. Our grassroots 

infrastructure of 34 SFI Implementation Committees across North 

America fosters community engagement through landowner 

outreach, wood producer training, Habitat for Humanity builds, 

and working with youth in community and conservation projects 

to foster an appreciation of conservation and forest management. 

This grassroots network involves private landowners, independent 

loggers, forestry professionals, local government agencies, 

academics, scientists and conservationists.

3

 Both Canada and the United States officially endorsed UNDRIP in 2010.

4 Article 25 of UNDRIP states that, “Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain and strengthen their

distinctive spiritual relationship with their traditionally owned or otherwise occupied and used lands,

territories, waters and coastal seas and other resources and to uphold their responsibilities to future

generations in this regard.”
INTRODUCTION | 5/5 SECTION 1

SFI FOREST PARTNERS® PROGRAM

SFI is expanding the SFI Forest Partners® Program to encourage 

more organizations to engage in responsible sourcing. Time Inc., 

the National Geographic Society, Macmillan Publishers and Pearson 

are founding partners of the SFI Forest Partners® Program. They 

are investing in our forests by making five-year commitments to 

increase the source of certified forest products. The program is also 

supported by Hearst Enterprises and is open to other businesses in 

the supply chain that want to support the growth of certification

SFI’S COMMITMENT TO CONSERVATION RESEARCH

SFI’s commitment to research is also evidence that SFI is more 

than just a standard. In fact, the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management 

and SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standards are the only forestry 

standards in the world that requires participants to support forestry

research. These activities include improving forest health, productivity

and sustainability, enhancing wildlife and fish habitats, improving 

landscape and ecosystem management, fostering biodiversity and 

improving water quality. Better management of forest resources and 

enhancing the environmental benefits and performance of forest 

products are also central to the SFI research mission. Since 1995, 

SFI Program Participants have invested $1.4 billion in research to 

promote sustainable forestry. 

The quarter of a billion acres of forestland certified to SFI is a living 

laboratory that shows how environmental, economic and social 

interests can coexist. Supporting research is a central tenet of the 

SFI program. We see it as a way to further the conservation value of 

SFI-certified forests and to SFI’s fiber sourcing requirements. 

SFI is also committed to building grassroots support for sustainable 

forestry. The SFI Conservation and Community Partnerships Grant 

Program fosters partnerships between organizations interested in 

improving forest management in the United States and Canada, and 

responsible procurement globally.

SFI STANDS FOR FUTURE FORESTS

SFI stands at the intersection of sustainable forests and sustainable 

communities. SFI Program Participants are the foundation of this 

success, SFI Implementation Committees are the grassroots network 

that broadens the reach, and customers and buyers can support the 

growth of certified forests, research and conservation by recognizing 

SFI in the marketplace.

SFI is committed to promoting sustainable forest management in 

North America and responsible procurement of forest products 

globally. The future of forests will be secured when products, 

services and values derived from well-managed forests are valued in 

the marketplace. We stand for future forests.

SECTION 2

SFI 2015-2019 

Forest 

Management 

Standard

January 2015

SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard | 1/12 SECTION 2

SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard

1. General 2

1.1 Scope 2

1.2 Additional Requirements 2

1.3 References 2

1.4 Forest Management Standard Principles 2

1.5 Forest Management Standard Objectives 3

1.6 SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Requirements 4

	 Objective 1.	 Forest Management Planning	 4

	 Objective 2.	 Forest Health and Productivity	 4

	 Objective 3.	 Protection and Maintenance of Water Resources	 5

	 Objective 4. 	 Conservation of Biological Diversity	 6

	 Objective 5. 	 Management of Visual Quality and Recreational Benefits	 7

	 Objective 6. 	 Protection of Special Sites	 7

	 Objective 7. 	 Efficient Use of Fiber Resources	 7

	 Objective 8. 	 Recognize and Respect Indigenous Peoples’ Rights	 7

	 Objective 9. 	 Legal and Regulatory Compliance	 8

	 Objective 10. 	 Forestry Research, Science and Technology	 8

	 Objective 11. 	 Training and Education	 9

	 Objective 12. 	 Community Involvement and Landowner Outreach	 9

	 Objective 13. 	 Public Land Management Responsibilities	 10

	 Objective 14. 	 Communications and Public Reporting	 10

	 Objective 15. 	 Management Review and Continual Improvement	 11
2/12 | SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard

1. general

1.1 Scope

What the Forest Management Standard Does

The SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard promotes sustainable 

forestry practices based on 13 Principles, 15 Objectives, 37 Performance 

Measures and 101 Indicators. These requirements include measures 

to protect water quality, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, species at risk and 

Forests with Exceptional Conservation Value. 

What the Forest Management Standard Covers

The SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard applies to any 

organization that owns or has management authority for forestlands. 

Geographic Application of the Forest Management Standard

The SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard applies to 

organizations in the United States and Canada.

1.2 Additional Requirements

SFI Program Participants with fiber sourcing programs (acquisition of 

roundwood and field-manufactured or primary-mill residual chips, 

pulp and veneer to support a forest products facility) must also 

conform to the SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard.

Use of the SFI on-product labels and claims shall follow Section 5 

- Rules for Use of SFI On-Product Labels and Off-Product Marks as 

well as ISO 14020:2000.

1.3 References

This standard incorporates, by dated or undated reference, 

provisions from other publications. These normative and informative 

references are cited at the appropriate places in the text and the 

publications are listed hereafter. For dated and undated references, 

the latest edition of the publication applies.

Normative References

i. ISO/IEC 17021:2011 - Conformity Assessment - Requirements 

for bodies providing audit and certification of management 

systems

ii. ISO/IEC Guide 2:2004 Standardization and related activities - 

General vocabulary

iii. Section 7 – SFI Policies

iv. Section 9 – SFI 2015-2019 Audit Procedures and Auditor 

Qualifications and Accreditation

v. Section 10 - Communications and Public Reporting

vi. Section 13 - SFI Definitions

vii. Interpretations for the Requirements for the SFI 2015-2019 

Program

For the purposes of this standard, the relevant definitions given in 

ISO/IEC Guide 2:2004 apply, together with the definitions in the SFI 

Definitions (Section 13).

Informative References

i. ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management Systems - 

Specification with guidance for use

ii. PEFC ST 1003:2010 Sustainable Forest Management 

Requirements, November 26, 2010

iii. PEFC ST 1002:2010 Group Forest Management Certification, 

November 26, 2010

iv. Section 6 - Guidance to SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules

v. Section 8 - SFI Standards Development and Interpretations 

Process

vi. Section 11 - Public Inquiries and Official Complaints 

1.4 SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard Principles

SFI Program Participants believe forest landowners have an 

important stewardship responsibility and a commitment to 

society, and they recognize the importance of maintaining viable 

commercial, family forest and conservation forestland bases. They 

support sustainable forestry practices on forestland they manage, 

and promote them on other lands. They support efforts to protect 

private property rights, and to help all private landowners manage 

their forestland sustainably. In keeping with this responsibility, 

SFI Program Participants shall have a written policy (or policies) to 

implement and achieve the following principles:

1. Sustainable Forestry

To practice sustainable forestry to meet the needs of the present 

without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their 

own needs by practicing a land stewardship ethic that integrates 

reforestation and the managing, growing, nurturing and harvesting 

of trees for useful products and ecosystem services such as the 

conservation of soil, air and water quality, carbon, biological diversity, 

wildlife and aquatic habitats, recreation and aesthetics.

2. Forest Productivity and Health

To provide for regeneration after harvest and maintain the productive 

capacity of the forestland base, and to protect and maintain longterm forest and soil productivity. In addition, to protect forests from 

economically or environmentally undesirable levels of wildfire, 

pests, diseases, invasive exotic plants and animals, and other 

damaging agents and thus maintain and improve long-term forest 

health and productivity.

3. Protection of Water Resources

To protect water bodies and riparian areas, and to conform with 

forestry best management practices to protect water quality.

4. Protection of Biological Diversity

To manage forests in ways that protect and promote biological 

diversity, including animal and plant species, wildlife habitats, and 

ecological or natural community types.
SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard | 3/12 SECTION 2

5. Aesthetics and Recreation

To manage the visual impacts of forest operations, and to provide 

recreational opportunities for the public.

6. Protection of Special Sites 

To manage lands that are ecologically, geologically or culturally 

important in a manner that takes into account their unique qualities.

7. Responsible Fiber Sourcing Practices in North America

To use and promote among other forest landowners sustainable 

forestry practices that are both scientifically credible and 

economically, environmentally and socially responsible.

8. Legal Compliance

To comply with applicable federal, provincial, state and local forestry 

and related environmental laws, statutes and regulations.

9. Research

To support advances in sustainable forest management through 

forestry research, science and technology.

10. Training and Education

To improve the practice of sustainable forestry through training and 

education programs.

11. Community Involvement and Social Responsibility

To broaden the practice of sustainable forestry on all lands through 

community involvement, socially responsible practices, and through 

recognition and respect of Indigenous Peoples’ rights and traditional 

forest-related knowledge.

12. Transparency

To broaden the understanding of forest certification to the SFI 

2015-2019 Forest Management Standard by documenting certification 

audits and making the findings publicly available.

13. Continual Improvement

To continually improve the practice of forest management, and 

to monitor, measure and report performance in achieving the 

commitment to sustainable forestry.

1.5 SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard Objectives 

A Summary of the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard 

Objectives follows:

Objective 1. Forest Management Planning

To ensure forest management plans include long-term sustainable 

harvest levels and measures to avoid forest conversion. 

Objective 2. Forest Health and Productivity

To ensure long-term forest productivity, carbon storage and 

conservation of forest resources through prompt reforestation, 

afforestation, minimized chemical use, soil conservation, and 

protecting forests from damaging agents.

Objective 3. Protection and Maintenance of Water Resources

To protect the water quality of rivers, streams, lakes, wetlands

and other water bodies through meeting or exceeding best 

management practices.

Objective 4. Conservation of Biological Diversity 

To manage the quality and distribution of wildlife habitats and 

contribute to the conservation of biological diversity by developing 

and implementing stand- and landscape-level measures that 

promote a diversity of types of habitat and successional stages, 

and the conservation of forest plants and animals, including aquatic 

species, as well as threatened and endangered species, Forests with 

Exceptional Conservation Value, old-growth forests and ecologically 

important sites.

Objective 5. Management of Visual Quality and Recreational Benefits

To manage the visual impact of forest operations and provide 

recreational opportunities for the public.

Objective 6. Protection of Special Sites 

To manage lands that are geologically or culturally important in a 

manner that takes into account their unique qualities.

Objective 7. Efficient Use of Fiber Resources

To minimize waste and ensure the efficient use of fiber resources.

Objective 8. Recognize and Respect Indigenous Peoples’ Rights

To recognize and respect Indigenous Peoples’ rights and 

traditional knowledge.

Objective 9. Legal and Regulatory Compliance

To comply with applicable federal, provincial, state, and local laws 

and regulations. 

Objective 10. Forestry Research, Science and Technology

To invest in forestry research, science and technology, upon which 

sustainable forest management decisions are based and broaden 

the awareness of climate change impacts on forests, wildlife and 

biological diversity.

Objective 11. Training and Education

To improve the implementation of sustainable forestry practices 

through appropriate training and education programs.

Objective 12. Community Involvement and Landowner Outreach

To broaden the practice of sustainable forestry through public 

outreach, education, and involvement, and to support the efforts of 

SFI Implementation Committees. 

Objective 13. Public Land Management Responsibilities

To participate and implement sustainable forest management on 

public lands.
4/12 | SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard

Objective 14. Communications and Public Reporting

To increase transparency and to annually report progress on 

conformance with the SFI Forest Management Standard.

Objective 15. Management Review and Continual Improvement

To promote continual improvement in the practice of sustainable 

forestry by conducting a management review and monitoring 

performance.

1.6 SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard Requirements

Objective 1. Forest Management Planning

To ensure forest management plans include long-term sustainable 

harvest levels and measures to avoid forest conversion. 

Performance Measure 1.1. Program Participants shall ensure 

that forest management plans include long-term harvest levels 

that are sustainable and consistent with appropriate growth-andyield models.

Indicators:

1. Forest management planning at a level appropriate to the size 

and scale of the operation, including:

a. a long-term resources analysis;

b. a periodic or ongoing forest inventory;

c. a land classification system;

d. biodiversity at landscape scales;

e. soils inventory and maps, where available;

f. access to growth-and-yield modeling capabilities;

g. up-to-date maps or a geographic information system (GIS); 

h. recommended sustainable harvest levels for areas 

available for harvest; and 

i. a review of non-timber issues (e.g., recreation, tourism, 

pilot projects and economic incentive programs to promote 

water protection, carbon storage, bioenergy feedstock

production, or biological diversity conservation, or to 

address climate-induced ecosystem change).

2. Documented current harvest trends fall within long-term

sustainable levels identified in the forest management plan. 

3. A forest inventory system and a method to calculate growth 

and yield.

4. Periodic updates of forest inventory and recalculation of planned 

harvests to account for changes in growth due to productivity

increases or decreases, including but not limited to improved 

data, long-term drought, fertilization, climate change, changes in 

forestland ownership and tenure, or forest health.

5. Documentation of forest practices (e.g., planting, fertilization 

and thinning) consistent with assumptions in harvest plans.

Performance Measure 1.2. Program Participants shall not 

convert one forest cover type to another forest cover type, unless 

in justified circumstances. 

Indicators:

1. Program Participants shall not convert one forest cover type to 

another forest cover type, unless the conversion: 

a. Is in compliance with relevant national and regional policy and 

legislation related to land use and forest management; and

b. Would not convert native forest types that are rare and 

ecologically significant at the landscape level or put any 

native forest types at risk of becoming rare; and

c. Does not create significant long-term adverse impacts on 

Forests with Exceptional Conservation Value, old-growth 

forests, forests critical to threatened and endangered species, 

and special sites.

2. Where a Program Participant intends to convert to another forest 

cover type, an assessment considers:

a. Productivity and stand quality conditions and impacts which 

may include social and economic values;

b. Specific ecosystem issues related to the site such as invasive 

species, insect or disease issues, riparian protection needs 

and others as appropriate to the site including regeneration 

challenges; and

c. Ecological impacts of the conversion including a review at 

the site and landscape scale as well as consideration for any 

appropriate mitigation measures. 

Performance Measure 1.3. Program Participants shall not have 

within the scope of their certification to this SFI 2015-2019 Forest 

Management Standard, forestlands that have been converted to nonforestland use.

Indicator:

1. Forestlands converted to other land uses shall not be certified 

to this SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard. This does not 

apply to forestlands used for forest and wildlife management such 

as wildlife food plots or infrastructure such as forest roads, log 

processing areas, trails etc.

Objective 2. Forest Health and Productivity

To ensure long-term forest productivity, carbon storage and 

conservation of forest resources through prompt reforestation, 

afforestation, minimized chemical use, soil conservation, and 

protecting forests from damaging agents.

Performance Measure 2.1. Program Participants shall promptly 

reforest after final harvest. 

Indicators:

1. Documented reforestation plans, including designation of all 

harvest areas for either natural, planted or direct seeded 

regeneration and prompt reforestation, unless delayed for 

site-specific environmental or forest health considerations or 

legal requirements, through planting within two years or two 

planting seasons, or by planned natural regeneration methods 

within five years.
SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard | 5/12 SECTION 2

2. Clear criteria to judge adequate regeneration and appropriate 

actions to correct understocked areas and achieve acceptable 

species composition and stocking rates for planting, direct seeding 

and natural regeneration.

3. Plantings of exotic tree species should minimize risk to native

ecosystems. 

4. Protection of desirable or planned advanced natural regeneration

during harvest.

5. Afforestation programs that consider potential ecological 

impacts of the selection and planting of tree species in nonforested landscapes.

Performance Measure 2.2. Program Participants shall minimize

chemical use required to achieve management objectives while 

protecting employees, neighbors, the public and the environment, 

including wildlife and aquatic habitats.

Indicators:

1. Minimized chemical use required to achieve management 

objectives.

2. Use of least-toxic and narrowest-spectrum pesticides necessary to 

achieve management objectives.

3. Use of pesticides registered for the intended use and applied in 

accordance with label requirements.

4. The World Health Organization (WHO) type 1A and 1B pesticides 

shall be prohibited, except where no other viable alternative is 

available.

5. Use of pesticides banned under the Stockholm Convention on 

Persistent Organic Pollutants (2001) shall be prohibited.

6. Use of integrated pest management where feasible. 

7. Supervision of forest chemical applications by state- or provincialtrained or certified applicators. 

8. Use of management practices appropriate to the situation, for 

example: 

a. notification of adjoining landowners or nearby residents 

concerning applications and chemicals used;

b. appropriate multilingual signs or oral warnings;

c. control of public road access during and immediately after 

applications;

d. designation of streamside and other needed buffer strips;

e. use of positive shutoff and minimal-drift spray valves;

f. aerial application of forest chemicals parallel to buffer zones 

to minimize drift;

g. monitoring of water quality or safeguards to ensure proper 

equipment use and protection of streams, lakes and other 

water bodies;

h. appropriate transportation and storage of chemicals; 

i. filing of required state or provincial reports; and/or

j. use of methods to ensure protection of threatened and 

endangered species. 

Performance Measure 2.3. Program Participants shall implement 

forest management practices to protect and maintain forest and 

soil productivity.

Indicators:

1. Process to identify soils vulnerable to compaction, and use of 

appropriate methods, including the use of soil maps where 

available, to avoid excessive soil disturbance.

2. Use of erosion control measures to minimize the loss of soil and 

site productivity.

3. Post-harvest conditions conducive to maintaining site 

productivity (e.g., limited rutting, retained down woody debris, 

minimized skid trails).

4. Retention of vigorous trees during partial harvesting, consistent 

with scientific silvicultural standards for the area.

5. Criteria that address harvesting and site preparation to protect 

soil productivity.

6. Road construction and skidding layout to minimize impacts to soil 

productivity.

Performance Measure 2.4. Program Participants shall manage so as 

to protect forests from damaging agents, such as environmentally 

or economically undesirable wildfire, pests, diseases, and invasive 

exotic plants and animals, to maintain and improve long-term forest 

health, productivity and economic viability.

Indicators:

1. Program to protect forests from damaging agents.

2. Management to promote healthy and productive forest conditions 

to minimize susceptibility to damaging agents.

3. Participation in, and support of, fire and pest prevention and 

control programs.

Performance Measure 2.5. Program Participants that deploy 

improved planting stock, including varietal seedlings, shall use best 

scientific methods.

Indicator:

1. Program for appropriate research, testing, evaluation and 

deployment of improved planting stock, including varietal seedlings.

Objective 3. Protection and Maintenance of Water Resources

To protect the water quality of rivers, streams, lakes, wetlands 

and other water bodies through meeting or exceeding best 

management practices.

Performance Measure 3.1. Program Participants shall meet or 

exceed all applicable federal, provincial, state and local water quality 

laws, and meet or exceed best management practices developed 

under Canadian or U.S. Environmental Protection Agency–approved 

water quality programs. 
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Indicators:

1. Program to implement federal, state or provincial water quality best 

management practices during all phases of management activities.

2. Contract provisions that specify conformance to best 

management practices.

3. Monitoring of overall best management practices implementation.

Performance Measure 3.2. Program Participants shall implement 

water, wetland and riparian protection measures based on soil type, 

terrain, vegetation, ecological function, harvesting system, state 

best management practices (BMPs), provincial guidelines and other 

applicable factors.

Indicators:

1. Program addressing management and protection of rivers, 

streams, lakes, wetlands, other water bodies and riparian areas

during all phases of management, including the layout and 

construction of roads and skid trails to maintain water reach, flow 

and quality. 

2. Mapping of rivers, streams, lakes, wetlands and other water 

bodies as specified in state or provincial best management 

practices and, where appropriate, identification on the ground.

3. Documentation and implementation of plans to manage and protect 

rivers, streams, lakes, wetlands, other water bodies and riparian 

areas.

4. Plans that address wet-weather events in order to maintain 

water quality (e.g., forest inventory systems, wet-weather tracts, 

definitions of acceptable operating conditions).

Objective 4. Conservation of Biological Diversity 

To manage the quality and distribution of wildlife habitats and 

contribute to the conservation of biological diversity by developing 

and implementing stand- and landscape-level measures that 

promote a diversity of types of habitat and successional stages, 

and the conservation of forest plants and animals, including aquatic 

species, as well as threatened and endangered species, Forests with 

Exceptional Conservation Value, old-growth forests and ecologically 

important sites.

Performance Measure 4.1. Program Participants shall conserve 

biological diversity. 

Indicators:

1. Program to incorporate the conservation of native biological 

diversity, including species, wildlife habitats and ecological 

community types at stand and landscape levels. 

2. Development of criteria and implementation of practices, as 

guided by regionally based best scientific information, to retain 

stand-level wildlife habitat elements such as snags, stumps, mast 

trees, down woody debris, den trees and nest trees. 

3. Document diversity of forest cover types and age or size classes at 

the individual ownership or forest tenure level, and where credible 

data are available, at the landscape scale. Working individually 

or collaboratively to support diversity of native forest cover types

and age or size classes that enhance biological diversity at the 

landscape scale. 

4. Program Participants shall participate in or incorporate the 

results of state, provincial, or regional conservation planning 

and priority-setting efforts to conserve biological diversity and 

consider these efforts in forest management planning. Examples 

of credible priority-setting efforts include state wildlife action 

plans, state forest action plans, relevant habitat conservation plans 

or provincial wildlife recovery plans. 

5. Program to address conservation of known sites with viable 

occurrences of significant species of concern.

6. Identification and protection of non-forested wetlands, including 

bogs, fens and marshes, and vernal pools of ecological significance.

7. Participation in programs and demonstration of activities as 

appropriate to limit the introduction, spread and impact of invasive 

exotic plants and animals that directly threaten or are likely to 

threaten native plant and animal communities.

8. Consider the role of natural disturbances, including the use of 

prescribed or natural fire where appropriate, and forest health

threats in relation to biological diversity when developing forest 

management plans.

Performance Measure 4.2. Program Participants shall protect 

threatened and endangered species, Forests with Exceptional 

Conservation Values (FECV) and old-growth forests. 

Indicators:

1. Program to protect threatened and endangered species.

2. Program to locate and protect known sites of flora and fauna 

associated with viable occurrences of critically imperiled and 

imperiled species and communities also known as Forests with 

Exceptional Conservation Value. Plans for protection may be 

developed independently or collaboratively, and may include 

Program Participant management, cooperation with other 

stakeholders, or use of easements, conservation land sales, 

exchanges, or other conservation strategies. 

3. Support of and participation in plans or programs for the 

conservation of old-growth forests in the region of ownership or 

forest tenure.

Performance Measure 4.3. Program Participants shall manage 

ecologically important sites in a manner that takes into account their 

unique qualities. 

Indicators:

1. Use of information such as existing natural heritage data or 

expert advice in identifying or selecting ecologically important 

sites for protection. 

2. Appropriate mapping, cataloging and management of identified 

ecologically important sites.
SECTION 2

Performance Measure 4.4. Program Participants shall apply 

knowledge gained through research, science, technology and 

field experience to manage wildlife habitat and contribute to the 

conservation of biological diversity.

Indicators: 

1. Collection of information on Forests with Exceptional Conservation 

Value and other biodiversity-related data through forest inventory 

processes, mapping or participation in external programs, such 

as NatureServe, state or provincial heritage programs, or other 

credible systems. Such participation may include providing nonproprietary scientific information, time and assistance by staff, or 

in-kind or direct financial support.

2. A methodology to incorporate research results and field 

applications of biodiversity and ecosystem research into forest 

management decisions.

Objective 5. Management of Visual Quality and Recreational

Benefits

To manage the visual impact of forest operations and provide 

recreational opportunities for the public.

Performance Measure 5.1. Program Participants shall manage the 

impact of harvesting on visual quality.

Indicators:

1. Program to address visual quality management.

2. Incorporation of aesthetic considerations in harvesting, road, 

landing design and management, and other management 

activities where visual impacts are a concern.

Performance Measure 5.2. Program Participants shall manage the 

size, shape and placement of clearcut harvests.

Indicators:

1. Average size of clearcut harvest areas does not exceed 120 

acres (50 hectares), except when necessary to meet regulatory 

requirements, achieve ecological objectives, or respond to forest 

health emergencies or other natural catastrophes.

2. Documentation through internal records of clearcut size and the 

process for calculating average size. 

Performance Measure 5.3. Program Participants shall adopt a greenup requirement or alternative methods that provide for visual quality.

Indicators:

1. Program implementing the green-up requirement or 

alternative methods.

2. Harvest area tracking system to demonstrate conformance with 

the green-up requirement or alternative methods.

3. Trees in clearcut harvest areas are at least 3 years old or 5 feet 

(1.5 meters) high at the desired level of stocking before adjacent 

areas are clearcut, or as appropriate to address operational 

and economic considerations, alternative methods to reach the 

performance measure are utilized by the Program Participant.

Performance Measure 5.4. Program Participants shall support and 

promote recreational opportunities for the public.

Indicator:

1. Provide recreational opportunities for the public, where consistent 

with forest management objectives.

Objective 6. Protection of Special Sites

To manage lands that are geologically or culturally important in a 

manner that takes into account their unique qualities.

Performance Measure 6.1. Program Participants shall identify 

special sites and manage them in a manner appropriate for their 

unique features. 

Indicators:

1. Use of information such as existing natural heritage data, expert 

advice or stakeholder consultation in identifying or selecting 

special sites for protection. 

2. Appropriate mapping, cataloging and management of identified 

special sites.

Objective 7. Efficient Use of Fiber Resources

To minimize waste and ensure the efficient use of fiber resources. 

Performance Measure 7.1. Program Participants shall employ 

appropriate forest harvesting technology and in-woods 

manufacturing processes and practices to minimize waste and 

ensure efficient utilization of harvested trees, where consistent with 

other SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard Objectives.

Indicator:

1. Program or monitoring system to ensure efficient utilization, which 

may include provisions to ensure: 

a. management of harvest residue (e.g., slash, limbs, tops) 

considers economic, social and environmental factors (e.g., 

organic and nutrient value to future forests and the potential 

of increased fuels build-up) and other utilization needs;

b. training or incentives to encourage qualified logging 

professionals to enhance utilization;

c. exploration of markets for underutilized species and 

low-grade wood and alternative markets (e.g., bioenergy 

markets); or

d. periodic inspections and reports noting utilization and 

product separation.

SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard | 7/12
8/12 | SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard

Objective 8. Recognize and Respect Indigenous Peoples’

Rights

To recognize and respect Indigenous Peoples’ rights and 

traditional knowledge.

Performance Measure 8.1. Program Participants shall recognize and 

respect Indigenous Peoples’ rights.

Indicator:

1. Program Participants will provide a written policy

acknowledging a commitment to recognize and respect 

the rights of Indigenous Peoples. 

Performance Measure 8.2. Program Participants with forest 

management responsibilities on public lands shall confer with 

affected Indigenous Peoples with respect to sustainable forest 

management practices. 

Indicator:

1. Program that includes communicating with affected Indigenous 

Peoples to enable Program Participants to: 

a. understand and respect traditional forest-related knowledge;

b. identify and protect spiritually, historically, or culturally 

important sites; 

c. address the use of non-timber forest products of value to 

Indigenous Peoples in areas where Program Participants have 

management responsibilities on public lands; and

d. respond to Indigenous Peoples’ inquiries and concerns received.

Performance Measure 8.3. Program Participants are encouraged 

to communicate with and shall respond to local Indigenous Peoples

with respect to sustainable forest management practices on their 

private lands. 

Indicators:

1. Program Participants are aware of traditional forest-related 

knowledge, such as known cultural heritage sites, the use of wood 

in traditional buildings and crafts, and flora that may be used in 

cultural practices for food, ceremonies or medicine. 

2. Respond to Indigenous Peoples’ inquiries and concerns received.

Objective 9. Legal and Regulatory Compliance

To comply with applicable federal, provincial, state, and local laws 

and regulations. 

Performance Measure 9.1. Program Participants shall comply with 

applicable federal, provincial, state and local forestry and related 

social and environmental laws and regulations. 

Indicators:

1. Access to relevant laws and regulations in appropriate locations.

2. System to achieve compliance with applicable federal, provincial, 

state, or local laws and regulations.

3. Demonstration of commitment to legal compliance through 

available regulatory action information. 

Performance Measure 9.2. Program Participants shall take 

appropriate steps to comply with all applicable social laws at the 

federal, provincial, state and local levels in the country in which the 

Program Participant operates.

Indicators:

1. Written policy demonstrating commitment to comply with social 

laws, such as those covering civil rights, equal employment 

opportunities, anti-discrimination and anti-harassment measures, 

workers’ compensation, Indigenous Peoples’ rights, workers’ and 

communities’ right to know, prevailing wages, workers’ right to 

organize, and occupational health and safety.

2. Forestry enterprises will respect the rights of workers and labor 

representatives in a manner that encompasses the intent of the 

International Labor Organization (ILO) core conventions.

Objective 10. Forestry Research, Science and Technology

To invest in forestry research, science and technology, upon which 

sustainable forest management decisions are based and broaden 

the awareness of climate change impacts on forests, wildlife and 

biological diversity. 

Performance Measure 10.1. Program Participants shall individually 

and/or through cooperative efforts involving SFI Implementation 

Committees, associations or other partners provide in-kind support 

or funding for forest research to improve forest health, productivity

and sustainable management of forest resources, and the 

environmental benefits and performance of forest products.

Indicators:

1. Financial or in-kind support of research to address questions 

of relevance in the region of operations. Examples could 

include, but are not limited to, areas of forest productivity, 

water quality, biodiversity, community issues-or similar areas 

that build broader understanding of the benefits and impacts of 

forest management.

2. Research on genetically engineered trees via forest tree 

biotechnology shall adhere to all applicable federal, state, 

and provincial regulations and international protocols ratified 

by the United States and/or Canada depending on jurisdiction 

of management.
SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard | 9/12 SECTION 2

Performance Measure 10.2. Program Participants shall —

individually and/or through cooperative efforts involving SFI 

Implementation Committees, associations or other partners —

develop or use state, provincial or regional analyses in support of 

their sustainable forestry programs.

Indicator:

1. Participation — individually and/or through cooperative efforts 

involving SFI Implementation Committees and/or associations at 

the national, state, provincial or regional level, in the development 

or use of some of the following:

a. regeneration assessments;

b. growth and drain assessments;

c. best management practices implementation and conformance; 

d. biodiversity conservation information for family forest 

owners; and 

e. social, cultural or economic benefit assessments.

Performance Measure 10.3. Program Participants shall —individually 

and/or through cooperative efforts involving SFI Implementation 

Committees, associations or other partners— broaden the 

awareness of climate change impacts on forests, wildlife and 

biological diversity. 

Indicators:

1. Where available, monitor information generated from regional 

climate models on long-term forest health, productivity and 

economic viability.

2. Program Participants are knowledgeable about climate change

impacts on wildlife, wildlife habitats and conservation of biological 

diversity through international, national, regional or local programs.

Objective 11. Training and Education

To improve the implementation of sustainable forestry practices 

through appropriate training and education programs.

Performance Measure 11.1. Program Participants shall require 

appropriate training of personnel and contractors so that they are 

competent to fulfill their responsibilities under the SFI 2015-2019 

Forest Management Standard. 

Indicators:

1. Written statement of commitment to the SFI 2015-2019 Forest 

Management Standard communicated throughout the organization, 

particularly to facility and woodland managers, and field foresters.

2. Assignment and understanding of roles and responsibilities for 

achieving SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard objectives.

3. Staff education and training sufficient to their roles and 

responsibilities.

4. Contractor education and training sufficient to their roles and 

responsibilities.

5. Program Participants shall have written agreements for the 

use of qualified logging professionals and/or certified logging 

professionals (where available) and/or wood producers that have 

completed training programs and are recognized as qualified 

logging professionals.

Performance Measure 11.2. Program Participants shall work —

individually and/or with SFI Implementation Committees, logging 

or forestry associations, or appropriate agencies or others in the 

forestry community — to foster improvement in the professionalism 

of wood producers.

Indicators:

1. Participation in or support of SFI Implementation Committees to 

establish criteria and identify delivery mechanisms for wood producer

training courses and periodic continuing education that address:

a. awareness of sustainable forestry principles and the

SFI program;

b. best management practices, including streamside 

management and road construction, maintenance 

and retirement; 

c. reforestation, invasive exotic plants and animals, forest 

resource conservation, aesthetics and special sites;

d. awareness of responsibilities under the U.S. Endangered 

Species Act, the Canadian Species at Risk Act, and other 

measures to protect wildlife habitat (e.g., Forests with 

Exceptional Conservation Value);

e. awareness of rare forested natural communities as identified 

by provincial or state agencies, or by credible organizations 

such as NatureServe and The Nature Conservancy;

f. logging safety;

g. U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 

and Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety 

(CCOHS) regulations, wage and hour rules, and other 

provincial, state and local employment laws; 

h. transportation issues;

i. business management;

j. public policy and outreach; and

k. awareness of emerging technologies. 

2. The SFI Implementation Committee-approved wood producer

training programs shall have a continuing education component 

with coursework that supports the current training programs, 

safety and the principles of sustainable forestry.

3. Participation in or support of SFI Implementation Committees to 

establish criteria for recognition of logger certification programs, 

where they exist, that include:

a. completion of SFI Implementation Committee recognized 

wood producer training programs and meeting continuing 

education requirements of the training program;

b. independent in-the-forest verification of conformance with 

the logger certification program standards;
10/12 | SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard

c. compliance with all applicable laws and regulations 

including responsibilities under the U.S. Endangered Species 

Act, the Canadian Species at Risk Act and other measures to 

protect wildlife habitat;

d. use of best management practices to protect water quality;

e. logging safety;

f. compliance with acceptable silviculture and utilization 

standards;

g. aesthetic management techniques employed where 

applicable; and

h. adherence to a management or harvest plan that is site 

specific and agreed to by the forest landowner.

Objective 12. Community Involvement and Landowner

Outreach

To broaden the practice of sustainable forestry through public 

outreach, education, and involvement, and to support the efforts of

SFI Implementation Committees. 

Performance Measure 12.1. Program Participants shall support and 

promote efforts by consulting foresters, state, provincial and federal 

agencies, state or local groups, professional societies, conservation

organizations, Indigenous Peoples and governments, community 

groups, sporting organizations, labor, universities, extension agencies, 

the American Tree Farm System® and/or other landowner cooperative 

programs to apply principles of sustainable forest management.

Indicators:

1. Support, including financial, for efforts of SFI Implementation 

Committees. 

2. Support, individually or collaboratively, education and outreach 

to forest landowners describing the importance of and providing 

implementation guidance on:

a. best management practices;

b. reforestation and afforestation; 

c. visual quality management;

d. conservation objectives, such as critical wildlife habitat 

elements, biodiversity, threatened and endangered species, 

and Forests with Exceptional Conservation Value;

e. management of harvest residue (e.g., slash, limbs, tops) 

that considers economic, social and environmental factors 

(e.g., organic and nutrient value to future forests) and other 

utilization needs;

f. control of invasive exotic plants and animals; 

g. characteristics of special sites; and

h. reduction of wildfire risk.

3. Participation in efforts to support or promote conservation of 

managed forests through voluntary market-based incentive 

programs such as current-use taxation programs, Forest Legacy 

Program or conservation easements.

Performance Measure 12.2. Program Participants shall support 

and promote, at the state, provincial or other appropriate levels, 

mechanisms for public outreach, education and involvement related 

to sustainable forest management. 

Indicator:

1. Periodic educational opportunities promoting sustainable forestry, 

such as:

a. field tours, seminars, websites, webinars or workshops;

b. educational trips;

c. self-guided forest management trails; 

d. publication of articles, educational pamphlets or 

newsletters; or

e. support for state, provincial, and local forestry organizations 

and soil and water conservation districts.

Performance Measure 12.3. Program Participants shall establish, 

at the state, provincial-or other appropriate levels, procedures 

to address concerns raised by loggers, consulting foresters, 

employees, unions, the public or other Program Participants 

regarding practices that appear inconsistent with the SFI 2015-2019 

Forest Management Standard principles and objectives. 

Indicators:

1. Support for SFI Implementation Committees (e.g., toll-free 

numbers and other efforts) to address concerns about apparent 

nonconforming practices. 

2. Process to receive and respond to public inquiries. SFI 

Implementation Committees shall submit data annually to SFI Inc.

regarding concerns received and responses. 

Objective 13. Public Land Management Responsibilities

To participate and implement sustainable forest management on 

public lands.

Performance Measure 13.1. Program Participants with forest 

management responsibilities on public lands shall participate in the 

development of public land planning and management processes.

Indicators:

1. Involvement in public land planning and management activities 

with appropriate governmental entities and the public. 

2. Appropriate contact with local stakeholders over forest 

management issues through state, provincial, federal or 

independent collaboration.
Objective 14. Communications and Public Reporting

To increase transparency and to annually report progress on 

conformance with the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard.

Performance Measure 14.1. A Program Participant shall provide 

a summary audit report, prepared by the certification body, 

to SFI Inc. after the successful completion of a certification, 

recertification or surveillance audit to the SFI 2015-2019 Forest 

Management Standard. 

Indicator: 

1. The summary audit report submitted by the Program Participant

(one copy must be in English), shall include, at a minimum,

a. a description of the audit process, objectives and scope;

b. a description of substitute indicators, if any, used in the 

audit and a rationale for each;

c. the name of the Program Participant that was audited, 

including its SFI representative;

d. a general description of the Program Participant’s

forestland included in the audit;

e. the name of the certification body and lead auditor (names 

of the audit team members, including technical experts,

may be included at the discretion of the audit team and 

Program Participant); 

f. the dates the audit was conducted and completed;

g. a summary of the findings, including general descriptions 

of evidence of conformity and any nonconformities and 

corrective action plans to address them, opportunities for 

improvement, and exceptional practices; and

h. the certification decision.

The summary audit report will be posted on the SFI Inc. website 

(www.sfiprogram.org) for public review. 

Performance Measure 14.2. Program Participants shall report 

annually to SFI Inc. on their conformance with the SFI 2015-2019 

Forest Management Standard.

Indicators:

1. Prompt response to the SFI annual progress report survey.

2. Record keeping for all the categories of information needed for SFI

annual progress report surveys.

3. Maintenance of copies of past survey reports to document 

progress and improvements to demonstrate conformance to the 

SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard.

SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard | 11/12 SECTION 2

Objective 15. Management Review and Continual

Improvement

To promote continual improvement in the practice of sustainable 

forestry by conducting a management review and monitoring 

performance. 

Performance Measure 15.1. Program Participants shall establish 

a management review system to examine findings and progress in 

implementing the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard, to 

make appropriate improvements in programs, and to inform their 

employees of changes.

Indicators:

1. System to review commitments, programs and procedures to 

evaluate effectiveness.

2. System for collecting, reviewing, and reporting information to 

management regarding progress in achieving SFI 2015-2019 Forest 

Management Standard objectives and performance measures.

3. Annual review of progress by management and determination 

of changes and improvements necessary to continually improve 

conformance to the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard. 
SECTION 3

SFI 2015-2019 FIBER 

SOURCING STANDARD

JANUARY 2015

SECTION 3

SFI 2015-2019 FIBER SOURCING STANDARD

SFI 2015-2019 FIBER SOURCING STANDARD | 1/16

1. GENERAL 2

1.1 Scope 3

1.2 Additional Requirements 3

1.3 References 3

1.4 SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard Principles 3

1.5 SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard Objectives 4

1.6 SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard Requirements 5

Objective 1. Biodiversity in Fiber Sourcing 5

Objective 2. Adherence to Best Management Practices 5

Objective 3. Use of Qualified Resource and Qualified Logging Professionals 5

Objective 4. Legal and Regulatory Compliance 5

Objective 5. Forestry Research, Science and Technology 6

Objective 6. Training and Education 6

Objective 7. Community Involvement and Landowner Outreach 7

Objective 8. Public Land Management Responsibilities 8

Objective 9. Communications and Public Reporting 8

Objective 10. Management Review and Continual Improvement 8

Objective 11. Promote Conservation of Biological Diversity, Biodiversity 

Hotspots and High-Biodiversity Wilderness Areas 9

Objective 12. Avoidance of Controversial Sources including Illegal Logging 9

Objective 13. Avoidance of Controversial Sources including Fiber Sourced from

Areas without Effective Social Laws 9

Appendix 1: Rules for Use of SFI Certified Sourcing Label 10

Part 1. Scope and Purpose 11

Part 2. Normative and Informative References 11

Part 3. Certified Sourcing Label 11

Part 4. Organizations outside the United States and Canada 12

Part 5. Certified Sourcing Definition 12

Part 6. Due Diligence System to Avoid Controversial Sources 12

Part 7. Minimum Management System Requirements 13

Part 8. Application Requirements 15

Part 9. SFI Office of Label Use and Licensing 15
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SECTION 3

1. GENERAL

1.1 Scope

What the Fiber Sourcing Standard Does

The SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard promotes responsible 

forestry practices based on 14 Principles, 13 Objectives, 21 Performance 

Measures and 55 Indicators. These fiber sourcing requirements include 

measures to broaden the practice of biodiversity, use forestry best 

management practices to protect water quality, provide outreach 

to landowners, and utilize the services of forest management and 

harvesting professionals. 

What the Fiber Sourcing Standard Covers

The SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard applies to any organization 

with a fiber sourcing program that acquires roundwood and fieldmanufactured or primary-mill residual chips, pulp and veneer to 

support a forest products facility. Appendix 1 applies to any primary 

producer or secondary producer who uses the SFI Certified Sourcing

on-product label or claim. 

Geographic Application of the Fiber Sourcing Standard

The SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard applies to organizations 

in the United States and Canada that procure wood domestically or 

globally. Secondary producers who utilize Appendix 1 can apply it to any 

organization globally. 

1.2 Additional Requirements

SFI Program Participants that own or have management authority 

for forestlands must also conform to the SFI 2015-2019 Forest 

Management Standard.

Use of the SFI on-product labels and claims shall follow Section 5 

- Rules for Use of SFI On-Product Labels and Off-Product Marks as 

well as ISO 14020:2000.

1.3 References

This standard incorporates, by dated or undated reference, 

provisions from other publications. These normative and informative 

references are cited at the appropriate places in the text and the 

publications are listed hereafter. For dated and undated references, 

the latest edition of the publication applies.

Normative References

i. ISO/IEC 17021:2011 - Conformity Assessment - Requirements 

for bodies providing audit and certification of management 

systems

ii. ISO/IEC Guide 2:2004 Standardization and related activities - 

General vocabulary

iii. Section 7 - SFI Policies

iv. Section 9 – SFI 2015-2019 Audit Procedures and Auditor 

Qualifications and Accreditation

v. Section 10 - Communications and Public Reporting

vi. Section 13 - SFI Definitions

vii. Interpretations for the Requirements for the SFI 2015-

2019 Program

For the purposes of this standard, the relevant definitions given in 

ISO/IEC Guide 2:2004 apply, together with the definitions in the SFI 

Definitions (Section 13).

Informative References

i. ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management Systems - 

Specification with guidance for use

ii. PEFC ST 1003:2010 Sustainable Forest Management 

Requirements, November 26, 2010

iii. Section 6 - Guidance to SFI 2015-2019 Standards

iv. Section 8 - SFI Standards Development and 

Interpretations Process

v. Section 11 - Public Inquiries and Official Complaints

 vi. Section 12 - Optional Modules

1.4 SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard Principles

SFI Program Participants believe forest landowners have an 

important stewardship responsibility and a commitment to 

society, and they recognize the importance of maintaining viable 

commercial, family forest, and conservation forest land bases. They 

support sustainable forestry practices on forestland they manage, 

and promote it on other lands. They support efforts to protect 

private property rights, and to help all private landowners manage 

their forestland sustainably. In keeping with this responsibility, 

SFI Program Participants shall have a written policy (or policies) to 

implement and achieve the following principles:

1. Sustainable Forestry

To practice sustainable forestry to meet the needs of the present 

without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their 

own needs by practicing a land stewardship ethic that integrates 

reforestation and the managing, growing, nurturing and harvesting 

of trees for useful products and ecosystem services such as the 

conservation of soil, air and water quality, carbon, biological diversity, 

wildlife and aquatic habitats, recreation and aesthetics.

2. Forest Productivity and Health

To provide for regeneration after harvest and maintain the productive 

capacity of the forest land base, and to protect and maintain longterm forest and soil productivity. In addition, to protect forests from 

economically or environmentally undesirable levels of wildfire, 

pests, diseases, invasive exotic plants and animals, and other 

damaging agents and thus maintain and improve long-term forest 

health and productivity.

3. Protection of Water Resources

To protect water bodies and riparian areas and to conform with 

forestry best management practices to protect water quality.

4. Protection of Biological Diversity

To manage forests in ways that protect and promote biological 

diversity, including animal and plant species, wildlife habitats, and 

ecological or natural community types.

SFI 2015-2019 FIBER SOURCING STANDARD | 3/16
5. Aesthetics and Recreation

To manage the visual impacts of forest operations, and to provide 

recreational opportunities for the public.

6. Protection of Special Sites

To manage lands that are ecologically, geologically or culturally 

important in a manner that takes into account their unique qualities.

7. Responsible Fiber Sourcing Practices in North America

To use and promote among other forest landowners sustainable 

forestry practices that are both scientifically credible and 

economically, environmentally and socially responsible.

8. Legal Compliance

To comply with applicable federal, provincial, state, and local forestry 

and related environmental laws, statutes, and regulations.

9. Research

To support advances in sustainable forest management through 

forestry research, science and technology.

10. Training and Education

To improve the practice of sustainable forestry through training and 

education programs.

11. Community Involvement and Social Responsibility

To broaden the practice of sustainable forestry on all lands through 

community involvement, socially responsible practices, and through 

recognition and respect of Indigenous Peoples’ rights and traditional 

forest-related knowledge.

12. Transparency

To broaden the understanding of forest certification to the SFI 2015-

2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard by documenting certification audits and 

making the findings publicly available.

13. Continual Improvement

To continually improve the practice of forest management, and 

to monitor, measure and report performance in achieving the 

commitment to sustainable forestry.

14. Avoidance of Controversial Sources including Illegal Logging in

Offshore Fiber Sourcing

To avoid wood fiber from illegally logged forests when procuring fiber 

outside of North America, and to avoid sourcing fiber from countries 

without effective social laws.

1.5 SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard Objectives

A summary of the SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard 

Objectives follows:

Objective 1. Biodiversity in Fiber Sourcing

To address the practice of sustainable forestry by conserving 

biological diversity.

Objective 2. Adherence to Best Management Practices

To broaden the practice of sustainable forestry through the use of 

best management practices to protect water quality.

Objective 3. Use of Qualified Resource and Qualified

Logging Professionals

To encourage forest landowners to utilize the services of qualified 

logging professionals, certified logging professionals (where available) 

and qualified resource professionals. 

Objective 4. Legal and Regulatory Compliance

To comply with applicable federal, provincial, state and local laws 

and regulations. 

Objective 5. Forestry Research, Science and Technology

To invest in forestry research, science and technology, upon which 

sustainable forest management decisions are based and broaden 

the awareness of climate change impacts on forests, wildlife and 

biological diversity. 

Objective 6. Training and Education

To improve the implementation of sustainable forestry practices 

through appropriate training and education programs.

Objective 7. Community Involvement and Landowner Outreach

To broaden the practice of sustainable forestry through public 

outreach, education, and involvement and to support the efforts of 

SFI Implementation Committees. 

Objective 8. Public Land Management Responsibilities

To participate and implement sustainable forest management on 

public lands.

Objective 9. Communications and Public Reporting

To increase transparency and to annually report progress on 

conformance with the SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard.

Objective 10. Management Review and Continual Improvement

To promote continual improvement in the practice of sustainable forestry

by conducting a management review and monitoring performance. 

Objective 11. Promote Conservation of Biological Diversity,

Biodiversity Hotspots and High-Biodiversity Wilderness Areas

To promote the conservation of biological diversity, 

biodiversity hotspots and high-biodiversity wilderness areas in fiber 

sourcing programs.

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SECTION 3

Objective 12. Avoidance of Controversial Sources including

Illegal Logging

To avoid illegal logging in fiber sourcing programs.

Objective 13. Avoidance of Controversial Sources including Fiber

Sourced from Areas without Effective Social Laws

To avoid controversial sources in fiber sourcing programs.

1.6 SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard Requirements

Fiber sourcing within the United States and Canada (Objectives

1-10 apply).

Objective 1. Biodiversity in Fiber Sourcing

To address the practice of sustainable forestry by conserving 

biological diversity.

Performance Measure 1.1. Promotion and conservation of 

biological diversity.

Indicators:

1. Program Participants shall address conservation of biodiversity,

individually or collaboratively, through a program which includes 

one or more of the following:

a. promotion of biological diversity utilizing information from 

organizations such as World Resources Institute, The Nature 

Conservancy, NatureServe, Conservation International, 

State Wildlife Action Plans, State Forest Action Plans and 

assessments;

b. conducting local and regional level landscape assessments;

c. involvement with local or regional conservation efforts; 

d. use of relevant information on biological diversity from 

credible sources (such as those noted above) in approved 

training and education programs; or

e. other credible approaches.

2. Program to address Forests with Exceptional Conservation Value in 

harvests of purchased stumpage.

Objective 2. Adherence to Best Management Practices

To broaden the practice of sustainable forestry through the use of 

best management practices to protect water quality.

Performance Measure 2.1. Program Participants shall clearly define 

and implement policies to ensure that facility inventories and fiber 

sourcing activities do not compromise adherence to the principles of 

sustainable forestry.

Indicators:

1. Program to require that harvests of purchased stumpage comply 

with best management practices. 

2. Use of written agreements for the purchase of raw material 

sourced directly from the forest is required and must include 

provisions requiring the use of best management practices.

3. Program to address adverse weather conditions.

4. Program Participants shall clearly define their fiber sourcing 

policies in writing and make them available to wood producers.

Performance Measure 2.2. Program Participants shall monitor the 

use of best management practices.

Indicators:

1. A verifiable monitoring system to:

a. monitor the use of best management practices by wood 

producers supplying the Program Participant; and

b. evaluate use of best management practices across the wood 

and fiber supply area.

2. Use of information from the verifiable monitoring system to 

maintain rates of conformance to best management practices and 

to identify areas for improved performance. 

Objective 3. Use of Qualified Resource and Qualified

Logging Professionals

To encourage forest landowners to utilize the services of qualified 

logging professionals, certified logging professionals (where available) 

and qualified resource professionals. 

Performance Measure 3.1. Program Participants shall encourage 

landowners to utilize the services of qualified logging professionals, 

certified logging professionals (where available), qualified resource 

professionals and to apply principles of sustainable forest 

management on their lands.

Indicators:

1. Program to promote the use of qualified logging professionals, 

certified logging professionals (where available), and qualified 

resource professionals. 

2. List of qualified logging professionals, certified logging professionals

and qualified resource professionals maintained by a Program 

Participant, state or provincial agency, loggers’ association or 

other organization. 

Objective 4. Legal and Regulatory Compliance

To comply with applicable federal, provincial, state and local laws 

and regulations. 

Performance Measure 4.1. Program Participants shall comply with 

applicable federal, provincial, state and local forestry and related 

social and environmental laws and regulations and take steps to 

avoid illegal logging. 

Indicators:

1. Access to relevant laws and regulations in appropriate locations.

2. System to achieve compliance with applicable federal, provincial, 

state or local laws and regulations.

3. Demonstration of commitment to legal compliance through 

available regulatory action information. 

SFI 2015-2019 FIBER SOURCING STANDARD | 5/16
4. Program to assess the risk that the Program Participant’s fiber 

sourcing program could acquire material from illegal logging by 

considering some of the following:

a. communications with suppliers;

b. independent research;

c. contract documentation; and

d. maintaining records.

5. Program to address any significant risk identified under 4.1.4.

Performance Measure 4.2. Program Participants shall take 

appropriate steps to comply with all applicable social laws at the 

federal, provincial, state and local levels in the country in which the 

Program Participant operates.

Indicator:

1. Written policy demonstrating commitment to comply with social 

laws, such as those covering civil rights, equal employment 

opportunities, anti-discrimination and anti-harassment measures, 

workers’ compensation, Indigenous Peoples’ rights, workers’ and 

communities’ right to know, prevailing wages, workers’ right to 

organize, and occupational health and safety.

Objective 5. Forestry Research, Science and Technology

To invest in forestry research, science and technology, upon which 

sustainable forest management decisions are based and broaden 

the awareness of climate change impacts on forests, wildlife and 

biological diversity. 

Performance Measure 5.1. Program Participants shall — individually 

and/or through cooperative efforts involving SFI Implementation 

Committees, associations or other partners — provide in-kind 

support or funding for forest research to improve forest health, 

productivity, and sustainable management of forest resources, and 

the environmental benefits and performance of forest products.

Indicators:

1. Financial or in-kind support of research to address questions 

of relevance in the region of operations. Examples could include, 

but are not limited to, areas of forest productivity, water quality, 

biodiversity, community issues, or similar areas that 

build broader understanding of the benefits and impacts of 

forest management.

2. Research on genetically engineered trees via forest tree 

biotechnology shall adhere to all applicable federal, state, and 

provincial regulations and international protocols ratified by the 

U.S. or Canada depending on jurisdiction of management.

Performance Measure 5.2. Program Participants shall individually 

and/or through cooperative efforts involving SFI Implementation 

Committees, associations or other partners develop or use state, 

provincial or regional analyses in support of their sustainable 

forestry programs.

Indicator:

1. Participation, individually and/or through cooperative efforts 

involving SFI Implementation Committees and/or associations at 

the national, state, provincial or regional level, in the development 

or use of some of the following:

a. regeneration assessments;

b. growth and drain assessments;

c. best management practices implementation and conformance; 

d. biodiversity conservation information for family forest 

owners; and 

e. social, cultural or economic benefit assessments.

Performance Measure 5.3. Program Participants shall individually 

and/or through cooperative efforts involving SFI Implementation 

Committees, associations or other partners broaden the awareness 

of climate change impacts on forests, wildlife and biological diversity. 

Indicators: 

1. Where available, monitor information generated from regional 

climate models on long-term forest health, productivity and 

economic viability.

2. Program Participants are knowledgeable about climate change

impacts on wildlife, wildlife habitats and conservation of biological 

diversity through international, national, regional or local programs.

Objective 6. Training and Education

To improve the implementation of sustainable forestry practices 

through appropriate training and education programs.

Performance Measure 6.1. Program Participants shall require 

appropriate training of personnel and contractors so that they are 

competent to fulfill their responsibilities under the SFI 2015-2019 

Fiber Sourcing Standard. 

Indicators:

1. Written statement of commitment to the SFI 2015-2019 Fiber 

Sourcing Standard communicated throughout the organization, 

particularly to facility and woodland managers, fiber sourcing staff 

and field foresters.

2. Assignment and understanding of roles and responsibilities for 

achieving SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard Objectives.

3. Staff education and training sufficient to their roles and 

responsibilities.

4. Contractor education and training sufficient to their roles and 

responsibilities.

5. Program Participants shall have written agreements for the 

use of qualified logging professionals and/or certified logging 

professionals (where available) and/or wood producers that have 

completed training programs and are recognized as qualified 

logging professionals.

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SECTION 3

Performance Measure 6.2. Program Participants shall work 

individually and/or with SFI Implementation Committees, logging 

or forestry associations, or appropriate agencies or others in the 

forestry community to foster improvement in the professionalism of 

wood producers.

Indicators:

1. Participation in or support of SFI Implementation Committees

to establish criteria and identify delivery mechanisms for wood 

producer training courses and periodic continuing education 

that address:

a. awareness of sustainable forestry principles and the 

SFI Program;

b. best management practices, including streamside 

management and road construction, maintenance and 

retirement; 

c. reforestation, invasive exotic plants and animals, forest 

resource conservation, aesthetics and special sites;

d. awareness of responsibilities under the U.S. Endangered 

Species Act, the Canadian Species at Risk Act, and other 

measures to protect wildlife habitat (e.g., Forests with 

Exceptional Conservation Value);

e. awareness of rare forested natural communities as identified 

by provincial or state agencies, or by credible organizations 

such as NatureServe and The Nature Conservancy;

f. logging safety;

g. U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 

and Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety 

(CCOHS) regulations, wage and hour rules, and other 

provincial, state and local employment laws; 

h. transportation issues;

i. business management;

j. public policy and outreach; and

k. awareness of emerging technologies. 

2. The SFI Implementation Committee-approved wood producer

training programs shall have a continuing education component 

with coursework that supports the current training programs, 

safety and the principles of sustainable forestry. 

3. Participation in or support of SFI Implementation Committees to 

establish criteria for recognition of logger certification programs,

where they exist, that include:

a. completion of SFI Implementation Committee recognized 

wood producer training programs and meeting continuing 

education requirements of the training program;

b. independent in-the-forest verification of conformance with 

the logger certification program standards;

c. compliance with all applicable laws and regulations 

including responsibilities under the U.S. Endangered Species 

Act, the Canadian Species at Risk Act and other measures to 

protect wildlife habitat;

d. use of best management practices to protect water quality;

e. logging safety;

f. compliance with acceptable silviculture and utilization standards;

g. aesthetic management techniques employed where 

applicable; and

h. adherence to a management or harvest plan that is site 

specific and agreed to by the forest landowner.

Objective 7. Community Involvement and Landowner

Outreach

To broaden the practice of sustainable forestry through public 

outreach, education, and involvement and to support the efforts of 

SFI Implementation Committees. 

Performance Measure 7.1. Program Participants shall support 

and promote efforts by consulting foresters, state, provincial and 

federal agencies, state or local groups, professional societies, 

conservation organizations, Indigenous Peoples and governments, 

community groups, sporting organizations, labor, universities, 

extension agencies, the American Tree Farm System® and/or other 

landowner cooperative programs to apply principles of sustainable 

forest management.

Indicators:

1. Support, including financial, for efforts of SFI Implementation 

Committees. 

2. Support, individually or collaboratively, education and outreach 

to forest landowners describing the importance of and providing 

implementation guidance on: 

a. best management practices;

b. reforestation and afforestation;

c. visual quality management;

d. conservation objectives, such as of critical wildlife habitat 

elements, biodiversity, threatened and endangered species, 

and Forests with Exceptional Conservation Value;

e. management of harvest residue (e.g., slash, limbs, tops) 

considers economic, social, environmental factors (e.g., 

organic and nutrient value to future forests) and other 

utilization needs;

f. control of invasive exotic plants and animals;

g. characteristics of special sites; and

h. reduction of wildfire risk.

3. Participation in efforts to support or promote conservation of 

managed forests through voluntary market-based incentive 

programs such as current-use taxation programs, Forest Legacy 

Program or conservation easements.

4. Program Participants are knowledgeable about credible regional 

conservation planning and priority-setting efforts that include 

a broad range of stakeholders and have a program to take into 

account the results of these efforts in planning.

5. Program Participants with fiber sourcing programs, either 

individually or collaboratively with SFI Implementation Committees,

encourage forest landowners to participate in forest management 

certification programs.

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Performance Measure 7.2. Program Participants shall support 

and promote, at the state, provincial or other appropriate levels, 

mechanisms for public outreach, education and involvement related 

to sustainable forest management. 

Indicator:

1. Periodic educational opportunities promoting sustainable 

forestry, such as:

a. field tours, seminars, websites, webinars or workshops;

b. educational trips;

c. self-guided forest management trails; 

d. publication of articles, educational pamphlets or 

newsletters; or

e. support for state, provincial, and local forestry organizations 

and soil and water conservation districts.

Performance Measure 7.3. Program Participants shall establish, 

at the state, provincial, or other appropriate levels, procedures 

to address concerns raised by loggers, consulting foresters, 

employees, unions, the public or other Program Participants 

regarding practices that appear inconsistent with the SFI 2015-2019 

Fiber Sourcing Standard principles and objectives. 

Indicators:

1. Support for SFI Implementation Committees (e.g., toll-free 

numbers and other efforts) to address concerns about apparent 

nonconforming practices. 

2. Process to receive and respond to public inquiries. SFI 

Implementation Committees shall submit data annually to SFI Inc.

regarding concerns received and responses. 

Objective 8. Public Land Management Responsibilities

To participate and implement sustainable forest management on 

public lands.

Performance Measure 8.1. Program Participants with forest 

management responsibilities on public lands shall participate in the 

development of public land planning and management processes.

Indicators:

1. Involvement in public land planning and management activities 

with appropriate governmental entities and the public. 

2. Appropriate contact with local stakeholders over forest 

management issues through state, provincial, federal or 

independent collaboration.

Objective 9. Communications and Public Reporting

To increase transparency and to annually report progress on 

conformance with the SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard. 

Performance Measure 9.1. A Program Participant shall provide a 

summary audit report, prepared by the certification body, to SFI Inc. 

after the successful completion of a certification, recertification or 

surveillance audit to the SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard. 

Indicator: 

1. The summary audit report submitted by the Program Participant

(one copy must be in English), shall include, at a minimum:

a. a description of the audit process, objectives and scope;

b. a description of substitute indicators, if any, used in the audit 

and a rationale for each;

c. the name of the Program Participant that was audited, 

including its SFI representative;

d. a general description of the Program Participant’s forestland, 

fiber procurement and/or manufacturing operations 

included in the audit;

e. the name of the certification body and lead auditor (names 

of the audit team members, including technical experts may 

be included at the discretion of the audit team and Program 

Participant); 

 f. the dates the audit was conducted and completed;

g. a summary of the findings, including general descriptions 

of evidence of conformity and any nonconformities and 

corrective action plans to address them, opportunities for 

improvement, and exceptional practices; and

 h. the certification decision.

The summary audit report will be posted on the SFI Inc. website 

(www.sfiprogram.org) for public review. 

Performance Measure 9.2. Program Participants shall report annually 

to SFI Inc. on their conformance with the SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing 

Standard

Indicators:

1. Prompt response to the SFI annual progress report survey.

2. Record keeping for all the categories of information needed for 

SFI annual progress report surveys.

3. Maintenance of copies of past survey reports to document 

progress and improvements to demonstrate conformance to the 

SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard.

Objective 10. Management Review and Continual

Improvement

To promote continual improvement in the practice of sustainable 

forestry by conducting a management review and monitoring 

performance. 

Performance Measure 10.1. Program Participants shall establish 

a management review system to examine findings and progress 

in implementing the SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard, to 

make appropriate improvements in programs, and to inform their 

employees of changes.

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SECTION 3

Indicators:

1. System to review commitments, programs and procedures to 

evaluate effectiveness.

2. System for collecting, reviewing and reporting information to 

management regarding progress in achieving SFI 2015-2019 Fiber 

Sourcing Standard objectives and performance measures.

3. Annual review of progress by management and determination 

of changes and improvements necessary to continually improve 

conformance to the SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard.

Fiber sourcing outside the United States and Canada (For fiber

sourcing from outside the United States and Canada, Objectives

11-13 also apply.)

Objective 11. Promote Conservation of Biological Diversity,

Biodiversity	Hotspots and High-Biodiversity	Wilderness	Areas

To promote the conservation of biological diversity, biodiversity 

hotspots and high-biodiversity wilderness areas in fiber sourcing 

programs.

Performance Measure 11.1. Program Participants shall ensure that 

their fiber sourcing programs support the principles of sustainable 

forestry, including efforts to promote conservation of biological diversity.

Indicators:

1. Fiber sourcing from areas outside the United States and Canada 

promotes conservation of biological diversity, utilizing information 

from the following sources:

a. biodiversity hotspots and high-biodiversity wilderness areas

as identified by Conservation International; and

b. rare species and habitat information derived from 

organizations such as the World Resources Institute, 

the Alliance for Zero Extinction, the World Wildlife Fund, 

the International Union for Conservation of Nature and 

NatureServe.

2. Program with direct suppliers to promote the principles of 

sustainable forestry.

3. Documented information that includes knowledge about direct 

suppliers’ application of the principles of sustainable forestry.

Objective 12. Avoidance of Controversial Sources including

Illegal Logging

To avoid illegal logging in fiber sourcing programs.

Performance Measure 12.1. Program Participants shall ensure that 

their fiber sourcing programs support the principles of sustainable 

forestry, including efforts to reduce the risk of illegal logging.

(See Section 7 – SFI Policies.)

Indicators:

1. Process to assess the risk that the Program Participant’s fiber 

sourcing program could acquire material from illegal logging such 

as consulting information from the World Resources Institute 

Risk Information Tool, the World Bank Legal Rights Index, or 

Transparency International.

2. Program to address any significant risk identified under 12.1.1.

3. Program with direct suppliers to promote the principles of 

sustainable forestry.

4. Documented information that includes knowledge about direct 

suppliers’ application of the principles of sustainable forestry.

Objective 13. Avoidance of Controversial Sources including

Fiber	Sourced	from	Areas	without	Effective	Social	Laws	

To avoid controversial sources in fiber sourcing programs.

Performance Measure 13.1. Program Participants shall avoid 

controversial sources and encourage socially sound practices.

Indicators:

1. Process to assess the risk that the Program Participant’s fiber 

sourcing could take place in countries without effective laws 

addressing the following:

a. workers’ health and safety; 

b. fair labor practices;

c. Indigenous Peoples’ rights; 

d. anti-discrimination and anti-harassment measures; 

e. prevailing wages; and

f. workers’ right to organize.

2. Program to address any significant risk identified under 13.1.1.

SFI 2015-2019 FIBER SOURCING STANDARD | 9/16
APPENDIX 1: RULES FOR USE OF SFI CERTIFIED SOURCING LABEL

PREFACE

SFI Inc. is an independent, non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to promoting sustainable forest management in North America and 

supporting responsible procurement globally. SFI governed by a three-chamber Board of Directors representing environmental, social and 

economic interests equally, and the SFI program addresses local needs through its grassroots network of 34 SFI Implementation Committees 

across North America. SFI Inc. directs all elements of the SFI program including the SFI forest management, fiber sourcing and chain-of-custody

standards, labeling and marketing.

Consumers in growing numbers want assurance that their buying decisions represent a sound environmental choice. They are asking for proof 

that wood, paper and packaging products are made with raw materials from certified forest content and certified sourcing. The Rules for Use of 

SFI On-Product Labels as well as the SFI Chain-of-Custody Standard deliver a reliable and credible mechanism so businesses can provide this 

assurance to their customers.

The SFI program meets guidelines on environmental claims in product advertising and communication issued by the U.S. Federal Trade 

Commission and guidelines on environmental labeling and advertising issued by the Competition Bureau of Canada.

Studies have shown that consumers appreciate the value of forest certification in helping them identify wood and paper products from legal, 

responsible sources. 

The fact that the SFI program can deliver a steady supply of fiber from well-managed forests is especially important at a time when there is 

increasing demand for green building and responsible paper purchasing, and only 10 percent of the world’s forests are certified. 

10/16 | SFI 2015-2019 FIBER SOURCING STANDARD
SECTION 3

PART 1. SCOPE AND PURPOSE

1.1 Scope

This section describes the requirements for Program Participants,

both primary producers and secondary producers, in the United States 

or Canada seeking use of the SFI Certified Sourcing on-product label. 

Primary or secondary producers with operations outside of the United 

States and Canada should refer to Part 4 of this Appendix.

1.2 Purpose 

The purpose of this section is to describe the requirements Program 

Participants and secondary producers must meet in order to use the 

SFI on-product label or claim. 

1.3 Label 

The following label applies to this section.

PART 2. NORMATIVE AND INFORMATIVE

REFERENCES

2.1 Normative 

The following normative SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules 

Sections are referenced in this document and can be found on the 

SFI Inc. website at www.sfiprogram.org:

i. Sections 2 and 3 - SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules

ii. Section 5 - Rules for Use of SFI On-Product Labels and OffProduct Marks

iii. Section 7 - SFI Policies

iv. Section 9 - Appendix 1: Audits of Multi-Site Organizations

v. Section 13 - SFI Definitions

2.2 Informative 

The following informative documents are referenced in this section 

and can be found on the SFI Inc. website at www.sfiprogram.org:

i. Section 4 - SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard

ii. Section 6 - Guidance to SFI 2015-2019 Standards

iii. Section 9 - SFI 2015-2019 Audit Procedures and Auditor 

Qualifications and Accreditation

iv. ISO 9001:2008 Quality management systems - Requirements

v. ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management Systems - 

Specification with guidance for use

PART 3. CERTIFIED SOURCING LABEL

3.1 Primary producers are manufacturing units that produce forest 

products (wood, paper, pulp, or composite products) and source 

50% or more (by weight) of their wood-based raw materials directly 

from primary sources. They must account for 100% of their primary 

sources as coming from certified sourcing. 

If a primary producer sources from company-owned or companycontrolled lands enrolled in the SFI program, those lands must be 

third-party certified to the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard.

3.2 Secondary producers are manufacturing units that produce forest 

products and source 50% or more (by weight) of their wood-based 

raw materials from secondary sources. They must account for at 

least two-thirds (2/3) (by weight) of the wood or wood fiber in the 

product(s) or manufacturing unit as coming from certified sourcing. 

The other one-third (1/3) cannot come from controversial sources.

3.3 Calculation of percentage for use of the Certified Sourcing Label 

is as follows:

3.3.1 Primary producers shall demonstrate conformance with 

the requirements of 3.1 at all times, which means 100% 

certified sourcing for every product group. 

• If less than 5% (by weight) of a manufacturing unit’s 

raw material supply comes from secondary sources, 

these sources are considered de minimis and no 

certification of this portion is required if all is from U.S. 

or Canadian sources.

3.3.2 Secondary producers shall specify how they will meet the 

requirements of 3.2 to conform to the two-thirds rule. 

They may base the calculation on a product group or time 

period (which cannot exceed one quarter). The percentage 

may be calculated as: 

• Rolling Average Percentage – The percentage calculated 

for wood fiber consumed during, for example, the 

previous four quarters or 12 months. The period over 

which the rolling average is calculated shall not exceed 

one year. 

• Simple Percentage – The percentage calculated for wood 

fiber consumed in the specific product group.

3.3.3 In all cases, the organization must demonstrate that the 

requirements of 3.1 and/or 3.2 are met before the label 

can be used in relation to a specific product group or 

time period.

SFI 2015-2019 FIBER SOURCING STANDARD | 11/16
3.3.4 A secondary producer may use the Certified Sourcing

Label on products from a single manufacturing unit as 

long as the specific supply for that product(s) or for that 

manufacturing unit meets all the content requirements set 

out in this document.

3.3.5 The sourcing requirement may be met at either the 

product line or manufacturing unit level.

3.4 SFI Certified Sourcing Claim: Fiber that conforms with Objectives 

1-13 of Section 3, and/or from pre-consumer recycled content, and/

or from post-consumer recycled content, and/or from an acceptable 

forest management standard.

3.4.1 Certified sourcing claim verification can occur by a 

primary producer’s Section 3 certificate, an invoice, bill 

of lading, shipping document, letter, or other forms of 

communications available to the customer. 

PART 4. ORGANIZATIONS OUTSIDE THE UNITED

STATES AND CANADA

4.1 A primary producer or secondary producer outside the United 

States and Canada must successfully complete an annual audit 

by an accredited SFI certification body against the requirements of 

Appendix 1 of the SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard.

4.2 A primary producer outside the United States and Canada must 

account for 100% of its primary sources as coming from certified 

sourcing. 

4.3 A secondary producer outside the United States and Canada 

must account for at least two-thirds (2/3) (by weight) of the wood 

or wood fiber in the product(s) or manufacturing unit as coming 

from certified sourcing. The other one-third (1/3) cannot come from 

controversial sources. 

PART 5. CERTIFIED SOURCING DEFINITION

Certified sourcing is defined as raw material sourced from the 

following sources and confirmed by a certification body: 

5.1 Fiber that conforms with Objectives 1-13 of Section 3 - SFI 2015-

2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard’s requirements. 

5.2 Pre-consumer recycled content: Material diverted from the 

waste stream during a manufacturing process. It does not include 

materials such as rework, regrind or scrap generated in a process 

and capable of being reclaimed within the same process.

Any claims about pre-consumer recycled content by Program 

Participants or label users shall be accurate and consistent with 

applicable law. Program Participants and label users are encouraged 

to consult the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s guidelines on 

environmental claims in product advertising and communication 

and the guidelines on environmental labeling and advertising 

issued by the Fair Business Practices Branch of Industry Canada’s 

Competition Bureau, as appropriate, and to seek additional 

information and direction from national accreditation bodies, 

national standards bodies and national, state and provincial 

consumer protection and competition laws.

5.3 Post-consumer recycled content: Material generated by 

households or by commercial, industrial and institutional facilities in 

their role as end-users of the product, which can no longer be used 

for its intended purpose. 

Any claims about post-consumer recycled content by Program 

Participants and label users shall be accurate and consistent 

with applicable law. Program Participants and label users are 

encouraged to consult the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s 

guidelines on environmental claims in product advertising and 

communication and the guidelines on environmental labeling 

and advertising issued by the Fair Business Practices Branch of 

Industry Canada’s Competition Bureau, as appropriate, and to seek 

additional information and direction from national accreditation 

bodies, national standards bodies, and national, state and provincial 

consumer protection and competition laws.

5.4 Certified forest content, which includes content from specific 

forest tracts that are third-party certified to conform with the 

SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard’s Objectives 1-15 

requirements or other acceptable forest management standards (e.g., 

CAN/CSA Z809, CAN/CSA Z804 and ATFS).

5.5 Non-controversial sources: The organization shall establish 

adequate measures to ensure that the labeled products do not come 

from controversial sources. See Part 6 on due diligence system to 

avoid controversial sources.

PART 6. DUE DILIGENCE SYSTEM TO AVOID

CONTROVERSIAL SOURCES

6.1 Definition of Controversial Sources

a. Forest-based products that are not in compliance with 

applicable state, provincial or federal laws, particularly as 

they may relate to:

 • conversion sources;

 • legally required protection of threatened and endangered species; 

 • requirements of CITES (The Convention on International 

Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora); 

 • legally required management of areas with designated high 

environmental and cultural values; 

12/16 | SFI 2015-2019 FIBER SOURCING STANDARD
SECTION 3

 • labor regulations relating to forest workers; and

 • Indigenous Peoples’ property, tenure and use rights 

b. Forest-based products from illegal logging

c. Forest-based products from areas without effective social laws 

6.2 Verification of Purchased Product(s)

To avoid controversial sources, the organization shall obtain and verify 

the scope of an SFI Section 2 (SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management 

Standard), Section 3 (SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard), Section 4 

(SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard), or other credible chainof-custody standard certificate. Verification shall ensure that the 

facility and the purchased product(s) are directly associated with the 

certification. This can be achieved through the following:

a. On a valid SFI Section 2 (SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management 

Standard), Section 3 (SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard), 

Section 4 (SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard), or other 

credible chain-of-custody standard certificate or appendix to 

the certificate. 

b. On a publicly available product group listing, or

c. By other means of verification.

Where inspection of the certificate and other supporting evidence 

can demonstrate that the facility and product groups are within scope 

of the certificate, then the organization purchasing that product 

group can credibly conclude that the products being sourced are low 

risk of coming from controversial sources.

6.3 Conducting a Risk Assessment

When forest-based products, excluding recycled content, are 

procured without a valid SFI Section 2 (SFI 2015-2019 Forest 

Management Standard), Section 3 (SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing 

Standard), Section 4 (SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard), or 

other credible chain-of-custody standard certificate, the organization 

shall collect information on the source of the forest-based product, 

through a due diligence system to address the likelihood of sourcing 

from controversial sources. 

The organization’s due diligence system shall:

6.3.1 Conduct a risk assessment of sourcing forest-based 

products that are not in compliance with applicable state, 

provincial or federal laws, particularly as they may relate 

to:

 • conversion source;,

• legally required protection of threatened and 

endangered species; 

 • requirements of CITES (The Convention on International 

Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora;, 

 • legally required management of areas with designated 

high environmental and cultural values; 

 • labor regulations relating to forest workers; and 

 • Indigenous Peoples’ property, tenure and legally 

established use rights. 

The risk assessment shall be carried out at the national 

level and where risk is not consistent, at the appropriate 

regional level. 

6.3.2 Conduct a risk assessment of sourcing forest-based 

products from illegal logging.

6.3.3 Conduct a risk assessment of sourcing forest-based 

products from areas without effective social laws 

addressing the following:

a. workers’ health and safety;

b. fair labor practices;

c. Indigenous Peoples’ rights;

d. antidiscrimination and anti-harassment measures;

e. prevailing wages; and

f. workers’ right to organize.

6.4 Implementing Program to Address Risk

Where the risk assessment conducted under 6.3 determines 

other than low risk, the organization shall implement a program

to mitigate such risk and require a signed contract and/or selfdeclaration that the supplied forest-based product does not 

originate from controversial sources. 

PART 7. MINIMUM MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

REQUIREMENTS

7.1 General Requirements

The organization shall operate a management system in accordance 

with the following elements of this standard, which ensure correct 

implementation and maintenance of the certified sourcing process. 

The management system shall be appropriate to the type, range and 

volume of work performed.

Note: An organization’s quality (ISO 9001:2008) or environmental (ISO 

14001:2004) management system can be used to meet the minimum 

requirements for the management system defined in this standard.

7.2 Responsibilities and Authorities for Certified Sourcing 

7.2.1 The organization’s top management shall define and 

document its commitment to implement and maintain 

the certified sourcing requirements, and make this 

available to its personnel, suppliers, customers, and 

other interested parties.

7.2.2 The organization’s top management shall appoint a 

member of the management who, irrespective of other 

responsibilities, shall have overall responsibility and 

authority for the certified sourcing.

7.2.3 The organization’s top management shall carry out a 

regular periodic review of the certified sourcing and its 

compliance with the requirements of this standard.

SFI 2015-2019 FIBER SOURCING STANDARD | 13/16
7.2.4 The organization shall identify personnel performing work 

affecting the implementation and maintenance of the 

certified sourcing, and establish and set responsibilities 

and authorities relating to the certified sourcing process:

a. raw material procurement and identification of the 

certified sourcing;

b. product sale and labeling;

c. record keeping; and

d. internal audits and nonconformity control.

Note: The responsibilities and authorities for the certified 

sourcing given above can be cumulated.

7.3 Documented Procedures

The organization’s procedures for the certified sourcing shall be 

documented, and include at least the following elements:

a. description of the raw material flow within the production 

process;

b. organization structure, responsibilities and authorities 

relating to chain of custody; and

c. procedures for the certified sourcing process covering all 

requirements of this standard.

7.4 Record Keeping

7.4.1 The organization shall establish and maintain records to 

provide evidence it has conformed to the requirements 

of this standard and its certified sourcing procedures are 

effective and efficient. The organization shall keep at least 

the following:

a. records of all suppliers of certified sourcing material, 

including information to confirm requirements at the 

supplier level are met;

b. records of all purchased certified sourcing raw material;

c. records of all certified sourcing products sold;

d. records of internal audits, nonconformities that 

occurred and corrective actions taken; and

e. records of top management’s periodic review of 

compliance with certified sourcing requirements.

7.4.2 The organization shall maintain the records for a minimum 

period of three years unless stated otherwise by law.

7.5 Resource Management

7.5.1 Human Resources/Personnel 

The organization shall ensure that all personnel performing 

work affecting the implementation and maintenance of 

the certified sourcing shall be competent on the basis of 

appropriate training, education, skills and experience.

7.5.2 Technical Facilities 

The organization shall identify, provide and maintain the 

infrastructure and technical facilities needed for effective 

implementation and maintenance of the organization’s 

certified sourcing to meet the requirements of this standard.

7.6 Internal Audit and Management Review

7.6.1 The organization shall conduct internal audits at intervals 

of no more than one year covering all requirements of 

this standard, and establish corrective and preventive 

measures if required. 

7.6.2 The organization shall conduct the internal audit in 

accordance with the following requirements: 

a. The internal audit shall be undertaken by personnel 

who have adequate knowledge of the SFI 2015-2019 

Fiber Sourcing Standard;

b. Off-site interviews and desk audits are permissible, 

appropriate to the scope and scale of the organization;

c. If there have been no inputs or outputs for a site or 

manufacturing facility over the past year, internal audits 

are not required;

d. If a site or manufacturing facility has had no sales of SFI 

certified sourcing products over that past year, internal 

audits are not required;

e. Internal audits are to assess overall organizational 

conformance and internal audit documentation can 

consist of one consolidated internal audit checklist and/

or report; and

f. Where nonconformities are identified during the 

internal audit process, a corrective action plan shall be 

developed at the site and/or organizational level.

7.6.3 Where the organization has outsourced activities within 

the scope of its certified sourcing, the organization shall 

develop procedures for the audit of these contractors. 

7.6.4 The internal audit of outsource contractors may be 

conducted remotely.

7.6.5 Where there are sufficient outsource contractors, the 

internal audit may use a sampling approach for these 

contractors.

7.6.6 The internal audit of outsource contractors shall: 

a. determine the level of risk associated with the 

outsourced activities. 

b. include within the scope of the internal audit those 

outsourced activities assessed as high risk. 

14/16 | SFI 2015-2019 FIBER SOURCING STANDARD
SECTION 3

7.6.7 The organization shall have its rationale for remote audits 

and its sampling procedure audited by its thirdparty certifier. 

7.6.8 The results of internal audits shall be reported to 

management for review during the annual 

management review. 

PART 8. APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

8.1 Primary producers must annually submit to the Office of Label 

Use and Licensing:

8.1.1 A copy of their certificate for Section 2 - SFI 2015-2019 

Forest Management Standard if a primary producer 

sources from company-owned or company-controlled 

lands enrolled in the SFI program and/or a copy of their 

Section 3 - SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard listing 

the manufacturing units covered under the scope of 

the certificate.

8.1.2 A copy of their annual SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management 

Standard and/or SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard 

audit report issued by an SFI certification body. 

8.2 Secondary producers must annually submit to the Office of Label 

Use and Licensing:

8.2.1 A copy of their Certified Sourcing certificate issued to 

secondary producers certified to Section 3 – Appendix 1 - 

Rules for Use of SFI Certified Sourcing Label, issued by an 

accredited SFI certification body.

8.2.2 A list of the manufacturing unit(s) and product(s) for which 

the SFI Certified Sourcing Label use approval is sought. 

8.3 Primary or secondary producers outside the United States and 

Canada must annually submit to the Office of Label Use and Licensing:

8.3.1 A copy of their Certified Sourcing certificate to Section 3 - 

Appendix 1 - Rules for Use of SFI Certified Sourcing Label, 

issued by an accredited SFI certification body.

8.3.2 A list of the manufacturing unit(s) and product(s) for which 

the SFI Certified Sourcing Label use approval is sought. 

PART 9. OFFICE OF LABEL USE AND LICENSING 

9.1 The Office of Label Use and Licensing shall evaluate and approve 

applications for use of all SFI on-product labels, shall establish 

label use rules and procedures set out in the Rules for Use of SFI 

On-Product Labels and Off-Product Marks (Section 5 in the SFI 2015-

2019 Standards and Rules), and shall maintain oversight of use of all 

SFI on-product labels. 

9.2 A label user may not use the SFI program label on any products 

from manufacturing unit(s) for which it has not obtained approval 

from the Office of Label Use and Licensing.

9.3 Approval for use of any SFI on-product labels will become 

effective upon authorization issued by the Office of Label Use and 

Licensing, and remains in effect for one year, unless terminated 

pursuant to the terms set out in the SFI Label Agreement. 

9.4 The Office of Label Use and Licensing may periodically announce 

additional rules and procedures to ensure ownership and use of the 

SFI on-product labels are adequately protected under applicable law, 

and to ensure proper consumer understanding.

9.5 Applicants must provide specific examples of proposed SFI onproduct label use and related promotional literature to the Office of 

Label Use and Licensing, in keeping with Section 5 Rules for Use of SFI 

On-Product labels and Off-Product Marks.

9.6 In response to questions and issues raised by SFI on-product label 

users or certification bodies, the Office of Label Use and Licensing will 

periodically announce and formally adopt interpretations to Section 

5 Rules for Use of SFI On-Product labels and Off-Product Marks . All 

interpretations will be posted at www.sfiprogram.org. 

SFI 2015-2019 FIBER SOURCING STANDARD | 15/16
16/16 | SFI 2015-2019 FIBER SOURCING STANDARD

THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
SECTION 4

SFI 2015-2019 

CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY 

STANDARD

JANUARY 2015 JANUARY 2015

SFI 2015-2019 CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY STANDARD | 1/16 SECTION 4

SFI 2015-2019 CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY STANDARD

PART 1. GENERAL 4

1.1 Scope 4

1.2 Additional Requirements 4

1.3 References 4

PART 2: REQUIREMENTS FOR CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY PROCESS - 

PHYSICAL SEPARATION METHOD 4

2.1 General Requirements for Physical Separation 4

2.2 Identification of the Origin 4

2.3 Separation of the Certified Content 5

2.4 Sale of Certified Content Products 5

PART 3: REQUIREMENTS FOR CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY PROCESS – MIXING OF INPUTS – 

AVERAGE PERCENTAGE METHOD AND VOLUME CREDIT METHOD 5

3.1 General Requirements for Mixing of Inputs 5

3.2 Definition of the Product Group 5

3.3 Identification of the Origin 6

3.4 Calculation of the Certified Percentage 6

3.5 Average Percentage Method 7

3.6 Volume Credit Method 7

3.7 Sale of Products 7

PART 4: DUE DILIGENCE SYSTEM TO AVOID CONTROVERSIAL SOURCES 8

4.1 Definition of Controversial Sources 8

4.2 Verification of Purchased Product(s) 8

4.3 Conducting a Risk Assessment 8

4.4 Implementing a Program to Address Risk 9

PART 5: MINIMUM MANAGEMENT SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS 9

5.1 General Requirements 9

5.2 Responsibilities and Authorities for Chain of Custody 9

5.3 Documented Procedures 9

5.4 Record Keeping 9

5.5 Resource Management 9

5.6 Internal Audit and Management Review 10

PART 6: OUTSOURCING AGREEMENTS 10

6.1 Outsourcing Agreements 10

6.2 Assessing Risk for Outsource Contractors 10

 Appendix 1: Calculation of the Certification Percentage (Informative) 11

 Appendix 2: SFI Chain-of-Custody Certificate Requirements (Informative) 15

 Appendix 3: Criteria for the Evaluation of Chain-of-Custody Certification 

Standards for Use in the SFI Program 16
2/16 | SFI 2015-2019 CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY STANDARD
SFI 2015-2019 CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY STANDARD | 3/16 SECTION 4

SFI Inc. is an independent, non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to promoting sustainable 

forest management in North America and supporting responsible procurement globally. The SFI

Board is a three chamber Board of Directors representing environmental, social and economic 

interests equally, and the program addresses local needs through its grassroots network of 34 SFI 

Implementation Committees across North America. SFI Inc. directs all elements of the SFI program

including the SFI forest management, fiber sourcing, and chain-of-custody standards, labeling and 

marketing.

Consumers in growing numbers want assurance that their buying decisions represent a sound 

environmental choice. They are asking for proof that wood, paper and packaging products are made 

with raw materials from certified forest content or certified sourcing. The SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody 

Standard and Associated Labels, implemented together with certification to the SFI 2015-2019 Forest 

Management and Fiber Sourcing Standards and the SFI Rules For Use of On-Product Labels and OffProduct Marks, delivers a reliable and credible mechanism so businesses can provide this assurance to 

customers.

Program Participants practice responsible forestry on the lands they manage and, once they are 

successfully audited by an independent SFI certification body, they can make claims about SFI forest 

management certification and access SFI-certified content labels. They also need to achieve a separate 

third-party chain-of-custody certification.

Chain of custody is an accounting system process that tracks wood fiber through the different stages of 

production. Companies can make claims about how much of their product comes from certified lands, 

how much contains post-consumer recycled content, and how much is responsibly sourced fiber through 

unique SFI fiber sourcing certification. These claims can be made based on either the physical separation 

or percentage-based methods of tracking cerrtified forest content and certified sourcing. 

The SFI program addresses the fact that only 10 percent of the world’s forests are certified through 

procurement requirements in the SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard requiring that Program 

Participants establish adequate measures to ensure all the fiber they source is from legal and 

responsible sources, regardless of whether it is from certified or uncertified forests. The SFI program 

meets guidelines on environmental claims in product advertising and communication issued by the 

U.S. Federal Trade Commission and guidelines on environmental labeling and advertising issued by the 

Competition Bureau of Canada.

Studies have shown that consumers appreciate the value of forest certification in helping them identify 

wood and paper products from legal, responsible sources. 

The fact that the SFI program can deliver a steady supply of fiber from well-managed forests is especially 

important at a time when there is increasing demand for green building and responsible paper 

purchasing, and only 10 percent of the world’s forests are certified. 

SFI 2015-2019 CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY STANDARD

INTRODUCTION
4/16 | SFI 2015-2019 CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY STANDARD

PART 1. GENERAL

1.1 Scope

What the Chain-of-Custody Standard Does 

The SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard is an accounting 

system that tracks forest fiber content through production and 

manufacturing to the end product. Organizations can use chain-ofcustody certification to track and communicate how much of their 

product comes from certified lands, certified fiber sourcing, recycled 

content and/or non-certified forest content. 

What the Chain-of-Custody Standard Covers

The SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard applies to any 

organization that sources, processes, manufactures, handles, 

trades, converts or prints forest-based products.

Geographic Application of the Chain-of-Custody Standard

The SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard applies to any 

organization globally.

1.2 Additional Requirements

Primary producers must also conform to the SFI 2015-2019 Fiber 

Sourcing Standard.

Use of the SFI on-product labels and claims shall follow Section 5 

- Rules for Use of SFI On-Product Labels and Off-Product Marks as 

well as ISO 14020:2000.

1.3 References

This standard incorporates, by dated or undated reference, 

provisions from other publications. These normative and 

informative references are cited at the appropriate places in 

the text and the publications are listed hereafter. For dated and 

undated references, the latest edition of the publication applies.

Normative References

i. ISO/IEC Guide 65:1996 General Requirements for bodies 

operating product certification systems

ii. ISO/IEC 17065:2012 - Conformity Assessment - 

Requirements for bodies certifying product, process and 

services

iii. ISO/IEC Guide 2:2004 Standardization and related activities 

- General vocabulary

iv. ISO 14020:2000 Environmental labels and declarations - 

General principles

v. Section 2 - SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard

vi. Section 3 - SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard

vii. Section 5 - Rules for Use of SFI-On-Product Labels and OffProduct Marks

viii. Section 7 - SFI Policies

ix. Section 9 - Appendix 1: Audits of Multi-Site Organizations

x. Section 11 - Public Inquiries and Official Complaints

xi. Section 13 - SFI Definitions

For the purposes of this standard, the relevant definitions given in 

ISO/IEC Guide 2:2004 and ISO 9000:2005 apply, together with the 

definitions in the SFI Definitions (Section 13).

Informative References

i. ISO 9000:2005 Quality management systems - 

Fundamentals and vocabulary

ii. ISO 9001:2008 Quality management systems – 

Requirements

iii. ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management Systems - 

Specification with guidance for use

iv. PEFC ST 2002:2013 Chain of Custody of Forest-Based 

Products - Requirements, May 24 2013

v. Section 6 - Guidance to SFI 2015-2019 Standards

vi. Section 9 - SFI 2015-2019 Audit Procedures and Auditor 

Qualifications and Accreditation

PART 2: REQUIREMENTS FOR CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY 

PROCESS - PHYSICAL SEPARATION METHOD

2.1 General Requirements for Physical Separation

2.1.1 The organization applying the physical separation 

method shall ensure that the certified forest content is 

separated or controlled to ensure it is not mixed with or 

replaced by uncertified content.

2.1.2 The organization, whose certified forest content and 

recycled content inputs are not mixed with other raw 

material, should use physical separation as the preferred 

option. 

2.1.3 An organization who makes SFI claims or uses the SFI

on-product label in association with non-timber forest 

products shall apply the physical separation method to 

ensure non-timber forest products are sourced from SFIcertified lands.

2.2 Identification of the Origin

2.2.1 Identification at Delivery Level

The organization shall identify and verify the category of 

the origin of all procured raw material. Documents and/

or verifiable information associated with the source and/

or delivery of raw material shall include at least:

a. supplier identification;

b. quantity of delivery;

c. date of delivery / delivery period / accounting period;

d. category of origin,

 i. SFI Certified Forest Content - Raw material from a 

forest certified to an acceptable forest management 

standard constitutes a claim of 100 percent certified 

forest content

 ii. SFI Certified Sourcing

 iii. Post-Consumer Recycled

 iv. Pre-Consumer Recycled

 v. SFI Recycled Content and

e. The supplier’s chain-of-custody number, if applicable.
SFI 2015-2019 CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY STANDARD | 5/16 SECTION 4

This information can be documented in the form of, but not 

limited to, an invoice, bill of lading, shipping document, letter, 

or other forms of communications between the organization 

and the next entity in the supply chain.

Note 1: The categories of the origin of raw material are 

specified in the SFI Definitions (Section 13).

Note 2: An organization (e.g., printer or lumberyard) that uses 

the physical separation method and sources inputs from a 

supplier that uses the percentage-based method must know 

the percentage of certified content if it wants to label products 

or make claims about them.

2.2.2 Identification at Supplier Level

The organization shall obtain or access confirmation 

documentation for all suppliers of the certified forest 

content, which proves that the criteria set for the supplier 

have been met.

2.3 Separation of the Certified Content

2.3.1 Certified content shall remain clearly identifiable 

throughout the entire sourcing production, trading and 

sales process. This shall be achieved by:

a. physical separation in terms of production and storage 

space or

b. physical separation in terms of time or

c. permanent identification of the certified content.

2.3.2 Verification that certified content is controlled during the 

production, trading, and sales process to ensure it is not 

replaced by uncertified material.

2.4 Sale of Certified Content Products

2.4.1 At the point of sale or transfer of the certified products 

to another entity, the organization shall provide the next 

entity in the chain with written information confirming 

the supplier’s certification status and an official SFI claim 

statement providing a clear indication of input category. 

This can be in the form of, but is not limited to, an 

invoice, bill of lading, shipping document, letter or other 

forms of communications available to the customer at 

the time of the sale of the product.

2.4.2 The organization shall ensure that documentation of the 

certified products clearly states at least the following 

information:

a. organization’s identification;

b. quantity of delivery;

c. date of delivery/delivery period/accounting period;

d. an official SFI claim; 

 i. SFI X% Certified Forest Content

 ii. SFI X% Recycled Content

 iii. SFI X% Pre-Consumer Recycled

 iv. SFI X% Post-Consumer Recycled 

 v. SFI X% Certified Sourcing 

 (Note: Percentages of any combination of the above 

 are permissible.)

 vi. SFI at Least X% Certified Forest Content ; and

e. the organization’s chain-of-custody number.

2.4.3 If the organization uses the off-product mark or onproduct label, both on-product and off-product usage 

shall be carried out according to the terms and conditions 

of the Office of Label Use and Licensing and the Rules \

for Use of SFI On-Product Labels and Off-Product Marks 

(Section 5 in the SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules). 

PART 3: REQUIREMENTS FOR CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY

PROCESS – MIXING OF INPUTS – AVERAGE

PERCENTAGE METHOD AND VOLUME CREDIT METHOD

3.1 General Requirements for Mixing of Inputs

The percentage-based method applies to organizations with 

facilities where certified content is mixed with non-certified forest 

inputs that cannot be clearly identified in the output products.

3.2 Definition of the Product Group

3.2.1 The organization shall implement the requirements for 

the chain-of-custody process of this standard for the 

specific product group.

3.2.2 The organization shall identify its product group(s) based 

on the following criteria:

a. raw material included in the products covered by the 

product group,

b. production site at which the products covered by the 

product group have been produced,

c. time period over which the products covered by the 

product group have been produced or sold/transferred.

3.2.3 The product group shall be associated with (i) a single 

product or (ii) a group of products, which consist of 

the same or similar input raw material based on, for 

example, species, sort or substitutability within products 

(e.g., SPF lumber contains multiple tree species but may 

be treated as a single product group).

3.2.4 The organization shall identify an entity within the 

organization for which the product group is defined and 

only products produced or controlled by that entity shall 

be included within the product group.

Note: The entity may be a standalone manufacturing 

facility, a forest contractor with multiple harvest 

sites, a trader or distributor with multiple suppliers, a 

remanufacturing facility supplied by multiple primary 

manufacturers or a centralized sales department 

within an organization with responsibility for multiple 

manufacturing units.
6/16 | SFI 2015-2019 CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY STANDARD

3.2.5 For credibility purposes, the maximum claim period is 

three months.

3.2.6 The organization shall identify all products included in 

the product group covered by the chain-of-custody claim 

period so it is possible to determine the product group to 

which the products belong. The identifier can be a unique 

number or a name that all products within the product 

group belong to.

Note: Physical on-product identification of the product 

group is not required if the certification percentage is 

applied to sold or transferred products as the product 

group identification is evident from the sale or delivery 

documents. However, products that carry the SFI onproduct label must be accompanied by the associated 

claim statement. 

3.3 Identification of the Origin

3.3.1 Identification at Delivery/Receipt Level

The organization shall identify and verify the category 

of origin of all procured raw material that is received. 

Documents associated with delivery and receipt of raw 

material shall include at least:

a. supplier identification,

b. quantity of delivery,

c. date of delivery / delivery period / claim accounting 

period,

d. category of origin,

 i. SFI Certified Forest Content - Raw material from a 

forest certified to an acceptable forest management 

standard constitutes a claim of 100 percent certified 

forest content

 ii. SFI Certified Sourcing

 iii. Post-Consumer Recycled

 iv. Pre-Consumer Recycled

 v. SFI Recycled Content

e. the supplier’s chain-of-custody number, if applicable.

This information can be documented in the form of, but not 

limited to, an invoice, bill of lading, shipping document, letter, 

or other forms of communications between the organization 

and the customer.

Note: The categories of the origin of raw material are specified 

in the SFI Definitions (Section 13).

3.3.2 Identification at Supplier Level

The organization shall verify the validity and scope of the 

forest management, fiber sourcing or chain-of-custody 

certificate. 

3.4 Calculation of the Certified Percentage

3.4.1 The organization shall calculate the certification 

percentage separately for each claim period according to 

the following formula:

Pc Certification percentage

Vc Certified content

Vo Other raw material (certified sourcing)

Note: When making claims about pre- and post-consumer 

recycled content, both can count as certified content and 

the amount must be disclosed to the customer. For 

organizations choosing not to count pre- and postconsumer recycled content, the pre- and post-consumer 

recycled content is neutral and shall not be included in 

the calculation of the certified content percentages in 

chain-of-custody tracking.

3.4.2 The organization shall calculate the certification 

percentage based on a single measurement unit used 

for all raw material covered by the calculation. The 

organization shall use only official conversion ratios and 

methods. If a suitable official conversion ratio does not 

exist, the organization shall define and use a reasonable 

and credible internal conversion ratio.

(Note: The Conversion Factor/Ratio is calculated by 

dividing the output (volume or weight) by the input 

(volume or weight) and is applied to each individual input 

component of a product group).

3.4.3 If the procured raw material includes only a proportion 

of certified content, then only the quantity corresponding 

to the actual certification percentage claimed by the 

supplier can enter the calculation formula as certified 

content. The rest of that raw material shall enter the 

calculation as other raw material.

3.4.4 The organization shall calculate the certification 

percentage as either a simple or rolling average 

percentage. Refer to Appendix 1 of this document for the 

definitions of simple and rolling average calculations. 

3.4.5 The organization applying the simple certification 

percentage shall base the calculation of Pc (the 

certification percentage) for each product group on 

the figures for Vc (certified content) and Vo (other raw 

material) for that specific product group. As a result, it 

is necessary for the organization applying this method 

to know the percentage of certified content before any 

product of the product group is sold or transferred.

The claim period shall not exceed three months 

of production.

Pc [%] = Vc • 100

 Vc + Vo
SFI 2015-2019 CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY STANDARD | 7/16 SECTION 4

3.4.6 The organization applying the rolling average 

certification percentage shall base the calculation of Pc 

(the certification percentage) for each product group and

claim period on the figures for Vc (certified content) and Vo 

(other raw material) for a specified number of prior claim 

periods.

The time period covered by the specified number of prior 

claim periods shall not exceed 12 months.

3.5 Average Percentage Method

3.5.1 The organization applying the average percentage 

method can claim all the products covered by the claim 

period, provided that the percentage of certified content is 

clearly communicated. In order to use the SFI label, the 

organization must meet a 70% certified content threshold. 

The following label may be used. If recycled content is 

not used, then the label must just state, “Promoting 

Sustainable Forestry.” 

3.5.2 If an organization falls below the 70 percent certified 

content threshold, the organization shall be transparent 

and communicate the actual percentage of certified 

content. The following two labels may be used.

3.6 Volume Credit Method

3.6.1 The organization shall apply the volume credit method 

for a single claim. The organization receiving a single 

delivery of material with more than one claim relating 

to the category of origin shall either use it as a single 

inseparable claim (e.g. SFI/PEFC certified content) or use 

only one from the received claims (SFI or PEFC certified) 

for calculating the volume credits. The volume credit 

shall be distributed to the output products from the 

volume credit account in a way that all products sold as 

certified are sold as 100% certified. 

3.6.2 The organization shall recognize volume credits in a 

single measurement unit used for all raw material 

inputs and shall enter the volume credits into the credit 

account. The credit account may be established for 

individual product types of the product group or for the 

whole product group where the same measurement unit 

is applied to all product types. 

3.6.3 The organization shall calculate the volume credits 

using either:

a. certification percentage (clause 3.4) and volume of 

output products (clause 3.6.4) or 

b. input material (certified forest content/pre-consumer 

recycled/post-consumer recycled) and input/output 

ratio (clause 3.6.5). 

3.6.4 The organization applying the certification percentage 

shall calculate the volume credits by multiplying the 

volume of output products of the product group by the 

certified percentage. 

3.6.5 The organization must demonstrate a verifiable ratio 

between the input material and output products. The 

volume credits may be calculated directly from the 

input certified material by multiplying the volume of the 

input certified material by the input/output ratio and 

accounting for manufacturing losses. 

3.6.6 The labels used for the Volume Credit method shall be 

as follows:

3.6.7 The organization can accumulate the SFI Certified Credits 

or Recycled Credits by creating a volume credit account, 

which can be used for the next claim period.

3.6.8 The total quantity of credits cumulated at the credit 

account cannot exceed the sum of credits entered into 

the credit account during the last 12 months.

3.7 Sale of Products

3.7.1 At the point of sale or transfer of the certified products to 

the next entity in the supply chain, the organization shall 

provide customers with written information confirming 

the supplier’s certified status and an official SFI claim

statement. This can be in the form of, but is not limited 

to, an invoice, bill of lading, shipping document, letter, or 

other forms of communications available to the customer 

at the time of the sale of the product.
8/16 | SFI 2015-2019 CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY STANDARD

3.7.2 The organization shall ensure that documentation of the 

certified products clearly states at least the following 

information:

a. organization’s identification,

b. quantity of delivery,

c. date of delivery / delivery period / claim period

d. an official SFI claim statement:

 i. Average Percentage Users:

 • X% Certified Forest Content

 • X% Recycled Content

 ii. Volume Credit Users: 

 • SFI Volume Credit or 100% as calculated under the 

volume credit method

e. the organization’s chain-of-custody number.

3.7.3 If the organization uses the logo, both on-product and 

off-product usage shall be carried out according to 

the terms and conditions of the Office of Label Use and 

Licensing and the Section 5 - Rules for Use of SFI OnProduct Labels and Off-Product Marks, in the SFI 2015-

2019 Standards and Rules document. 

PART 4. DUE DILIGENCE SYSTEM TO AVOID

CONTROVERSIAL SOURCES

4.1 Definition of Controversial Sources

a. Forest-based products that are not in compliance with 

applicable state, provincial or federal laws, particularly as 

they may relate to:

• conversion sources,

• legally required protection of threatened and 

endangered species, 

• requirements of CITES (The Convention on 

International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild 

Fauna and Flora), 

• legally required management of areas with designated 

high environmental and cultural values, 

• labor regulations relating to forest workers, 

• Indigenous Peoples’ property, tenure and use rights.

b. Forest-based products from illegal logging

c. Forest-based products from areas without effective social laws 

4.2 Verification of Purchased Product(s)

To avoid controversial sources, the organization shall obtain 

and verify the scope of an SFI Section 2 (SFI 2015-2019 Forest 

Management Standard), Section 3 (SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing 

Standard), Section 4 (SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard), 

or other credible chain-of-custody standard certificate. Verification 

shall ensure that the facility and the purchased product(s) are 

directly associated with the certification. This can be achieved 

through the following:

a. On a valid SFI Section 2 (SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management 

Standard), Section 3 (SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard), 

Section 4 (SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard), or other 

credible chain-of-custody standard certificate or appendix to 

the certificate. 

b. On a publicly available product group listing, or

c. By other means of verification.

Where inspection of the certificate and other supporting 

evidence can demonstrate that the facility and product groups are 

within scope of the certificate, then the organization purchasing 

that product group can credibly conclude that the products being 

sourced are low risk of coming from controversial sources. 

4.3 Conducting a Risk Assessment

When forest-based products, excluding recycled content, are 

procured without a valid SFI Section 2 (SFI 2015-2019 Forest 

Management Standard), Section 3 (SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing 

Standard), Section 4 (SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard), or 

other credible chain-of-custody standard certificate, the organization 

shall collect information on the source of the forest-based product, 

through a due diligence system to address the likelihood of 

sourcing from controversial sources. 

The Organization’s Due Diligence System shall: 

4.3.1 Conduct a risk assessment of sourcing forest-based 

products which are not in compliance with applicable 

state, provincial or federal laws, particularly as they may 

relate to:

• conversion sources,

• legally required protection of threatened and 

endangered species, 

• requirements of CITES (The Convention on 

International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild 

Fauna and Flora), 

• legally required management of areas with designated 

high environmental and cultural values, 

• labor regulations relating to forest workers, 

• Indigenous Peoples’ property, tenure and legally 

established use rights. 

The risk assessment shall be carried out at the national 

level and where risk is not consistent, at the appropriate 

regional level. 

4.3.2 Conduct a risk assessment of sourcing forest-based 

products from illegal logging

4.3.3 Conduct a risk assessment of sourcing forest-based 

products from areas without effective social laws 

addressing the following:

a. workers’ health and safety;
SFI 2015-2019 CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY STANDARD | 9/16 SECTION 4

b. fair labor practices;

c. Indigenous Peoples’ rights;

d. anti-discrimination and anti-harassment measures;

e. prevailing wages; and

f. workers’ right to organize.

4.4 Implementing a Program to Address Risk

Where the risk assessment conducted under 4.3 determines 

other than low risk, the organization shall implement a program 

to mitigate such risk and require a signed contract and/or selfdeclaration that the supplied forest-based product does not 

originate from controversial sources. 

PART 5: MINIMUM MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

REQUIREMENTS

5.1 General Requirements

The organization shall operate a management system in 

accordance with the following elements of the SFI 2015-2019 

Chain-of-Custody Standard, which ensure correct implementation 

and maintenance of the chain-of-custody process. The 

management system shall be appropriate to the type, range and 

volume of work performed.

Note: An organization’s quality (ISO 9001:2008) or environmental (ISO 

14001:2004) management system can be used to meet the minimum 

requirements for the management system defined in this standard.

5.2 Responsibilities and Authorities for Chain of Custody

5.2.1 The organization’s top management shall define and 

document its commitment to implement and maintain 

the chain-of-custody requirements, and make this 

available to its personnel, suppliers, customers and 

other interested parties.

5.2.2 The organization’s top management shall appoint a 

member of the management who, irrespective of other 

responsibilities, shall have overall responsibility and 

authority for the chain of custody.

5.2.3 The organization’s top management shall carry out a 

regular periodic review of the chain of custody and its 

compliance with the requirements of this standard.

5.2.4 The organization shall identify personnel performing 

work affecting the implementation and maintenance 

of the chain of custody, and establish and set 

responsibilities and authorities relating to the chain-ofcustody process:

a. raw material procurement and identification of the origin;

b. product processing covering physical separation 

or percentage calculation and transfer into output 

products;

c. product sale and labeling;

d. record keeping; and

e. internal audits and nonconformity control.

Note: The responsibilities and authorities for the chain of 

custody given above can be cumulated.

5.3 Documented Procedures

The organization’s procedures for the chain of custody shall be 

documented, and include at least the following elements:

a. description of the raw material flow within the production 

process;

b. organization structure, responsibilities and authorities 

relating to chain of custody; and

c. procedures for the chain-of-custody process covering all 

requirements of this standard.

5.4 Record Keeping

5.4.1 The organization shall establish and maintain records to 

provide evidence it has conformed to the requirements 

of this standard and its chain-of-custody procedures are 

effective and efficient. The organization shall keep at 

least the following:

a. records of all suppliers of forest-based raw material, 

including information to confirm requirements at the 

supplier level are met;

b. records of all purchased forest-based raw material, 

including information on its origin;

c. records that demonstrate how the certification 

percentage for each product group was calculated;

d. records of all forest-based products sold and their 

claimed origin. including, as applicable, records of 

movements in volume credit accounts;

e. records of internal audits, nonconformities which 

occurred and corrective actions taken; and

f. records of top management’s periodic review of 

compliance with chain-of-custody requirements.

5.4.2 The organization shall maintain the records for a 

minimum period of three years unless stated otherwise 

by law.

5.5 Resource Management

5.5.1 Human Resources/Personnel:

The organization shall ensure that all personnel 

performing work affecting the implementation and 

maintenance of the chain of custody shall be competent 

on the basis of appropriate training, education, skills 

and experience.

5.5.2 Technical Facilities:

The organization shall identify, provide and maintain 

the infrastructure and technical facilities needed 

for effective implementation and maintenance of 

the organization’s chain of custody to meet the 

requirements of this standard.
10/16 | SFI 2015-2019 CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY STANDARD

5.6 Internal Audit and Management Review

5.6.1 The organization shall conduct internal audits at 

intervals of no more than one year covering all 

requirements of this standard, and establish corrective 

and preventive measures if required. 

5.6.2 The organization shall conduct the internal audit in 

accordance with the following requirements: 

a. The internal audit shall be undertaken by personnel 

that have adequate knowledge of the SFI 2015-2019 

Chain-of-Custody Standard;

b. Off-site interviews and desk audits are permissible, 

appropriate to the scope and scale of the organization;

c. If there have been no inputs or outputs for a site or 

manufacturing facility over the past year, internal 

audits are not required;

d. If a site or manufacturing facility has had no sales 

of SFI certified products over that past year, internal 

audits are not required;

e. Internal audits are to assess overall organizational 

conformance and internal audit documentation can 

consist of one consolidated internal audit checklist 

and/or report; and

f. Where nonconformities are identified during the 

internal audit process, a corrective action plan shall be 

developed at the site and/or organizational level.

5.6.3 Where the organization has outsourced activities within 

the scope of its chain of custody, the organization shall 

develop procedures for the audit of these contractors. 

5.6.4 The internal audit of outsource contractors may be 

conducted remotely.

5.6.5 Where there are sufficient outsource contractors, the 

internal audit may use a sampling approach for these 

contractors.

5.6.6 The internal audit of outsource contractors shall: 

a. determine the level of risk associated with the 

outsourced activities as determined by Part 6 – 

Outsourcing Agreements. 

b. include within the scope of the internal audit those 

outsourced activities assessed as high risk. 

5.6.7 The organization shall have its rationale for remote 

audits and its sampling procedure audited by its thirdparty certifier. 

5.6.8 The results of internal audits shall be reported to 

management for review during the annual 

management review. 

PART 6. OUTSOURCING AGREEMENTS

6.1 Outsourcing Agreements

Chain-of-custody certificate holders who outsource processing or 

manufacturing activities on a flexible basis to any one of a number 

of potential contractors may apply for inclusion of the outsourced 

process within the scope of their SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody 

Standard certificate. 

Organizations that wish to include outsourcing within the scope 

of their SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard certificate shall 

ensure the following:

a. the organization has legal ownership of all input material to 

be included in outsourced processes; 

b. the organization does not relinquish legal ownership of the 

materials during outsourced processing; 

 c. the organization has an agreement or contract covering the 

outsourced process with each contractor. This agreement or 

contract shall include a clause reserving the right of the SFI–

accredited certification body to audit the outsource contractor 

or operation; 

 d. the organization has a documented control system with 

explicit procedures for the outsourced process, which are 

shared with the relevant contractor. 

The organization shall issue the final claim statement and 

documentation for the processed or produced SFI–certified 

material following outsourcing. The documentation shall state 

the certificate holder’s SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard

certificate number and formal claim statement.

6.2 Assessing Risk for Outsource Contractors 

As per the requirements of 5.6.6 outsourced activities shall be riskranked in accordance with the following criteria: 

6.2.1 Low Risk: Outsource contractor receives the 

certified material from the organization and 

material is physically segregated from other 

non-certified material and contractor returns 

the material back to the organization after the 

outsourced work is completed. 

6.2.2 High Risk: One or more of the following would 

 indicate high risk scenarios:

• The outsourced contractor lacks the procedures to 

prevent the mixing of the organization’s certified 

material with that of other companies’ materials 

that are unrelated to the outsourced process.

• The outsource contractor receives certified 

material purchased by the organization for 

the process directly from the supplier on the 

organization’s behalf and ships finished product to 

the end customer on the organizations’ behalf

• The outsource contractor applies the 

organization’s SFI label to the finished product and 

ships the product direct to the customer.
SECTION 4

APPENDIX 1: CALCULATION OF THE CERTIFICATION PERCENTAGE

(Informative)

DEFINITION OF THE PRODUCT GROUP

The organization shall identify product group(s) for which the certification percentage is calculated. The product group shall be identified for 

specific products or groups of products (e.g., paper). Only products that consist of the same or similar raw material can be included in one product 

group. Other examples are listed in Table 1.

Table 1: Examples of chain-of-custody product groups

Output products Input raw material Chain-of-custody product group Units for credit account

Spruce lumber A

Spruce, Pine, Fir (SPF) sawlogs Spruce, Pine, Fir (SPF) products Tons of Spruce, Pine, Fir (SPF) 

sawlogs

Pine lumber B

Fir lumber C

Fir/Spruce/Pine (SPF) chips

Alder lumber A

Alder sawlogs Alder products Tons of Alder sawlogs

Alder lumber B

Alder lumber C

Alder chips

Alder/Pine/Spruce sawdust

Alder/Spruce/Pine sawlogs Residue products Tons of Alder/Spruce, Pine, Fir 

Alder/Pine/Spruce bark (SPF) sawlogs

CALCULATION OF THE CERTIFICATION PERCENTAGE

The company can use two methods to calculate the certification percentage (simple percentage or rolling average percentage):

Simple Percentage

The certification percentage for the specific product group is calculated from the material included in that specific product group. As a 

result, the organization applying this method must know the percentage of certified content before any product from that product group is 

sold or transferred. 

Rolling Average Percentage

The rolling average percentage is obtained by using the quantity of raw material procured in the specified previous period. As a maximum, 

the rolling average can be applied over the last 12 months.

EXAMPLE OF A THREE-MONTH ROLLING AVERAGE

The certification percentage for the product group is calculated from volumes of certified and other raw material procured during the previous 

three-month period (excluding the current product group).

Note: When the organization starts the chain of custody and the time period used in rolling average calculation is longer than the time period the 

chain of custody has been in place, the calculation of the rolling average is carried out from the volumes procured since the chain of custody was 

established. An example is given in Table 2: The first rolling average (month 1) is calculated only from volumes procured in month 1, the second 

rolling average (month 2) is calculated only from volumes procured in months 1 and 2.

SFI 2015-2019 CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY STANDARD | 11/16
Table 2: Example of three-month rolling average

1 2 3 4 5 6

No. of the 1-month 

calcul. period

Volume of certified 

raw material 

procured 

(tons)*

Volume of other raw 

material 

(tons)*

Sum of volumes 

of certified raw 

material for 

previous 3 months 

(tons)

Sum of volumes of 

other raw material 

for previous 3 

months 

(tons)

3-month rolling 

average percentage 

j=i Vc Vo Vv(3) Vo(3) Pc(3)

 i-2

Vc(3) = ∑ Vci

 j=i

 i-2

Vo(3) = ∑ Voi

 j=i

 Vc(3) Pc = Vc(3) + Vo(3)

1 11 90 11 90 10.89%

2 12 90 23 180 11.33%

3 13 90 36 270 11.76%

4 14 90 39 270 12.62%

5 15 90 42 270 13.46%

6 16 90 45 270 14.29%

7 17 90 48 270 15.09%

8 18 90 51 270 15.89%

9 19 90 54 270 16.67%

10 20 90 57 270 17.43%

11 21 90 60 270 18.18%

 CONTINUES

* The volume figures given in the table above are only examples

Example of calculation given in Table 2:

a. [column 4] Volume of certified raw material is calculated as sum of volumes of certified raw material procured in the previous 3 months. 

Vc(3)6 = Vc6 + Vc5 + Vc4 ; Vc(3)6 = 16 + 15 + 14 = 45 [tons]

b. [column 5] Volume of other raw material is calculated as sum of volumes of other raw material procured in the previous 3 months. 

Vo(3)6 = Vo6 + Vo5 + Vo4 ; Vo(3)6 = 90 + 90 + 90 = 270 [tons]

c. [column 6] The rolling average percentage is calculated according to the formula of chapter 3.3.1: Pc = Vc / [Vc + Vo]

Pc6 = 100 *Vc(3)6 / [Vc(3)6 + Vo(3)6]; Pc6 = 100 * 45 / [45 + 270] = 14.29%

Note: The product group period does not need to be equal to the calculation period as long as it does not exceed the length of the 

calculation period.

12/16 | SFI 2015-2019 CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY STANDARD
SECTION 4

VOLUME CREDIT ACCUMULATION

The organization can establish a volume credit account for the input raw material used in the specific product group or for specific products of the 

product group if 3.4.2.4 applies.

Table 3: Example of volume credit accumulation (in tons)

1 2 3 4 5

Number of 1 month’s 

product group

Credit volume for 

the product group

Credit account Maximum credit 

account

Used credits

I = [3]i-1 - [5]i-1+[2]i

condition: 

[3]i ≤ [4]i

 i-11

∑ (2)

 i

1 0 0 0 0

2 7.78 7.78 7.78 0

3 8.17 15.95 15.95 0

4 8.56 24.51 24.51 0

5 9.28 33.79 33.79 0

6 9.99 43.78 43.78 0

7 10.70 54.48 54.48 0

8 11.41 65.89 65.89 0

9 12.12 78.01 78.01 0

10 12.83 90.84 90.84 0

11 13.54 104.39 104.39 0

12 14.25 118.64 118.64 0

13 14.96 133.61 133.61 0

14 15.68 141.50 141.50 5

15 16.38 149.72 149.72 10

16 17.09 156.81 158.25 50

17 17.80 124.62 166.78 50

18 18.51 93.13 175.30 100

Example of calculation given in Table 3 for the product group of month 14:

d. [column 2] Includes volume credit calculated for 1 month product group. (Values for months 1-11 are taken from Table 2.)

e. [column 3] Credit account is calculated as a result of the credit account in the previous month [column 3, month 14] minus volume 

credits used in the previous month [column 5, month 14] plus volume credit calculated for the current month [column 2, month 15]. 

[3]14 - [5]14+[2]15 = 141.50–5+16.38 = 152.88 [tons]

Total quantity accumulated in the credit account cannot exceed volume credits entered into the volume credit in the previous 12 months 

[column 4 = 149.72] (chapter 3.4.2.4) 

152.88 > 149.72, therefore credit account is 149.72 [tons]

f. [column 4] Maximum credit account is calculated as a sum of volume credits entered into the credit account during the last 12 months 

[column 2, month 4-15]. 

[4] = [2]4 + [2]5 + [2]6 + [2]7 + [2]8 + [2]9 + [2]10 + [2]11 + [2]12 + [2]13 + [2]14 + [2]15 =

= 8.56+9.28+9.99+10.70+11.41+12.12+12.83+13.54+14.25+14.96+15.68+16.38 =

= 149.72 [tons]

SFI 2015-2019 CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY STANDARD | 13/16
USE OF THE VOLUME CREDIT

The volume credit account shall be drawn down as certified sales are made. The number of volume credits removed from the account shall be 

based on the ratio of input/output volume for the specific products sold as certified. Table 4 shows an example of the drawdown of the volume 

credit account for different product sales..

Table 4: Example of drawdown of the volume credit account for different product sales

Credit account balance 

(raw material credits)

Product Input/output ratio Volume of certified 

sales

Reduction to credit 

account balance

200 A 1/1 20 20

180 B 4/1 40 160

20 C 2/1 10 20

0 – – – –

14/16 | SFI 2015-2019 CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY STANDARD
SECTION 4

APPENDIX 2: SFI CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS

(Informative)

1. Certificate Statement: The X company or facility has been independently certified by Y, an SFI certification body accredited to perform SFI 

program audits that conform to the SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard.

2. Certificate Meaning: The certificate holder has been independently certified by an SFI certification body accredited to perform audits to the, 

SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard, and has received a license from the SFI Office of Label Use and Licensing authorizing use of the SFI 

service marks.

2.1 Certificate Content: All SFI chain-of-custody certificates shall have the following information, at a minimum, on the certificate:

a. Chain-of-custody number: The numbering system will have a three-letter abbreviation of the SFI certification body’s name, followed by 

“SFICOC,” followed by the audit number. The audit number can be unique to the SFI certification body. (Example for certification body 

XYZ completing its 20th chain–of-custody audit: XYZ-SFICOC-0020.)

b. The SFI off-product logo service mark (see below) must be placed on the certificate.

c. The logo of the accreditation firm (e.g.ANSI or SCC) for the SFI certification body conducting the chain-of-custody certification must be 

placed on the certificate.

3. Eligible Entities: Any company or facility that manufactures or distributes forest-based manufactured or printed products and wants to 

document that the material in the products was manufactured by a company certified to the SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard is eligible 

to obtain an SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard certificate (except as provided for in the SFI Policy on Illegal Logging in Section 7 of the SFI 

requirements document).

4. Application for SFI Label Use: The certified company and/or the SFI certification body will inform the Office of Label Use and Licensing of a 

successful completion along with a copy of the chain-of-custody certificate

5. Issuance of License and Certificate

5.1. Issuance of License. The Office of Label Use and Licensing shall issue the license to use the SFI off-product marks to the applicant upon 

written confirmation of successful completion of the chain-of-custody audit.

5.2. Certificate. The SFI certification body provides the written documentation of a successful completion of an audit.

6. Availability of On-Product Label: Holders of SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard certificates may also qualify for use of an SFI on-product 

label and may receive authorization from the SFI Office of Label Use and Licensing.

SFI 2015-2019 CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY STANDARD | 15/16
APPENDIX 3: CRITERIA FOR THE EVALUATION OF CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY

CERTIFICATION STANDARDS FOR USE IN THE SFI PROGRAM

OBJECTIVE

This appendix is intended to evaluate whether or not the chain-of-custody standards have credible systems for tracking wood flows from 

SFI certified land bases. The intent is not to recognize or include other provisions on “controlled wood,” “good wood” or any other forest 

management provisions.

CRITERIA 

1. The standard contains elements that address scope, references and definitions.

2. The standard defines minimum requirements for the management system, including:

• management and personnel responsibilities;

• documentation of procedures for the chain-of-custody process covering all requirements of the standard;

• record keeping; and

• internal auditing.

3. The standard contains specific requirements for each chain-of-custody method allowed under the standard (physical separation, percentage 

based, volume credit, batch in/batch out, procurement system), including but not limited to:

• supplier identification/verification or origin of wood flows;

• inventory control and accounting of wood flows;

• separation of material (if necessary); and

• calculation of the certified percentage.

4. The standard is consistent with the requirements of national and international standards and conformity assessment forums such as the 

International Organization for Standardization (ISO) or the International Accreditation Forum.

5. The standard requires the use of certification bodies accredited by ANSI, Standards Council of Canada, or an equivalent body recognized 

by the International Accreditation Forum to conduct a Chain of Custody (CoC) Conformity Assessment based on ISO/IEC Guide 65:1996 or 

ISO/IEC 17065:2012.

16/16 | SFI 2015-2019 CHAIN-OF-CUSTODY STANDARD
SECTION 5

RULES FOR USE OF SFI

ON-PRODUCT LABELS

AND OFF-PRODUCT 

MARKS

JANUARY 2015 ANUARY 2015

RULES FOR USE OF SFI ON-PRODUCT LABELS AND OFF-PRODUCT MARKS | 1/17 SECTION 5

RULES FOR USE OF SFI ON-PRODUCT LABELS AND 

OFF-PRODUCT MARKS

PART 1: RULES FOR USE OF SFI ON-PRODUCT LABELS 4

PART 2: GENERAL RULES FOR USE OF SFI ON-PRODUCT LABELS 5

PART 3: RULES FOR USE OF SFI OFF-PRODUCT MARKS 8

PART 4: RULES FOR USE OF SFI WORD MARKS 8

PART 5: GENERAL RULES – FOR USE OF THE SFI OFF-PRODUCT 

 MARKS AND WORD MARKS 9

Appendix 1: SFI Program Certification Mark (On-Product) – Art Rules 10

Appendix 2: SFI On-Product Labels 12

Appendix 3: SFI Off-Product Mark – Art Rules 16
2/17 | RULES FOR USE OF SFI ON-PRODUCT LABELS AND OFF-PRODUCT MARKS

THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
RULES FOR USE OF SFI ON-PRODUCT LABELS AND OFF-PRODUCT MARKS | 3/17 SECTION 5

SFI Inc. is an independent, non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to promoting sustainable 

forest management in North America and supporting responsible procurement globally. The SFI

Board is a three chamber Board of Directors representing environmental, social and economic 

interests equally, and the program addresses local needs through its grassroots network of 34 SFI 

Implementation Committees across North America. SFI Inc. directs all elements of the SFI program 

including the SFI forest management, fiber sourcing and chain-of-custody standards, labeling and 

marketing.

Consumers in growing numbers want assurance that their buying decisions represent a sound 

environmental choice. They are asking for proof that wood, paper and packaging products are made 

with raw materials sourced from certified forest content and certified sourcing. The SFI 2015-2019 

Forest Management Standard, SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard and SFI 2015-2019 Chain-ofCustody Standard can deliver a reliable and credible mechanism so businesses can provide this 

assurance to their customers. In order to use any of the SFI on-product labels or off-product marks, 

an organization must be third-party certified by an accredited certification body.

The SFI program meets guidelines on environmental claims in product advertising and 

communication issued by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and guidelines on environmental 

labeling and advertising issued by the Competition Bureau of Canada.

Studies have shown that consumers appreciate the value of forest certification in helping them 

identify wood and paper products from legal, responsible sources. 

The fact that the SFI program can deliver a steady supply of fiber from well-managed forests is 

especially important at a time when there is increasing demand for green building and responsible 

paper purchasing, and only 10 percent of the world’s forests are certified. 

RULES FOR USE OF SFI ON-PRODUCT LABELS AND 

OFF-PRODUCT MARKS

INTRODUCTION
4/17 | RULES FOR USE OF SFI ON-PRODUCT LABELS AND OFF-PRODUCT MARKS

PART 1. RULES FOR USE OF SFI ON-PRODUCT LABELS

The SFI program has three on-product labels: two Chain-ofCustody labels and one SFI Certified Sourcing label.

Certified Chain-of-Custody labels track the use of fiber from 

certified forests, certified sourcing and recycled material. 

The SFI Certified Sourcing label does not make claims about certified 

forest content. Certified sourcing can include fiber sourced from 

a company that conforms with Section 2 - SFI 2015-2019 Forest 

Management Standard, Section 3 - SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing 

Standard, from recycled content, or from certified forest content. 

Fiber shall never be sourced from a controversial source. 

Primary producers of wood, wood pulp and/or pulp and paper 

products certified to the PEFC Chain-of-Custody standard can use 

the SFI label as long as the following criteria are met: 

a. the primary producer must be an SFI Program Participant; 

b. the primary producer must be certified to all of the 

applicable objectives in Section 2 - SFI 2015-2019 Forest 

Management Standard and/or Section 3 - SFI 2015-2019 

Fiber Sourcing Standard.

• An organization that owns or manages forestlands 

must be certified to Section 2 - SFI 2015-2019 Forest 

Management Standard.

• An organization that only sources direct from the forest 

and does not manage the forestlands must be certified to 

Section 3 - SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard.

• An organization that owns or manages forestlands 

and sources direct from the forest must be certified to 

Section 2 - SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard 

and Section 3 - SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard. 

1.1 Chain-of-Custody Label for Volume Credit Method Label

The volume credit method allows a company to label only the 

percentage of output corresponding to the percentage of certified 

forest content and/or recycled content used in the manufacturing 

process. This is always at a 1:1 ratio, so it is considered 100% 

certified. The following two labels may be used by any chain-ofcustody certificate holder that uses the volume credit chain-ofcustody method. If the chain-of-custody certificate holder uses 

recycled content, then the label must state, “Promoting Sustainable 

Forestry and Recycled Content.” However, if recycled content is not 

used, then the label must state, “Promoting Sustainable Forestry.”

1.2 Chain-of-Custody Labels for Average Percentage Method

The average percentage method allows chain-of-custody certificate 

holders to consistently label all of their products with the average 

percentage labels. To use the “Promoting Sustainable Forestry and 

Recycled Content” label with the average percentage method, the 

chain-of-custody certificate holder must meet a 70% threshold, 

which can be obtained by certified forest content and/or recycled 

content. If recycled content is not used, then the label must 

state, “Promoting Sustainable Forestry.” If the chain-of-custody 

certificate holder drops below the 70% threshold, they shall be 

transparent and disclose the actual amount of certified forest 

content and/or recycled content on the label. The following two 

labels may be used by any chain-of-custody certificate holder that 

drops below a 70% threshold and uses the average percentage 

chain-of-custody method. 

1.3 Chain-of-Custody Labels with Mobius Loop

If a chain-of-custody certificate holder uses recycled content, they 

can chose to incorporate a Mobius loop stating the percentage of 

recycled content in the product. Below is an example of the chainof-custody labels with the Mobius loop.

1.4 Certified Sourcing Label 

The SFI Certified Sourcing label can be used by any organization 

certified to Section 2 - SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard 

and/or Section 3 - SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard. The 

SFI Certified Sourcing label does not make claims about certified 

forest content. Eligible inputs that count toward the Certified 

Sourcing label includes fiber from Section 2 - SFI 2015-2019 

Forest Management Standard, fiber from Section 3 - SFI 2015-

2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard, fiber from recycled content, or fiber 

from certified forest content. Fiber shall never be sourced from a 

controversial source.

SFI-XXXXX SFI-XXXXX

SFI-XXXXX
RULES FOR USE OF SFI ON-PRODUCT LABELS AND OFF-PRODUCT MARKS | 5/17 SECTION 5

PART 2. GENERAL RULES FOR USE OF SFI ONPRODUCT LABELS

SFI Inc. owns the on-product labels shown in Appendix 2. The SFI 

“tree/leaf” design shown below is registered in the United States, 

Canada, Mexico, European Union, China, Japan and South Korea.

The SFI program owns all right, title and interest in the foregoing 

marks and exercises legitimate control over the use of these onproduct labels. 

Qualified organizations or those with a valid certificate issued by 

an accredited certification body may use the on-product labels 

upon receiving authorization from the SFI Office of Label Use and 

Licensing, provided the following conditions and limitations are 

strictly adhered to:

2.1 SFI marks are registered with both the U.S. Patent and 

Trademark Office and the Canadian Intellectual Property Office, and 

each mark must be individually accompanied by an ® to indicate that 

the on-product label is associated with the SFI program. 

2.2 All projects with the SFI label must be sent to the SFI Office of 

Label Use and Licensing prior to press. There are no size or color 

restrictions on the label, but if the certified printer uses the above 

green/black version, the PMS color is 348.

2.3 The on-product label may be combined with the Program for 

the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) schemes on the 

product label, assuming the organization has a valid PEFC chainof-custody certificate and meets all PEFC logo use requirements. 

2.4 The recycled Mobius loop may only be used within the SFI label 

when the organization is certified to Section 4 SFI 2015-2019 Chainof-Custody Standard. 

2.5 The tree/leaf design may not be displayed by itself, and must 

always be accompanied with either “Sustainable Forestry Initiative” 

or “SFI,” the claim associated with the label, the SFI website (www.

sfiprogram.org), and the certified organization’s SFI label ID number.

2.6 The SFI label identification number must be added under the 

SFI program website. The numbering system is as follows: SFI00000. The label users’ unique label ID number is a license number 

provided by SFI Inc. The label ID number is a different number than 

the chain-of-custody number provided by the certification body.

2.7 For private branded products where the company has concern 

disclosing the relationship with the manufacturer, or if there 

is concern with revealing strategic competitive information 

about the manufacturer, SFI Inc can issue a second SFI label ID 

number. While the second SFI label ID number would be on the 

product when searched in the SFI on-line database, the supplier 

information will read “Contact SFI Inc. for More Information on 

this Product (Tel: 202-596-3450).” SFI staff can confirm for the 

person making the enquiry that the label is legitimate based 

on information supplied. This second SFI label ID number will 

only be granted for organizations who produce private branded 

products and request a private number in order to avoid disclosing 

competitive information. The manufacturer must continue to use 

their originally assigned SFI label ID number for all other products 

they manufacture and label that do not have competitiveness 

concerns as described above.

2.8 The on-product labels can be used in either horizontal or 

vertical styles. 

2.9 The on-product labels can be used in English, French and 

Spanish, and translations are available.

2.10 Any public communication by Program Participants and label 

users shall be accurate and consistent with applicable law and 

requirements for SFI logo use. Program Participants and label users 

are encouraged to consult the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s 

guidelines on environmental claims in product advertising and 

communication and the guidelines on environmental labeling 

and advertising issued by the Fair Business Practices Branch of 

Industry Canada’s Competition Bureau, as appropriate, and to seek 

additional information and direction from national accreditation 

bodies, national standards bodies, and national, state and 

provincial consumer protection and competition laws.

2.11 The on-product labels may be used on products, including 

shrink wrap and other product packaging, that have been produced by 

a primary or secondary producing facility, a publisher, a retailer or a 

printer that has qualified for use of the appropriate on-product labels. 

2.12 The on-product labels may be used in product/brochures or 

advertising for products that qualify to use one of the on-product 

labels subject to the following rules:

a. When discussing products produced by a qualified facility, 

the on-product usage is restricted to either, 1) the 

statement, “Look for this label on (specified product)” or, 

2) in a picture of a product with the label on the product.

b. When promoting the sale of trees or logs grown on certified 

land by landowners who have the land third-party certified to 

the SFI Standard. 

c. When referencing the products of a company with mills that 

do not all qualify for the certification mark, this fact must 

communicated (e.g., “only some of the mills producing ‘x’ 

product are qualified to use the SFI on-product label”). 

d. If all the products in a product line are not certified, the label 

must accurately state this (e.g., “this label applies only to the 

cover of this publication”).

2.13 When the “At Least X% Certified Forest Content” label 

is being applied on solid wood products, the claim must read, 

“Product Line Contains At Least X% Certified Forest Content.” 

Artwork for this label is available upon request. 
6/17 | RULES FOR USE OF SFI ON-PRODUCT LABELS AND OFF-PRODUCT MARKS

2.14 An SFI chain-of-custody certificate holder may make a claim 

of any percentage of certified forest content, but use of the label is 

contingent on the production batch having at least 10% certified 

forest content, unless the product is 100% recycled content. 

2.15 When using the X% Chain-of-Custody label, the claims can 

be switched in order so “X% Certified Sourcing” or X% Recycled 

Content” is first. Furthermore, label users can add the words, “At 

Least” in front of the “X% Certified Forest Content” claim.

2.16 Label users can substitute the term “Recycled Content” on 

the labels and replace it with pre-consumer recycled and/or postconsumer recycled. 

2.17 Facilities that utilize 100% recycled content can use the X% 

label with the average percentage method. They cannot, however, 

use the X% certified forest content tagline, and must exclude that 

tagline from the label.

2.18 Printers that are certified to the SFI Chain-of-Custody 

Standard may use their chain-of-custody procedures to account for 

product that is approved for the Certified Sourcing Label, and label 

that product with the Certified Sourcing Label. These organizations 

must obtain documentation from their suppliers that the product is 

approved for the Certified Sourcing Label.

2.19 Publishers can work with a certified printer and do not need 

a separate chain-of-custody certification unless they are actually 

printing the publication. 

2.20 Any public communication by Program Participants and 

label users shall be accurate and consistent with applicable 

laws and requirements for SFI logo use. Program Participants

and label users are encouraged to consult the U.S. Federal 

Trade Commission’s guidelines on environmental claims in 

product advertising and communication and the guidelines on 

environmental labeling and advertising issued by the Fair Business 

Practices Branch of Industry Canada’s Competition Bureau, as 

appropriate, and to seek additional information and direction 

from national accreditation bodies, national standards bodies and 

national, state and provincial consumer protection and competition 

laws. Label users should consult with their legal counsel when 

preparing product advertising that includes an SFI on-product label 

or any other reference to the SFI program.

a. Point of purchase (POP) materials should avoid 

environmental claims that can be tied to the product. 

Rather, they should explain the SFI Program Participant’s 

voluntary participation in a program for sustainable forest 

management. Avoid references or suggestions that the SFI 

program preserves forests. 

b. Avoid promoting any specific attributes of the product(s) 

bearing the mark when discussing participation in the SFI 

program, other than those related to forest management.

c. Organizations can make claims about other certified 

processes (e.g., soy ink or alternate power sources) as long as 

it is clear that this is not associated with the SFI certification.

2.21 All advertising material must be sent to the SFI program’s 

Office of Label Use and Licensing for review and approval. SFI staff 

are available to answer questions about the use of the marks and 

these rules. 

2.22 The Office of Label Use and Licensing reserves the right to 

request samples of all uses of the SFI On-product labels from time 

to time. 

2.23 If the Office of Label Use and Licensing determines that a label 

user is not using the marks as provided in these rules, which may 

be amended from time to time, or no longer meets the criteria set 

out in the SFI program requirements, it will send a written notice to 

the label user specifying the inappropriate use(s) and allow thirty 

(30) days in which to make a correction. If the label user fails to 

make the correction, the right to use the marks will be revoked.

2.24 Label users who observe misuse of any of these marks shall 

report this immediately to the Office of Label Use and Licensing.

2.25 When selling product as SFI chain-of-custody certified, the 

organization shall provide customers with written information 

confirming the supplier’s certified status, an official SFI claim 

statement and the organization’s chain-of-custody number. This 

can be in the form of, but is not limited to, an invoice, bill of lading, 

shipping document, letter, or other forms of communications 

available to the customer at the time of the sale of the product. 

2.26 When using the SFI chain-of-custody X% content labels, the 

following rules must be taken into consideration:

a. The X% content label must equal all parts to 100%. 

b. If a specific attribute does not apply (e.g., post-consumer 

recycled content), the company must exclude that tagline 

from the label. 

c. If a company wishes to make a 100% certified sourcing claim, 

the certified sourcing label must be used. 

d. The 100% certified forest content claim can be made only 

when the physical separation method has been used 

throughout the chain-of-custody process. 

2.27 The organization approved to use the SFI on-product label 

can use either the color, black and white, or reversed style labels. 

Where one-color print is being used, the SFI label may be the same 

color as the rest of the product. 

2.28 The size of the label can be determined by the certified 

company approved to use the SFI label, if approved by the SFI Office 

of Label Use and Licensing. 

2.29 If the label is being used on a small product (e.g., pencils) 

and the claim may not be legible, a company may apply to the 

SFI Office of Label Use and Licensing for additional exceptions on 

applying the SFI on-product label. 
RULES FOR USE OF SFI ON-PRODUCT LABELS AND OFF-PRODUCT MARKS | 7/17 SECTION 5

2.30 The following taglines can be used in combination with SFI 

on-product labels and with promotional materials that may or may 

not include the SFI label. The SFI website (www.sfiprogram.org) can 

be added to any of these taglines. 

a. Approved claims for use with the Section 2 - SFI 2015-2019 

Forest Management Standard and certified primary producers:

• We are proud to be part of a growing community 

of landowners, conservation groups and responsible 

companies all working towards improving 

forest management.

• Through our Sustainable Forestry Initiative®

certification, we help our customers’ source 

responsible forest products.

• We are proud to be part of a certification program whose 

participants have contributed over $1 billion in research.

• We are excited to work with the Sustainable Forestry 

Initiative®, a program supported by conservation 

groups across North America.

• We promote responsible forest management and so do 

our customers.

• With Sustainable Forestry Initiative® certification, we 

proudly support North American communities.

• The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® program promotes 

sustainable forest management.

• The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® program integrates 

the perpetual growing and harvesting of trees with the 

protection of wildlife, plants, soils and water.

• The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® program promotes 

responsible forest management.

• By supporting the Sustainable Forestry Initiative®

program, (SFI certified organization name) is helping 

to strengthen forest practices in North America and 

promote responsible sourcing globally.

b. Approved claims for use with Section 4 - SFI 2015-2019 

Chain-of-Custody Standard certification

• With Sustainable Forestry Initiative® chain-of-custody 

certification, (SFI certified organization name) is 

meeting the growing demand for forest products from 

responsible sources.

• By using the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® label, (SFI 

certified organization name) is telling customers you 

care about forest management, and are prepared to 

meet their high standards. 

• The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® program promotes 

sustainable forest management.

• The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® program integrates 

the perpetual growing and harvesting of trees with the 

protection of wildlife, plants, soils and water.

• The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® program promotes 

responsible forest management.

• By supporting the Sustainable Forestry Initiative®

program, (SFI certified organization name) is helping 

to strengthen forest practices in North America and 

promote responsible sourcing globally.

c. Approved claims for use with SFI Certified Sourcing 

(Secondary and Primary Manufacturers) certification (Section 

3 – SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard)

• The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® certified sourcing 

label is proof (SFI certified organization name) is using 

fiber from responsible and legal sources.

• This demonstrates (SFI certified organization name) 

support for improved forestry practices and strong 

communities across North America.

d. Approved claims for all SFI certified organizations

• The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® is a 

comprehensive, independent certification program 

that works with environmental, social and industry 

partners to improve forest practices in North America 

and fiber sourcing worldwide. 

• The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® is based on 

14 core principles that promote sustainable forest 

management, including measures to protect water 

quality, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, species at risk and 

Forests with Exceptional Conservation Value.

• The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® is an independent 

501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization, and is 

solely responsible for maintaining, overseeing and 

improving the internationally recognized SFI® program. 

2.31 The following geographic taglines can be used in combination 

with the SFI on-product labels and with promotional materials that 

may or may not include the SFI label. A Program Participant, primary

or secondary producer can only use these taglines if they successfully 

demonstrated to the SFI certification body conducting the Section 4 - 

SFI 2015-2019 Chain of Custody Standard audit that they have tracked 

the sources of their supply, and that the wood fiber is sourced in 

North America in a manner consistent with the geographic tagline 

suggested. If a company sources any of its raw materials outside 

of North American, these claims can only be used if physical 

separation is employed. A 5% de minimis is acceptable. 

• This wood is from a responsibly managed [North American/

U.S./Canadian] forest.

• The fiber in this paper/packaging product is from a 

responsibly managed [North American/U.S./Canadian] forest.

• The fiber in this product meets the requirements of the 

independent Sustainable Forestry Initiative® program, 

delivering assurance that it comes from a responsibly 

managed [North American/U.S./Canadian] forest.

2.32 Usage of SFI labels and claims shall follow ISO 14020:2000.

2.33 The Office of Label Use and Licensing reserves the right to 

refuse any label use that does not align with SFI Inc.’s strategic 

objective, which is to “ensure the SFI 2015-2019 Standards and 

Rules is strong, grounded in science, progressive and based on 

integrity and proven through conservation collaboration resulting in 

wide market acceptance.”
8/17 | RULES FOR USE OF SFI ON-PRODUCT LABELS AND OFF-PRODUCT MARKS

PART 3. RULES FOR USE OF SFI OFF-PRODUCT MARKS

In addition to its on-product labels, SFI Inc. has off-product marks 

to show participation in the program and to promote the program

generally. SFI Inc. owns all right, title and interest in these offproduct marks, and exercises legitimate control over their use.

SFI Licensed Off-Product Marks

3.1 Off-product marks may only be used by Program Participants

in good standing whose operations have been certified by an SFI 

certification body to be in conformance with the SFI 2015-2019 

Forest Management and SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standards, 

and/or the SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard (for all or a 

portion of their operations). Any express or implied claim that a 

Program Participant is in conformance with the SFI Standard(s) 

must be substantiated by a current, valid certification by an SFI 

accredited certification body. 

3.2 Off-product marks may be used as described in Part 5 under 

General Rules for Program Participants.

3.3 The tagline mark (Good for You. Good for our Forests®) may be 

placed beneath the off-product mark.

3.4 The SFI label identification number must be added under the 

logo mark. The numbering system is as follows: SFI-00000. The SFI 

Program Participants unique label ID number is provided by SFI Inc.

The label ID number is a different number than the certification 

number provided by the certification body.

3.5 Program Participants must seek approval from the SFI Office of 

Label Use and Licensing for use of the off-product marks. 

PART 4. RULES FOR USE OF SFI WORD MARKS

SFI Inc owns all right, title and interest in the foregoing word marks 

and exercises legitimate control over the use of the word marks.

The purpose of these word marks is to show participation in the 

SFI® program and to promote the SFI program generally.

• SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY INITIATIVE®

• SFI®

SFI Licensed Tagline Mark:

• GOOD FOR YOU, GOOD FOR OUR FORESTS®

4.1 Use of the word marks may only be used by Program Participants

in good standing whose operations have been certified by an SFI 

certification body to be in conformance with the SFI 2015-2019 SFI Forest 

Management Standard, SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard and/or 

the SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard for all or a portion of their 

operations. Any express or implied claim that a Program Participant is 

in conformance with the SFI Standard(s) must be substantiated by a 

current, valid certification by an SFI accredited certification body. 

4.2 The ® only needs to be included the first time the “Sustainable 

Forestry Initiative” or “SFI” word marks appears in a document, 

whether it is in a title or in text. If both word marks are used, the 

correct format is: Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) program, 

and then the first use of “SFI” also carries an ®, i.e., SFI®.

4.3 A word mark must be an adjective, it cannot be a noun, so when 

it is used in text, the word “program” or “standard” must appear 

after the mark. The mark should not be plural or possessive.

4.4 The tagline mark (Good For You, Good For Our Forests®) can be 

used in association with the word marks.

4.5 In addition to the uses described below in Part 5, General Rules 

for off-product marks the word marks may be used as follows, 

provided the advertisement or brochure refers to the SFI website 

(www.sfiprogram.org) or the Program Participant’s website with a 

hotlink to the SFI website:

• in advertisements that promote the Program Participant’s

certification to the SFI Standard(s); and 

• in sales brochures and other similar product promotional items. 

4.6 Program Participants must seek approval from the SFI Office of 

Label Use and Licensing for use of the word marks. 
RULES FOR USE OF SFI ON-PRODUCT LABELS AND OFF-PRODUCT MARKS | 9/17 SECTION 5

PART 5. GENERAL RULES – FOR USE OF THE SFI

OFF-PRODUCT MARKS AND WORD MARKS

5.1 The Off-product and word marks may be used, subject to the 

rules in Parts 3 and 4, and as follows: 

a. In image advertising that focuses on a summary of company 

accomplishments or values, on company people, on 

company financial results or stock performance, on company 

community activities, or any combination of the above. Such 

advertising must not promote specific products, tout product 

attributes, or make value propositions, although generic 

products may be shown.

b. In communications that explain and/or promote the 

Sustainable Forestry Initiative program’s services and 

a company’s participation in the SFI program, both to 

employees and to those outside of the organization. 

c. On business letterhead, business cards, and invoices.

d. In annual reports, provided there is a reference to the SFI Inc.

website (www.sfiprogram.org).

e. On generic business signs (e.g., vehicles, forest stands, office 

buildings, and mill sites that are owned or held on a longterm exclusive lease). Vehicles or facilities must be under 

the certified company’s direct control and must prominently 

display the company’s name. If the vehicle or facility is sold or 

the lease terminated, the marks must be removed before the 

title is transferred or the occupancy ends.

f. On clothing and protective gear (e.g., uniforms, shirts and 

hard hats), in conjunction with, but not attached to, the 

company’s name or Off-product.

g. On a company website with a hotlink to the SFI website 

(www.sfiprogram.org). 

5.2 If any of the marks are used in written communications, the 

following statement must be included in an appropriate location 

(e.g., bottom of the page or on the back of a brochure), “SFI Marks 

are registered marks owned by Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc.” 

5.3 In addition to the references to the SFI website required above, 

companies should consider including a reference to the SFI website 

in any document where a 0ff-product or word mark is displayed.

5.4 Use of the marks must comply with the Art Rules in Appendix 

3, which are incorporated herein by reference, and with the 

following:

a. A label user may use any one color in the presentation of the 

Logo Marks. If the label user chooses to use green, the PMS 

color is 348.

b. The off-product mark font is Vag Rounded Light. The offproduct mark may not be recreated using any other fonts or 

styles of these fonts. The font sizes must remain in the same 

proportions as the off-product mark provided in cameraready or electronic file form.

c. The off-product mark may appear within a photographic 

image or illustration.

d. The off-product mark may not be combined with any other 

logo or image in such a way as to create a third logo or mark.

e. The tree/leaf portion of the off-product mark may not be 

displayed by itself, but must always be accompanied with 

SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY INITIATIVE as set out above.

f. The off-product mark must always be accompanied by the 

participant’s SFI label ID number. The SFI label ID number 

shall be added under the mark.

5.5 The SFI mark is registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark 

Office and in Canada, Mexico, the European Union, Japan, China 

and South Korea, and must be accompanied by an ® to indicate 

that SFI Inc. owns it, unless otherwise authorized in these rules.

5.6 Any public communication by Program Participants or label 

users shall be accurate and consistent with applicable laws and 

requirements for SFI off-product use. Program Participants and 

label users are encouraged to consult the U.S. Federal Trade 

Commission’s guidelines on environmental claims in product 

advertising and communication and the guidelines on environmental 

labeling and advertising issued by the Fair Business Practices 

Branch of Industry Canada’s Competition Bureau, as appropriate, 

and to seek additional information and direction from national 

accreditation bodies, national standards bodies and national, state 

and provincial consumer protection and competition laws. Legal 

counsel, as well as with the SFI Office of Label Use and Licensing,

should be consulted during the preparation of any material that uses 

the marks and describes or makes claims about the SFI program and 

a company’s participation.

5.7 The Office of Label Use and Licensing reserves the right to 

refuse any label use that does not align with SFI Inc.’s strategic 

objective, which is to “ensure the SFI Standard is strong, grounded 

in science, progressive and based on integrity and proven through 

conservation collaboration resulting in wide market acceptance.”

5.8 If SFI Inc. determines marks are not being used as provided in 

these rules, it will send a written notice specifying the inappropriate 

use(s) and allow thirty (30) days in which to make a correction. If 

corrections are not made, the right to use the marks will be revoked.

5.9 Any observed misuse of any of these marks should be reported 

immediately to the SFI Office of Label Use and Licensing.

5.10 The SFI Inc. has marketing materials available on the 

members-only section of the SFI website (www.sfiprogram.org). 

Please contact the SFI Office of Label Use and Licensing for access 

to this section. 

5.11 Approval for SFI on-product label use and SFI marks should be 

obtained by using the online label approval system (www.sfidatabase.

org) monitored by the SFI Office of Label Use and Licensing.
APPENDIX 1: SFI PROGRAM CERTIFICATION MARK (ON-PRODUCT) –

ART RULES

(Only the Promoting Sustainable Forestry label is depicted below for illustrative purposes.)

Vertical

Mark

1” minimum

width for mark

4-Color Mark (CMYK)

2-Color Mark (PMS 348)

1-color Mark (B&W)

Web-Safe Mark 

Reverse Mark

SFI-XXXXX

Horizontal

Mark

11⁄2” minimum

width for mark

4-Color Mark

Use CMYK color palette specs whenever 4-Color printing is 

available.

2-Color Mark

Use PMS 348 CVC and black when PMS color is available.

1-color Mark

Use B&W version of the marks when printing in black 

and white.

Web-Safe Mark

Use jpeg or tiff for all website applications and PowerPoint 

presentations.

Reverse Mark

Use reverse version of the marks when applying them to 

dark backgrounds or over dark photographic images.

SFI-XXXXX

SFI-XXXXX

10/17 | RULES FOR USE OF SFI ON-PRODUCT LABELS AND OFF-PRODUCT MARKS
RULES FOR USE OF SFI ON-PRODUCT LABELS AND OFF-PRODUCT MARKS | 11/17 SECTION 5

Color Palette

The primary color palette consists of PMS 348 

CVC and Black.

Always match print jobs to color swatches to 

maintain consistency.

Use Web-safe specs for PowerPoint 

presentations and website graphics.

Area of Isolation

To maintain clean, uncluttered layouts and to 

maximize the impact and recognition of the 

marks, always maintain an area of isolation all 

around the marks as shown.

Note: marks may appear within a photographic 

image or illustration given that an area of 

isolation is maintained as noted.

Mark Violations

• To maintain consistency, do not modify or 

alter marks.

• Do not violate area of isolation with text or 

other graphics.

• Do not create a pattern with mark graphics.

• Do not alter the positioning of mark graphics 

or re-position, recrop, break apart or 

otherwise alter marks in any way. The mark 

may not be recreated using any fonts or 

styles other than the Vag Rounded Light or 

Univers 57 Condensed for the “claim” and 

website. The font size remains in the same 

proportions as the mark provided in the 

electronic file form.

• The tree/leaf design may not be displayed by 

itself, but must always be accompanied by 

the words “Sustainable Forestry Initiative” 

or “SFI”, the “claim” and the website www.

sfiprogram.org.

• The SFI Label ID

Please consult with legal counsel, as well as the SFI Office of Label Use and Licensing, during preparation of all materials that 

include these marks. All uses of the marks should be sent to SFI for review prior to using. In the event a Label User should 

observe misuse of any of these marks, Label User shall immediately report such improper use.

SFI Black

100% Black

PMS

348 CVC

CMYK

C 94.12%

M 22.74%

Y 80.78%

K 8.63%

Web-Safe

R 12 

G 68

B 3E
APPENDIX 2: SFI ON-PRODUCT LABELS

PRODUCT LABELING GUIDE VERTICAL LABEL ARTWORK OPTION #1FOLDER:SFI_Labels_VerticalSUB FOLDER:

SFI_Labels_VC (VC: Vertical, Color)

SFI_CS_A_VC.ai SFI_COC_A_VC.ai SFI_COC_REC_A_VC.ai SFI_COC_REC_B_VC.ai SFI_COCalX_A_VC.ai SFI_COCX_A_VC.ai SFI_COCX_B_VC.ai

SFI_CS_A_VC.tif SFI_COC_A_VC.tif SFI_COC_REC_A_VC.tif SFI_COC_REC_B_VC.tif SFI_COCalX_A_VC.tif SFI_COCX_A_VC.tif SFI_COCX_B_VC.tif

SFI_CS_A_VC.jpg SFI_COC_A_VC.jpg SFI_COC_REC_A_VC.jpg SFI_COC_REC_B_VC.jpg SFI_COCalX_A_VC.jpg SFI_COCX_A_VC.jpg SFI_COCX_B_VC.jpg

SUB FOLDER:

SFI_Labels_VBW (VBW: Vertical, Black & White)

SFI_CS_A_VBW.ai SFI_COC_A_VBW.ai SFI_COC_REC_A_VBW.ai SFI_COC_REC_B_VBW.ai SFI_COCalX_A_VBW.ai SFI_COCX_A_VBW.ai SFI_COCX_B_VWB.ai

SFI_CS_A_VBW.tif SFI_COC_A_VBW.tif SFI_COC_REC_A_VBW.tif SFI_COC_REC_B_VBW.tif SFI_COCalX_A_VBW.tif SFI_COCX_A_VBW.tif SFI_COCX_B_VBW.tif

SFI_CS_A_VBW.jpg SFI_COC_A_VBW.jpg SFI_COC_REC_A_VBW.jpg SFI_COC_REC_B_VBW.jpg SFI_COCalX_A_VBW.jpg SFI_COCX_A_VBW.jpg SFI_COCX_B_VBW.jpg

SUB FOLDER:

SFI_Labels_VR (VR: Vertical, Reverse)

SFI_CS_A_VR.ai SFI_COC_A_VR.ai SFI_COC_REC_A_VR.ai SFI_COC_REC_B_VR.ai SFI_COCalX_A_VR.ai SFI_COCX_A_VR.ai SFI_COCX_B_VR.ai

SFI_CS_A_VR.tif SFI_COC_A_VR.tif SFI_COC_REC_A_VR.tif SFI_COC_REC_B_VR.tif SFI_COCalX_A_VR.tif SFI_COCX_A_VR.tif SFI_COCX_B_VR.tif

SFI_CS_A_VR.jpg SFI_COC_A_VR.jpg SFI_COC_REC_A_VR.jpg SFI_COC_REC_B_VR.jpg SFI_COCalX_A_VR.jpg SFI_COCX_A_VR.jpg SFI_COCX_B_VR.jpg

12/17| RULES FOR USEOF SFI ON-PRODUCT LABELS AND OFF-PRODUCT MARKS
SECTION 5

PRODUCT LABELING GUIDE HORIZONTAL LABEL ARTWORK OPTION #1

FOLDER:

SFI_Labels_Horizontal

SUB FOLDER:

SFI_Labels_HC (HC: Horizontal, Color)

SFI_CS_A_HC.ai

SFI_CS_A_HC.tif

SFI_CS_A_HC.jpg

SFI_COC_A_HC.ai

SFI_COC_A_HC.tif

SFI_COC_A_HC.jpg

SFI_COC_REC_A_HC.ai

SFI_COC_REC_A_HC.tif

SFI_COC_REC_A_HC.jpg

SFI_COC_REC_B_HC.ai

SFI_COC_REC_B_HC.tif

SFI_COC_REC_B_HC.jpg

SFI_COCalX_A_HC.ai

SFI_COCalX_A_HC.tif

SFI_COCalX_A_HC.jpg

SFI_COCX_A_HC.ai

SFI_COCX_A_HC.tif

SFI_COCX_A_HC.jpg

SFI_COCX_B_HC.ai

SFI_COCX_B_HC.tif

SFI_COCX_B_HC.jpg

SUB FOLDER:

SFI_Labels_HBW (HC: Horizontal, B & W)

SFI_CS_A_HBW.ai

SFI_CS_A_HBW.tif

SFI_CS_A_HBW.jpg

SFI_COC_A_HBW.ai

SFI_COC_A_HBW.tif

SFI_COC_A_HBW.jpg

SFI_COC_REC_A_HBW.ai

SFI_COC_REC_A_HBW.tif

SFI_COC_REC_A_HBW.jpg

SFI_COC_REC_B_HBW.ai

SFI_COC_REC_B_HBW.tif

SFI_COC_REC_B_HBW.jpg

SFI_COCalX_A_HBW.ai

SFI_COCalX_A_HBW.tif

SFI_COCalX_A_HBW.jpg

SFI_COCX_A_HBW.ai

SFI_COCX_A_HBW.tif

SFI_COCX_A_HBW.jpg

SFI_COCX_B_HBW.ai

SFI_COCX_B_HBW.tif

SFI_COCX_B_HBW.jpg

SUB FOLDER:

SFI_Labels_HR (HC: Horizontal, Reversed)

SFI_CS_A_HR.ai

SFI_CS_A_HR.tif

SFI_CS_A_HR.jpg

SFI_COC_A_HR.ai

SFI_COC_A_HR.tif

SFI_COC_A_HR.jpg

SFI_COC_REC_A_HR.ai

SFI_COC_REC_A_HR.tif

SFI_COC_REC_A_HR.jpg

SFI_COC_REC_B_HR.ai

SFI_COC_REC_B_HR.tif

SFI_COC_REC_B_HR.jpg

SFI_COCalX_A_HR.ai

SFI_COCalX_A_HR.tif

SFI_COCalX_A_HR.jpg

SFI_COCX_A_HR.ai

SFI_COCX_A_HR.tif

SFI_COCX_A_HR.jpg

SFI_COCX_B_HR.ai

SFI_COCX_B_HR.tif

SFI_COCX_B_HR.jpg

RULES FOR USE OF SFI ON-PRODUCT LABELS AND OFF-PRODUCT MARKS | 13/17
PRODUCT LABELING GUIDE VERTICAL LABEL ARTWORK OPTION #2

FOLDER:SFI2_Labels_VerticalSUB FOLDER:

SFI2_Labels_VC (VC: Vertical, Color)

SFI2_CS_A_VC.ai SFI2_COC_A_VC.ai SFI2_COC_REC_A_VC.ai SFI2_COC_REC_B_VC.ai SFI2_COCalX_A_VC.ai SFI2_COCX_A_VC.ai SFI2_COCX_B_VC.ai

SFI2_CS_A_VC.tif SFI2_COC_A_VC.tif SFI2_COC_REC_A_VC.tif SFI2_COC_REC_B_VC.tif SFI2_COCalX_A_VC.tif SFI2_COCX_A_VC.tif SFI2_COCX_B_VC.tif

SFI2_CS_A_VC.jpg SFI2_COC_A_VC.jpg SFI2_COC_REC_A_VC.jpg SFI2_COC_REC_B_VC.jpg SFI2_COCalX_A_VC.jpg SFI2_COCX_A_VC.jpg SFI2_COCX_B_VC.jpg

SUB FOLDER:

SFI2_Labels_VBW (VBW: Vertical, Black & White)

SFI2_CS_A_VBW.ai SFI2_COC_A_VBW.ai SFI2_COC_REC_A_VBW.ai SFI2_COC_REC_B_VBW.ai SFI2_COCalX_A_VBW.ai SFI2_COCX_A_VBW.ai SFI2_COCX_B_VWB.ai

SFI2_CS_A_VBW.tif SFI2_COC_A_VBW.tif SFI2_COC_REC_A_VBW.tif SFI2_COC_REC_B_VBW.tif SFI2_COCalX_A_VBW.tif SFI2_COCX_A_VBW.tif SFI2_COCX_B_VBW.tif

SFI2_CS_A_VBW.jpg SFI2_COC_A_VBW.jpg SFI2_COC_REC_A_VBW.jpg SFI2_COC_REC_B_VBW.jpg SFI2_COCalX_A_VBW.jpg SFI2_COCX_A_VBW.jpg SFI2_COCX_B_VBW.jpg

SUB FOLDER:

SFI2_Labels_VR (VR: Vertical, Reverse)

SFI2_CS_A_VR.ai SFI2_COC_A_VR.ai SFI2_COC_REC_A_VR.ai SFI2_COC_REC_B_VR.ai SFI2_COCalX_A_VR.ai SFI2_COCX_A_VR.ai SFI2_COCX_B_VWB.ai

SFI2_CS_A_VR.tif SFI2_COC_A_VR.tif SFI2_COC_REC_A_VR.tif SFI2_COC_REC_B_VR.tif SFI2_COCalX_A_VR.tif SFI2_COCX_A_VR.tif SFI2_COCX_B_VR.tif

SFI2_CS_A_VR.jpg SFI2_COC_A_VR.jpg SFI2_COC_REC_A_VR.jpg SFI2_COC_REC_B_VR.jpg SFI2_COCalX_A_VR.jpg SFI2_COCX_A_VR.jpg SFI2_COCX_B_VR.jpg

14/17| RULES FOR USEOF SFI ON-PRODUCT LABELS AND OFF-PRODUCT MARKS
SECTION 5

PRODUCT LABELLING GUIDE HORIZONTAL LABEL ARTWORK OPT #2

FOLDER:

SFI2_Labels_Horizontal

SUB FOLDER:

SFI2_Labels_HC (HC: Horizontal, Color)

SFI22_CS_A_HC.ai

SFI2_CS_A_HC.tif

SFI2_CS_A_HC.jpg

SFI2_COC_A_HC.ai

SFI2_COC_A_HC.tif

SFI2_COC_A_HC.jpg

SFI2_COC_REC_A_HC.ai

SFI2_COC_REC_A_HC.tif

SFI2_COC_REC_A_HC.jpg

SFI2_COC_REC_B_HC.ai

SFI2_COC_REC_B_HC.tif

SFI2_COC_REC_B_HC.jpg

SFI2_COCalX_A_HC.ai

SFI2_COCalX_A_HC.tif

SFI2_COCalX_A_HC.jpg

SFI2_COCX_A_HC.ai

SFI2_COCX_A_HC.tif

SFI2_COCX_A_HC.jpg

SFI2_COCX_B_HC.ai

SFI2_COCX_B_HC.tif

SFI2_COCX_B_HC.jpg

SUB FOLDER:

SFI2_Labels_HBW (HC: Horizontal, B & W)

SFI2_CS_A_HBW.ai

SFI2_CS_A_HBW.tif

SFI2_CS_A_HBW.jpg

SFI2_COC_A_HBW.ai

SFI2_COC_A_HBW.tif

SFI2_COC_A_HBW.jpg

SFI2_COC_REC_A_HBW.ai

SFI2_COC_REC_A_HBW.tif

SFI2_COC_REC_A_HBW.jpg

SFI2_COC_REC_B_HBW.ai

SFI2_COC_REC_B_HBW.tif

SFI2_COC_REC_B_HBW.jpg

SFI2_COCalX_A_HBW.ai

SFI2_COCalX_A_HBW.tif

SFI2_COCalX_A_HBW.jpg

SFI2_COCX_A_HBW.ai

SFI2_COCX_A_HBW.tif

SFI2_COCX_A_HBW.jpg

SFI2_COCX_B_HBW.ai

SFI2_COCX_B_HBW.tif

SFI2_COCX_B_HBW.jpg

SUB FOLDER:

SFI2_Labels_HR (HC: Horizontal, Reversed)

SFI2_CS_A_HR.ai

SFI2_CS_A_HR.tif

SFI2_CS_A_HR.jpg

SFI2_COC_A_HR.ai

SFI2_COC_A_HR.tif

SFI2_COC_A_HR.jpg

SFI2_COC_REC_A_HR.ai

SFI2_COC_REC_A_HR.tif

SFI2_COC_REC_A_HR.jpg

SFI2_COC_REC_B_HR.ai

SFI2_COC_REC_B_HR.tif

SFI2_COC_REC_B_HR.jpg

SFI2_COCalX_A_HR.ai

SFI2_COCalX_A_HR.tif

SFI2_COCalX_A_HR.jpg

SFI2_COCX_A_HR.ai

SFI2_COCX_A_HR.tif

SFI2_COCX_A_HR.jpg

SFI2_COCX_B_HR.ai

SFI2_COCX_B_HR.tif

SFI2_COCX_B_HR.jpg

SFI-XXXXX

SFI-XXXXX

SFI-XXXXX

SFI-XXXXX

SFI-XXXXX

SFI-XXXXX

SFI-XXXXX

SFI-XXXXX

SFI-XXXXX

SFI-XXXXX

SFI-XXXXX

RULES FOR USE OF SFI ON-PRODUCT LABELS AND OFF-PRODUCT MARKS | 15/17
APPENDIX 3: SFI OFF-PRODUCT MARK — ART RULES

Horizontal Mark

11⁄2” minimum 

width for mark

4-Color Mark (CMYK)

2-Color Mark (PMS 348)

1-Color Mark (B&W)

Web-Safe Mark 

Reverse Mark

Stacked Mark

3⁄4” minimum

width for mark

4-Color SFI Mark

Use CMYK color palette specs whenever fourcolor

printing is available. Materials that fall into

this category include advertising, collateral and

sales materials, POS, and press materials.

2-Color SFI Mark

Use PMS 348 CVC and black when PMS color

is available for materials such as brochures

and catalogs.

1-Color SFI Mark

Use B&W version of the marks when printing in

black and white for materials such as laser print

documents, and black and white ads.

Web-Safe SFI Mark

Use jpeg or tiff for all website applications and

PowerPoint presentations.

Reverse SFI Mark

Use reverse version of the marks when applying

them to dark backgrounds or over dark 

photographic images.

Typography

The SFI tagline text typeface is Garamond3 LT

Italic, and the website text typeface is Universe.

To maintain consistency, use only these fonts in

all external communications.

Color Palette

The primary color palette consists of PMS 348

CVC and Black. Always match print jobs to color

swatches to maintain consistency.

Use Web-safe specs for PowerPoint presentations

and website graphics.

SFI Black

100% Black

PMS

348 CVC

CMYK

C 94.12%

M 22.74%

Y 80.78%

K 8.63%

Web-Safe

R 12 

G 68

B 3E

16/17 | RULES FOR USE OF SFI ON-PRODUCT LABELS AND OFF-PRODUCT MARKS
SECTION 5

Mark Lock-Ups

These mark lock-ups were created to maintain

consistency when using the mark with 

secondary type information.

Do not alter the spacing or positioning of any

items in these lock-ups.

Area of Isolation

To maintain clean, uncluttered layouts and to 

maximize the impact and recognition of the 

marks, always maintain an area of isolation all 

around the marks as shown.

Note: marks may appear within a photographic 

image or illustration given that an area of 

isolation is maintained as noted.

Mark Violations

• Do not use mark graphic by itself or to create 

a pattern.

• Do not combine with any other logo or image 

as to create a third logo or mark.

• To maintain consistency, do not modify or 

alter marks.

• Do not violate area of isolation with text or 

other graphics.

• Do not alter the positioning of mark graphics 

or reposition, recrop, break apart or 

otherwise alter marks in any way.

• The tree/leaf design may not be displayed by 

itself, but must always be accompanied by 

the words “Sustainable Forestry Initiative” or 

“SFI.”

Horizontal Mark

11⁄2” minimum width for mark

Stacked Mark

3⁄4” minimum

width for mark

RULES FOR USE OF SFI ON-PRODUCT LABELS AND OFF-PRODUCT MARKS | 17/17

SECTION 6

Guidance to SFI

2015-2019 Standards

and Rules

SFI-00001

Updated June 2015

Guidance to SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules

Guidance to SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules | 1/21 SECTION 6

1. Introduction 2

2. Application of the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management 

and SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standards 2

3. SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard - Objective 1:

Long-term Sustainable Harvest Levels 2

4. SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard - Objective 1: 

Conversion 3

5. SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard - Objective 2: 

Prohibited Chemicals 4

6. SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard - Objective 4: 

Conservation of Biological Diversity 5

7. SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard - Objective 4: 

Wildlife Habitat Diversity, Significant Species of Concern, and 

Invasive Exotic Plants and Animals 8

8. SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard – OBJECTIVE 8:

Indigenous Peoples’ Rights 8

9. SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard - Objective 2: 

Best Management Practices 9 

10. SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard - Objective 11: 

Biodiversity Hotspots and High-biodiversity Wilderness Areas 9

11. Use of Qualified Logging Professionals and Certified 

Logging Professionals 17

12. Illegal Logging 18 

13. ILO Core Conventions 18

14. SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard and SFI

On-Product Label Use 19

15. SFI Implementation Committees 20

16. Transition to SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules 21
1. Introduction

SFI Inc. completes a review of its standards and supporting documents 

every five years, which is consistent with international protocols for 

forest certification standard revision cycles. The fourth public review, 

conducted in 2013-2014, led to the SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules

and supporting documents. 

This guidance document is intended to assist SFI Program Participants 

and certification bodies in interpreting and implementing new and 

existing provisions in the SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules.

This document provides additional information that may help Program 

Participants make management decisions to meet SFI 2015-2019 

Standards and Rules requirements. SFI Inc. routinely researches ways 

to improve the functionality of the SFI program; thus this document 

may be updated over time. 

2. Application of the SFI 2015-2019 Forest 

Management and SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing 

Standards

The SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard and SFI 2015-2019 

Fiber Sourcing Standard apply to management of and sourcing from 

forests where management intensities are characterized by managed 

natural forests and plantation forestry, regardless of the forest 

products derived from management of such forests. The figure (Figure 

1) below illustrates the spectrum of forest management systems. 

The SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard and SFI 2015-2019 

Fiber Sourcing Standards are intended to apply to forest management 

systems that are classified as natural forest systems, managed 

natural forests and plantation forests. Management operations that 

are classified as short rotation woody crops or agro-forestry are not 

within the scope of the SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules.

3. SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard

Objective 1: Long-term Sustainable Harvest 

Levels 

3.1 Determining the Most Appropriate Geographic Scale 

Objective 1 Performance Measure 1.1 requires long-term harvest 

levels that are sustainable and consistent with appropriate growth and 

yield models. Indicator 1.1.1 lists items required in forest management 

planning “at a level appropriate to the size and scale of the operation”, 

with 1.1.1(d) requiring that “biodiversity at the landscape scale” be 

factored into forest management planning decision-making. From 

these requirements it can be inferred that a Program Participant

must base their long-term sustainable harvest level planning at a 

geographic scale that accurately reflects forest growth and yield 

and conservation of biodiversity. Likewise, the requirement that 

forest management planning shall ensure long-term (one rotation 

or greater) sustainable harvest levels requires planning to occur on 

forest types in similar biological, geological, and climatic areas. 

3.2 Acquisitions and Sustainable Harvest Planning 

An SFI Program Participant with a prolonged, accelerated harvest level 

in one operational region cannot “offset” a long-term unsustainable 

level of harvests through land acquisition. This practice does not 

meet the spirit and intent of the SFI program and to allow this 

practice could result in an imbalance in forest age classes and 

species composition in certain portions of the Program Participant’s

lands, which in turn could have significant negative impacts on the 

conservation of biological diversity contrary to Indicator 1.1.1 (d), which 

requires that forest management planning consider biodiversity at 

the landscape scale. Any acquired lands should be integrated into the 

organization’s forest management planning, and the organization 

should recalculate appropriate long-term harvest levels that are 

sustainable and consistent with accepted growth and yield models by 

operational region. 

Figure 1. Spectrum of forest management systems (green circle) that qualify for certification to the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management 

Standard and SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard (Adapted from Burger, 20021).

1 Burger, J. A. 2002. Soil and Long-Term Site Productivity Values. In: Richardson, J.; Bjorheden, R.; Hakkila, P.; Lowe, A. T.; and Smith, C. T. Bioenergy from Sustainable Forestry: Guiding Principles and Practice. Dordrecht,

The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers: 165-189.

Forest Management Systems

Natural Forest Systems managed natural forests plantation forests short rotation woody crops Agrosystems

low Soil Manipulation high

low Silvicultural Inputs high

low Potential to Increase/Decrease Soil Productivity high

high Biodiversity low

2/21 | Guidance to SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules
Guidance to SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules | 3/21 SECTION 6

3.3 Temporal Scale

It is SFI’s expectation that certification bodies shall audit sustainable 

harvest levels based on the criteria specified in Performance Measure 

1.1, taking into account the maintenance of landscape level biodiversity, 

and confirming that any increases in planned harvest level(s) are 

consistent with the SFI Program Participant’s forest management 

plan. Additionally, sustainable harvest levels or government regulated 

allowable annual harvest should not be exceeded for extended periods 

of time unless a substantive ecological rationale is developed to justify 

the elevation, examples of which could include a response to forest 

health emergencies such as beetle epidemics or sanitation logging of 

forests impacted by catastrophic wildfire, ice storm or wind damage. 

In instances where harvest levels are exceeded for extended periods, 

a documented plan must be in place to demonstrate how harvest 

planning will achieve a return to the long-term sustainable harvest 

levels over one rotation. 

3.4 Record Retention

The requirements of Objective 1, Performance Measure 1.1 address 

the need to have a long-term resources analysis, forest inventory, 

growth-and-yield modeling capabilities, and recommended sustainable 

harvest levels for areas available for harvest. Likewise, Indicator 

1.1.2 requires that “documented current harvest trends fall within 

long-term sustainable levels identified in the forest management plan” 

and Indicator 1.1.4 requires “periodic updates of forest inventory and 

recalculation of planned harvests to account for changes in growth 

due to productivity increases or decreases.” 

Forest management plans by their very nature are adjusted as 

needed to reflect changes in factors such as inventory, growth and 

yield modeling capabilities, growing stock, harvest levels and the 

cyclical nature of the forest products market. To ensure effective 

decision making regarding long-term sustainable harvest levels, an 

SFI Program Participant must be able to assess the accuracy of past 

planning inputs and decisions made through appropriate document 

retention. It is expected that an SFI Program Participant has the ability 

to look backwards over a sufficiently long time frame in order to 

inform its future forest management planning. 

4. SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard

Objective 1: Conversion 

4.1 Conversion of One Forest Cover Type to Another Forest Cover Type

The intent of Performance Measure 1.2 is to outline the limitations 

on conversion and the due diligence process to be followed when 

converting to a different forest cover type. Limitations exist where the 

conversion is unlawful, threatens rare and ecologically significant 

native forest types, or where long-term adverse impacts are expected 

on species, habitats or special sites already protected by the SFI 2015-

2019 Forest Management Standard.

In situations where a Program Participant intends to convert from one 

forest cover type to another forest cover type, the Program Participant is 

expected to demonstrate proficiency of assessment of the conditions 

outlined in Indicator 1.2.2.

The formality of the assessment has not been prescribed and 

therefore, Program Participants are able to structure the assessment 

in accordance with the scope and scale of their organization and scale 

of the intended conversion.

It is not the intent of Performance Measure 1.2 to limit activities that 

are of ecological benefit, such as returning a site to a historical forest 

cover type, responding to forest health concerns, or mitigating present 

or future environmental harm (e.g., climate change). 

4.2 Conversion of Forest Land to Another Land Use

The intent of Performance Measure 1.3 is to ensure that forestland 

that is being converted to non-forestzland uses is appropriately 

“scoped out” of SFI certificates. Two basic tenets establish the 

rationale for this Performance Measure. First, forestland that is being 

converted to non-forest land uses would not likely meet any of the 

SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard requirements (prompt 

reforestation, biodiversity, etc.) and therefore could not be certified 

under the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard.

Second, fiber (roundwood and/or chips) from forestland being 

converted to non-forest land uses cannot be counted as certified forest 

content in any product bearing an SFI program label (see definition of 

conversion sources). 

4.2.1 Scope of Certification

Notwithstanding the tenets listed in Section 3.2 of this 

guidance, the issue with conversion to non-forest land 

use is really a question of which lands are eligible to be 

within the scope of a Program Participant’s SFI 2015-2019 

Forest Management Standard certificate. There is no limit 

on the percentage of land that can be scoped out of an 

SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard certificate. 

However, it is important to ensure that forestland within 

the scope of the Program Participant’s SFI 2015-2019 Forest 

Management Standard certificate continues to be managed 

as forestland consistent with the SFI 2015-2019 Forest 

Management Standard. In some circumstances, forestland 

designated for sale may not sell in the short term nor is 

there certainty that these forestlands will be converted to 

another land use by the purchaser. As such, the Program 

Participant should continue to manage these forestlands 

in conformance with the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management 

Standard until a sales contract has been executed. Once a 

sales contract is executed, the Program Participant should 

scope out the lands that will be sold.

 Program Participants are not restricted in their decision 

making regarding the purchase of or sale of forestland or 

the movement of forestland (or the quantity) in or out of 

the scope of an SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard

certificate. Certification bodies must ensure that lands 
4/21 | Guidance to SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules

within the scope of an SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management 

Standard audit are being managed in conformance with 

the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard to protect 

the integrity of the SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules. 

Furthermore, certification bodies and Program Participants

must ensure that there is absolute clarity on which forest 

lands — whether owned, managed or controlled (see 3.2.2 

below) — are included in the scope of the SFI 2015-2019 

Forest Management Standard certificate. 

4.2.2 Control of Decision Making

The issue of control of decision making by the Program 

Participant is the central factor when determining which 

forestland should be scoped out of an SFI 2015-2019 

Forest Management Standard certificate. When a Program 

Participant knowingly intends to convert forestland to a 

non-forest land use and has control over the process, then 

the forestlands should be scoped out of the certificate 

when the decision is made to convert.

The example above where forestland is being sold or 

purposefully converted to non-forest land use is relatively 

straight-forward when it comes to identifying who has 

control of decision making. However, there are other 

examples where control of management practices is 

less clearly defined or where control over decisions 

regarding forestland use shifts to a different party after a 

fixed period of time. Examples of these more ambiguous 

circumstances include long-term leases and timber deeds.

Like in the forestland sale example, the decision whether 

to scope forestland in or out of an SFI 2015-2019 Forest 

Management Standard certificate still rests with the 

organization that has control over decisions related 

to management of the forestland in conformance 

with the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard. 

More specifically, if a Program Participant has forest 

management authority over Objective 1 of the SFI 2015-

2019 Forest Management Standard, then such lands can 

remain within the scope of the SFI 2015-2019 Forest 

Management Standard certificate until such time as 

control of forest management decisions is relinquished. 

Likewise, in the case of long-term leases or timber deeds; 

if a Program Participant has a reasonable expectation 

the lands will remain in a forested condition after their 

lease or deed expires, then such lands can remain 

within the scope of the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management

Standard certificate until such time as control of forest 

management decisions is relinquished. 

Mining and drilling activities are other examples of 

where Program Participants may have control over forest 

management, but may not have control over the ultimate 

fate of the land use. In this example, so long as the 

Program Participant is not the party deciding to mine or 

drill or has not engaged into a contractual relationship 

with a third-party to do so, then lands being managed in 

accordance with the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management 

Standard may remain within the scope of an SFI 2015-2019 

Forest Management Standard certificate until such time as 

forest management control is relinquished.

4.2.3 Accounting for Non-Certified Forest Content

Despite efforts to scope out forestlands intended to be 

converted to non-forest land uses, small parcels of land 

intended for conversion may remain in the scope of an SFI 

2015-2019 Forest Management Standard certificate (e.g., 

utility right-of-way, well drilling pad). Accounting for the 

conversion sources from such small “inclusions” within a 

larger SFI certified forest may be impracticable. In order 

to meet the spirit and intent of Performance Measure 1.3, 

Program Participants should make reasonable efforts to 

separate conversion sources from certified forest content

where the volume of conversion sources is more than a 

minimal amount (e.g., 1 percent of the harvested volume). 

5. SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard 

Objective 2: Prohibited Chemicals

The intent of Performance Measure 2.2 is to minimize the chemical 

use required to achieve management objectives while ensuring the 

protection of employees, the public and the environment, including 

wildlife and aquatic habitats. To ensure these results are achieved, 

the use of forest management pesticides must follow federal, state 

and local laws; follow the label instructions, and be implemented 

with proper equipment and training. Furthermore, pesticides, such 

as chlorinated hydrocarbons whose derivates remain biologically 

active beyond their intended use, as well as pesticides banned 

by international agreement, are prohibited for use by Program 

Participants. This last requirement is addressed by Indicators 2.2.4 and 

2.2.5. 

Indicator 2.2.4: 

The World Health Organization (WHO) type 1A and 1B pesticides shall 

be prohibited, except where no other viable alternative is available. 

It is the responsibility of the Program Participant to ensure that any 

chemical use in forest management avoids the use of chemicals 

on the WHO type 1A and 1B list of prohibited chemicals. In the rare 

exception where a Program Participant believes a variance on the 

prohibition on the use of a WHO type 1A and 1B chemical is warranted, 

the Program Participant will submit their rationale to their certification 

body for approval. The certification body will then monitor the chemical 

usage approved under this variance, should this variance be approved. 
Guidance to SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules | 5/21 SECTION 6

The WHO type 1A and 1B list of prohibited chemicals is at: http://www.

who.int/ipcs/publications/pesticides_hazard_2009.pdf.

Indicator 2.2.5:

Use of pesticides banned under the Stockholm Convention on 

Persistent Organic Pollutants (2001) shall be prohibited. 

It is the responsibility of the Program Participant to ensure that any 

chemical use in forest management complies with the ban on the use 

of chemicals under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic 

Pollutants (2001). There is no option of a variance for the use of 

chemicals banned under the Stockholm Convention (2001). 

The list of chemicals banned under the Stockholm Convention 

on Persistent Organic Pollutants is at: http://chm.pops.int/

TheConvention/ThePOPs/tabid/673/Default.aspx.

6. SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard 

Objective 4: Conservation of Biological 

Diversity 

6.1 Forests with Exceptional Conservation Value

Objective 4 of the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard extends 

the biodiversity requirements to Forests with Exceptional Conservation 

Value (FECV). 

Indicator 4.2.2: 

Program to locate and protect known sites of flora and fauna 

associated with viable occurrences of critically imperiled and

imperiled species and communities also known as Forests with 

Exceptional Conservation Value. Plans for protection may be developed 

independently or collaboratively, and may include Program Participant 

management, cooperation with other stakeholders, or use of 

easements, conservation land sales, exchanges, or other conservation 

strategies. 

Definition of Forests with Exceptional Conservation Value: critically 

imperiled (G1) and imperiled (G2) species and ecological communities.

 Critically imperiled: A plant or animal or community, often 

referred to as G1, that is globally extremely rare or, because 

of some factor(s), especially vulnerable to extinction. Typically, 

five or fewer occurrences or populations remain, or very few 

individuals (<1,000), acres (<2,000 acres or 809 hectares), or 

linear miles (<10 miles or 16 kilometers) exist. 

Imperiled: A plant or animal or community, often referred to 

as G2, that is globally rare or, because of some factor(s), is 

very vulnerable to extinction or elimination. Typically, six to 20 

occurrences, or few remaining individuals (1,000 to 3,000), or 

acres (2,000 to 10,000 acres or 809 to 4047 hectares), or linear 

miles (10 to 50 miles or 16 to 80.5 kilometers) exist. 

In the United States and Canada, SFI Program Participants can use 

the NatureServe database to identify species and communities 

for protection. Learn more about NatureServe Conservation Status 

Assessments at http://www.natureserve.org/biodiversity-science/

publications. 

6.1.1 NatureServe Resources for Global and Occurrence Ranks 

Identification and protection of critically imperiled and 

imperiled species and communities is a step-wise 

process. First, NatureServe determines the global rank, 

which reflects the rarity/imperilment of the species or 

community. Then it assesses the estimated viability, 

or probability of persistence, of particular occurrences 

of critically imperiled and imperiled species and 

communities. A viable species or community is one that 

is of sufficient quality to likely survive long term. Clearly, 

little conservation benefit is gained unless protected 

occurrences have a good likelihood of long-term survival. 

NatureServe inventory and conservation activities focus 

on locating, maintaining records on, and working with 

partners to conserve viable occurrences of conservation

elements. NatureServe/Natural Heritage Programs rank 

viability of element occurrences (community or species) 

using standard methodologies to yield an element 

occurrence ranking. A standard set of Element Occurrence 

Rank Specifications is developed and maintained for each 

element, and then applied against individual occurrences 

of the element. 

 The basic element occurrence ranks are:

 A: Excellent estimated viability

 B: Good estimated viability

 C: Fair estimated viability

 D: Poor estimated viability

 E: Verified extant (viability not assessed)

 H: Historical

 F: Failed to find

 X: Extirpated

 The SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard requires 

that Program Participants have “plans to locate and protect 

known sites associated with viable occurrences of critically 

imperiled and imperiled species and communities.” 

 Under the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard, 

occurrences of critically imperiled and imperiled species 

and communities ranked as A and B are to be protected. 

C-ranked occurrences should be reviewed and addressed 

on a case-by-case basis. If they have greater potential to 

be viable (C+), they should be protected. If there is less 

potential for viability (C-), they are to be managed at the 

Program Participant’s discretion. 
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 Element occurrences with poor estimated viability (D) 

would not be protected under the SFI 2015-2015 Forest 

Management Standard. A D rank might result because 

the acreage of a community or the population of a 

species is too small, the quality is very low, and/or the 

ecological processes required to maintain the occurrence 

are fundamentally altered and un-restorable. E-ranked 

occurrences (viability not assessed) should be presumed 

viable and protected until assessed and determined to be 

of C- or D quality. Occurrences ranked F are not covered 

under the SFI 2015-2015 Forest Management Standard since 

only known occurrences are included. Historical (H) and 

extirpated (X) occurrences are clearly nonviable, and no 

protection activity is warranted.

 In determining the viability and potential to protect 

occurrences, Program Participants are encouraged to 

seek additional information on occurrence ranking 

from NatureServe (www.natureserve.org/biodiversityscience/publications) and/or to collaborate with qualified 

conservation experts. 

6.2 Occurrence Quality

The following material provides additional information on the 

standards and methodologies employed by NatureServe in 

determining the quality or viability of occurrences.

For an ecological assessment, scientists and managers want 

to know if each occurrence is of sufficient quality, or feasibly 

restorable, before including it in management planning. With 

adequate information, ecologists evaluate and rate the quality of 

element occurrences using criteria grouped into three categories: 

size, condition, and landscape context.

Characterizing the quality of an occurrence provides the basis for 

assessing stresses — the degradation or impairment — of element 

occurrences at a given site. To assess the quality of element 

occurrences, ecologists must identify the key ecological factors 

(ecological processes, population abundance, disturbance regimes, 

composition and structure, etc.) that support them. Once these 

are identified, it is possible to describe their expected ranges of 

variation and assess whether the on-site factors are within those 

ranges or requires significant effort to be maintained or restored to 

its desired status. 

Key ecological factors vary by element type, but all are grouped into 

three categories of size, condition and landscape context. Each of these 

three categories is reviewed and ranked for each occurrence as A 

(excellent), B (good), C (fair) and D (poor). The break between C and D 

establishes a minimum quality threshold for occurrences. Occurrences 

ranked D are typically presumed to be beyond practical consideration 

for ecological restoration. In subsequent management planning, these 

ranks and underlying criteria aid in focusing conservation activities and 

measure progress toward local conservation objectives. 

Definitions of these categories are:

Size is a measure of the area or abundance of the conservation

element’s occurrence. It may simply be a measure of the 

occurrence’s patch size or geographic coverage, and it may also 

include an estimate of sub-population size or density. Minimum 

dynamic area, one aspect of size, is the area needed to ensure 

survival or re-establishment of a population or community after 

natural disturbance.

 Condition is an integrated measure of the composition, structure 

and biotic interactions that characterize the occurrence. This 

includes factors such as reproduction, age structure, biological 

composition (e.g., presence of native versus invasive exotic plants 

and animals; presence of characteristic patch types), physical 

and spatial structure (e.g., canopy, understory and groundcover; 

spatial distribution and juxtaposition of patch types or seral 

stages in an ecological system), and biotic interactions that 

directly involve the element (e.g., competition and disease).

 Landscape context measures two factors: the dominant 

environmental regimes and processes that establish and 

maintain the element occurrence, and connectivity. Dominant 

environmental regimes include hydrologic and water chemistry 

regimes (surface and groundwater), geomorphic processes, 

climatic regimes (temperature and precipitation), fire regimes, 

and natural disturbances. Connectivity includes such factors 

as species elements having access to habitats and resources 

needed for lifecycle completion, fragmentation of ecological 

communities and systems, and the ability of any element to 

respond to environmental change through dispersal, migration, 

or re-colonization. Criteria for ranking ecological communities 

vary by type. In many instances, criteria are developed for 

ecological systems, then modified (mostly with size attributes) 

for application to occurrences of individual rare plant 

associations that may occur among the more broadly defined 

ecological system.

6.3 Guidance on Incorporation of Ecosystems in the SFI 2015-2019 

Forest Management Standard 

In the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard, the term 

“ecosystem” or “ecosystems” is referenced in several different 

objectives and indicators, yet guidance on how the concept of 

ecosystems should be integrated into sustainable forestry is lacking. 

Ecosystems represent the integration of biotic (e.g., plants, animals) 

and abiotic (e.g., soils, water) elements of the environment. In the 

context of sustainable forestry key components of ecosystems include: 

1) forest composition; 2) forest structure; 3) connectivity across 

landscapes; and 4) how ecological processes like competition, nutrient 

cycling, or herbivory influence the sustainability of forest ecosystems.

Sustainable forestry is based on applying management at multiple 

scales with most SFI Program Participants operating at stand to 

landscape scales. The guidance provided is not a template for 
Guidance to SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules | 7/21 SECTION 6

ecosystem management. Rather, currently accepted SFI definitions 

and approved elements of the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management 

Standard are relied on to demonstrate how ecosystems are an integral 

component of sustainable forest management. The guidance is 

consistent with the four aforementioned components of ecosystems: 

1) forest composition, 2) forest structure, 3) connectivity, and 4) 

ecological processes.

Integrating the Biotic and Abiotic Elements of the Environment

The combination of forest cover type and soils maps, supplemented 

by non-timber information like non-forested wetlands and Forests 

with Exception Conservation Values (FECV), provide the foundation for 

landscape scale mapping and planning that incorporates ecosystems 

into sustainable forest management for Program Participants. 

Program Participants are required to have a land classification system 

(Indicator 1.1.1c), soils inventory and maps, where available (Indicator 

1.1.1e, Performance Measure 2.3), up-to-date maps or a geographic 

information system (Indicator 1.1.1g), and information on non-timber 

resources (Indicators 1.1.1i, 3.2.2, 3.2.3, 4.1.6, 4.2.2, 4.2.3) as part 

of their forest planning processes. Program Participants also are 

required to integrate biotic and abiotic elements in forest conversion 

decisions (Indicator 1.2.2b), forest regeneration (Performance 

Measure 2.1), and during implementation of forest protection activities 

(Performance Measure 2.4). Additionally, the conservation of biological 

diversity inherently integrates the biotic and abiotic elements of the 

environment through the accounting of wildlife habitats (Indicators 

4.1.1, 4.1.2, 4.1.5), ecological community types (Indicators 4.1.1, 

4.2.2, Performance Measure 4.3), native biological diversity (Indicator 

4.1.1), and Forests with Exceptional Conservation Value (Indicator 4.2.2, 

Performance Measure 4.4).

Forest Composition

Forest composition is closely linked to abiotic factors like soil, 

microclimate, and moisture availability. Forest managers tend to 

think of composition at three levels: 1) forest health and productivity

(e.g., high growth rates, drought resistant, disease resistance) of 

planting or regeneration stock (the “genetic” level”); 2) stand level 

considerations including tree species composition, management of 

competing vegetation, and structural retention practices (Indicator 

4.1.2); and 3) landscape scale considerations (across ownerships or 

across multiple ownerships — Indicators 4.1.3, 4.1.4) in terms of forest 

cover types or other land cover classes. 

Forest Structure

Within forest stands, structure refers to a number of characteristics, 

including the physical arrangement of trees, snags, and down 

woody debris. Within a stand and depending on the situation, 

Program Participants have criteria for the desired forest composition 

(Performance Measure 2.1), tree stocking (Indicator 2.1.2), size 

distributions (Indicator 1.1.1a, 1.1.1h), retention of habitat elements 

(Indicator 4.1.2), and protection of special sites (Indicators 4.1.5, 

4.1.6, Performance Measure 4.3, Objective 6). At larger scales, like 

multiple forest stands, forest structure is often based on differences 

in size/density or stand age (in even-aged management systems), as 

portrayed by a land classification system (Indicator 4.1.3). This land 

classification system often includes information on riparian zones and 

the locations of special sites and wetlands (Indicators 3.2.2, 3.2.3). At 

even larger scales (e.g., landscapes), forest managers tend to portray 

the diversity of size, density, or age classes in management blocks, 

across entire ownerships, or in some instances across multiple 

ownerships (Indicator 4.1.3).

Connectivity

Integration of connectivity into sustainable forest management 

occurs through protection of riparian zones (Performance Measure 

3.2), provision of diverse forest cover types and structures (Indicators 

4.1.2, 4.1.3), and protection of other ecologically important sites 

(Indicators 4.1.5, 4.1.6; Performance Measure 4.3; Objective 6). 

Connectivity can be assessed at multiple scales and can be thought 

of as structural or functional. As the labels imply, structural 

connectivity refers to forest cover types or habitats physically 

touching, providing the ability of genes and species to move through 

the managed forest landscape. Functional connectivity refers to

forest cover types or habitats that are not physically touching but 

are arranged in a landscape such that genes and species can 

move. The SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard contains 

indicators that both directly and indirectly influence connectivity via 

requirements for prompt forest reforestation (Performance Measure 

2.1), limitations on clearcut harvest area sizes (Indicator 5.2.1), 

limitations on forest conversion (Performance Measures 1.2, 1.3), 

the protection of riparian zones (Performance Measure 3.2), nonforested areas, and other ecological sites (Indicators 4.1.5; 4.1.6; 

Performance Measure 4.3), and through aesthetic considerations 

(Objective 5). In certain situations, some Program Participants may 

explicitly identify species of conservation concern that warrant direct 

assessments of connectivity (Performance Measure 4.2).

Ecological Processes

Ecological processes help sustain forest composition, structure, and 

connectivity. The SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard explicitly 

recognizes numerous ecological processes that are important to 

sustainable forestry, including forest reforestation (Performance 

Measure 2.1), forest health (Performance Measure 2.4), hydrological 

function (Objective 3), and consideration of the role of natural 

disturbances (Indicator 4.1.8). In many certified forest landscapes,

the ecological processes that sustain composition and structure 

are influenced by active or passive management activities including 

harvesting, reforestation, and maintenance or enhancement of 

biological diversity and wildlife habitat.
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7. SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard

- Objective 4: Wildlife Habitat Diversity, 

Significant Species of Concern, and Invasive 

Exotic Plants and Animals

Objective 4 in the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard includes 

performance measures and indicators for conservation of biological 

diversity. Additional information is provided here for wildlife habitat

diversity, significant species of concern and invasive exotic plants and 

animals.

7.1 Wildlife Habitat Diversity

Performance Measure 4.1 in the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management 

Standard includes programs to incorporate conservation of 

biological diversity and to recognize the value of a diversity of 

habitats to support fish and wildlife habitats. Early successional 

forest stages, for example, are particularly lacking in certain 

regions of the U.S. and Canada, and managing for them can aid 

in preventing the decline of species dependent on them (e.g., 

ruffed grouse). Historically, fires and other natural disturbances 

created forest openings and the types of habitat needed by these 

early succession forest dependent species. As forests across 

the landscape mature, this type of habitat declines in abundance. 

However, it can easily be created by proper selection of harvesting 

methods including clearcutting and the use of prescribed fire. 

 

7.2 Significant Species of Concern 

Indicator 4.1.5 requires a program to address conservation of known 

sites with viable occurrences of significant species of concern.

The intent of Indicator 4.1.5 is for Program Participants to (1) evaluate 

conservation of species or communities that are not state, provincially 

or federally threatened or endangered or ranked G1 or G2; (2) select 

appropriate species of concern that are significant; and (3) incorporate 

conservation actions for the selected species into management. 

It is recognized that lists of “special concern species,” “rare species,” 

“species of greatest conservation need,” or similarly described lists 

have been published by state/provincial or federal agencies or others. 

It is not the intent of this indicator to imply that any particular species 

on such lists become a requirement under this indicator, rather that 

such lists may serve as a source of information on potential significant 

species of concern.

When determining whether or not a species is significant, a 

Program Participant may consider rarity, regional importance, 

and sensitivity to, or reliance upon, forest management activities. 

Resources for determining rarity may include NatureServe G or S 

ranks, International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List and 

federal, provincial or state lists. Resources for determining regional 

importance may include The Nature Conservancy Eco-regional Plans, 

State Wildlife Action Plans or other credible conservation plans. 

The intent is for conservation to occur on Program Participants’ lands. 

Program Participants are not required to survey to determine known 

sites. Occurrence information can be drawn from NatureServe, state/

provincial natural resource agencies, Conservation Data Centre and 

other eco-regional mapping efforts.

7.3 Invasive Exotic Plants and Animals

Indicator 4.1.7 addresses invasive exotic plants and animals.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service, invasive exotic plants and animals are 

“any species, including its seeds, eggs, spores, or other biological 

material capable of propagating that species, that is not native to that 

ecosystem, whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic 

or environmental harm or harm to human health.” Examples would 

include the gypsy moth and kudzu, but not the barred owl. 

SFI Program Participants should become knowledgeable about 

invasive exotic plants and animals within their area of operation. The 

expectation is that they will participate in cooperative efforts by 

others (e.g., government agencies or non-government environmental 

organizations) and work proactively within their own programs 

(e.g., erosion control or seed selection for wildlife plots) to limit the 

introduction, impact, and spread of invasive exotic plants and animals.

Indicator 4.1.7 does not require SFI Program Participants to eliminate 

invasive exotic plants and animals on their land. In some places invasive 

exotic plants and animals are well established and eradication by the 

SFI Program Participants is unrealistic. 

Experts in this area believe the most effective means of addressing 

invasive exotic plants and animals include:

• awareness building;

• monitoring;

• preventing new introductions; and 

• eliminating new occurrences. 

SFI Program Participants should emphasize these as priorities 

in their programs. Forest practices that reduce the abundance 

of invasive exotic plants and animals are preferred if they can be 

addressed within the context of the SFI Program Participant’s overall 

management objectives.

8. SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard – 

OBJECTIVE 8: Indigenous Peoples’ Rights

8.1 Aboriginal Title

SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard Performance Measure 

8.1 requires that Program Participants recognize and respect 

Indigenous Peoples’ rights. Additionally, Objective 9 requires Program 

Participants to comply with all applicable federal, provincial/state 

laws and regulations. 

On June 26, 2014 the Supreme Court of Canada provided a significant 

ruling on the occurrence of Aboriginal title in Canada (Tsilhqot’in 

Nation v. British Columbia, 2014 SCC 44). The Tsilhqot’in decision 

is significant as it recognizes “Aboriginal title” over 1,900 km2 of 

Tsilhqot’in territory establishing what is a new form of land tenure in 

Canada. This decision will have implications for Canadian Program 

Participants as First Nations legally establish “Aboriginal title” on 

territories that are currently non-treaty lands.
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With this legal precedent in place, Program Participants must ensure 

they are in compliance with all applicable laws including recent court 

decisions that bear on forest management and land tenure. Certified 

Program Participants operating in non-treaty areas of Canada over 

which “Aboriginal title” claims are made should be aware of the recent 

Supreme Court of Canada decision (Tsilhqot’in Nation v. British Columbia, 

2014 SCC 44) and the tests for and content of “Aboriginal title” to land.

9. SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard - 

Objective 2: Best Management Practices

Objective 2 of the SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard calls for 

adherence to best management practices: “To monitor the use of best 

management practices to protect water quality.”

The use of best management practices to protect water quality 

is a critical component of sustainable forest management and 

is emphasized in the SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard with 

requirements for on-the-ground management, monitoring, 

training and research. The SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard

strengthened requirements for best management practices

application with a new indicator:

 “2.1.2 Use of written agreements for the purchase of raw material 

sourced directly from the forest is required and must include 

provisions requiring the use of best management practices.”

While it is not practical to have auditing requirements that go 

beyond reviewing Program Participants’ contracts for purchasing raw 

material from their suppliers to ensure they do require the use of 

best management practices, this new indicator will further highlight 

the importance of best management practices and their use by all 

suppliers throughout the supply stream.

10. SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard - 

Objective 11: Biodiversity Hotspots and Highbiodiversity Wilderness Areas

Objective 11 of the SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard calls for fiber 

sourcing policies that promote conservation of forests and biodiversity in 

areas outside of the United States and Canada identified as biodiversity 

hotspots and high-biodiversity wilderness areas. 

Objective 11. To promote the conservation of biological diversity,

biodiversity hotspots and high-biodiversity wilderness areas in fiber 

sourcing programs.

Performance Measure 11.1. Program Participants shall ensure that 

their fiber sourcing programs support the principles of sustainable 

forestry, including efforts to promote conservation of biological diversity.

Indicator:

1. Fiber sourcing from areas outside the United States and Canada 

promotes conservation of biological diversity, utilizing information 

from the following sources:

a. biodiversity hotspots and high-biodiversity wilderness areas as 

identified by Conservation International; and

b. rare species and habitat information derived from 

organizations such as the World Resources Institute, Alliance 

for Zero Extinction, World Wildlife Fund, International Union for 

Conservation of Nature, and NatureServe.

This document provides additional information drawn from the World 

Resources Institute, Conservation International, Alliance for Zero 

Extinction, World Wildlife Fund, International Union for Conservation 

of Nature and NatureServe to aid SFI Program Participants in 

implementing these requirements. 

Areas identified by any of these organizations may be wholly or 

partially within the United States and Canada. For the purposes of the 

SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard, these areas are addressed 

by NatureServe or equivalent processes to identify critically imperiled

and imperiled species and communities in North America (see earlier 

section regarding Objective 4 in the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management 

Standard: Conservation of Biological Diversity.

Compliance with the SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard does not 

mean that that Program Participants must cease all raw material 

or procurement activities from all forests within these areas. 

Rather, the emphasis is on seeking assurance that fiber and logs 

are secured from areas harvested legally, and avoiding actions that 

serve to cause or encourage further destruction of remaining original 

primary vegetation. To this end, Program Participants procuring fiber 

from within identified areas of high biodiversity should be aware of 

the designation and work to avoid actions that may detrimentally 

affect those habitats. Working to increasingly meet fiber and wood 

production needs from plantations and managed forests enhances 

efforts to protect remaining biologically diverse habitats. Program 

Participants can work with conservation organizations, government 

entities and others to provide additional guidance on aligning business 

and conservation objectives within these regions. 

10.1 Biodiversity Hotspots and High-Biodiversity Wilderness Areas

Since 2002, the SFI program has relied on Conservation International’s 

definitions of biodiversity hotspots and high-biodiversity wilderness

areas (formerly major tropical wilderness areas) to identify areas 

of potential concern for Program Participants who source fiber from 

overseas. Conservation International (www.conservation.org) seeks to 

empower societies to responsibly and sustainably care for nature for 

the well-being of humanity through a strong foundation of science, 

partnership and field demonstration. Conservation International 

maintains a list of global priority areas with exceptional biological 

value, and works to protect them. 

10.1.1 Biodiversity Hotspots

The biodiversity hotspots hold especially high numbers of 

endemic species, yet their combined area of remaining 

habitat covers only 2.3 percent of the Earth’s land surface. 
10/21 | Guidance to SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules

Each hotspot faces extreme threats and has already lost 

at least 70 percent of its original natural vegetation. Over 

50 percent of the world’s plant species and 42 percent of 

all terrestrial vertebrate species are endemic to the 34 

biodiversity hotspots.

 Africa and Madagascar

CAPE FLORISTIC REGION

Evergreen fire-dependent shrublands characterize the 

landscape of the Cape Floristic Region.

 COASTAL FORESTS OF EASTERN AFRICA

Though tiny and fragmented, the forest remnants that 

make up the Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa contain 

remarkable levels of biodiversity.

 EASTERN AFROMONTANE

The mountains of the Eastern Afromontane hotspot are 

scattered along the eastern edge of Africa, from Saudi 

Arabia in the north to Zimbabwe in the south.

 GUINEAN FORESTS OF WESTERN AFRICA

The lowland forests of West Africa are home to more than 

a quarter of Africa’s mammals, including more than 20 

species of primates. 

 HORN OF AFRICA

The arid Horn of Africa has been a renowned source of 

biological resources for thousands of years.

 MADAGASCAR & THE INDIAN OCEAN ISLANDS

Madagascar and its neighboring island groups have an 

astounding total of eight plant families, four bird families, 

and five primate families that live nowhere else on Earth.

 MAPUTALAND-PONDOLAND-ALBANY

Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany, which stretches along the 

east coast of southern Africa below the Great Escarpment, 

is an important center of plant endemism.

 SUCCULENT KAROO

The Succulent Karoo of South Africa and Namibia boasts 

the richest succulent flora on earth, as well as remarkable 

endemism in plants.

 Asia-Pacific 

EAST MELANESIAN ISLANDS

Once largely intact, the 1,600 East Melanesian Islands 

are now a hotspot due, sadly, to accelerating levels of 

habitat loss.

 HIMALAYA

The Himalaya Hotspot is home to the world’s highest 

mountains, including Mount Everest.

 INDO-BURMA

Encompassing more than two million square kilometers 

of tropical Asia, Indo-Burma is still revealing its biological 

treasures. 

 JAPAN

The islands that make up the Japanese Archipelago stretch 

from the humid subtropics in the south to the boreal zone 

in the north, resulting in a wide variety of climates and 

ecosystems.

 MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHWEST CHINA

With dramatic variations in climate and topography, the 

Mountains of Southwest China support a wide array of 

habitats including the most endemic-rich temperate flora 

in the world.

 NEW CALEDONIA

An island the size of New Jersey in the South Pacific Ocean, 

New Caledonia is the home of no less than five endemic 

plant families. 

 NEW ZEALAND

A mountainous archipelago once dominated by temperate 

rainforests, New Zealand harbors extraordinary levels of 

endemic species.

 PHILIPPINES

More than 7,100 islands fall within the borders of the 

Philippines hotspot, identified as one of the world’s 

biologically richest countries.

 POLYNESIA-MICRONESIA

Comprising 4,500 islands stretched across the southern 

Pacific Ocean, the Polynesia-Micronesia hotspot is the 

epicenter of the current global extinction crisis.

 SOUTHWEST AUSTRALIA

The forest, woodlands, shrublands and heath of Southwest 

Australia are characterized by high endemism among 

plants and reptiles.

 SUNDALAND

The spectacular flora and fauna of the Sundaland Hotspot 

are succumbing to the explosive growth of industrial 

forestry in these islands.

 WALLACEA

The flora and fauna of Wallacea are so varied that every 

island in this hotspot needs secure protected areas to 

preserve the region’s biodiversity. 

 WESTERN GHATS & SRI LANKA

Faced with tremendous population pressure, the forests of 

the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka have been dramatically 

impacted by the demands for timber and agricultural land.
Guidance to SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules | 11/21 SECTION 6

 Europe and Central Asia 

CAUCASUS

The deserts, savannas, arid woodlands and forests that 

comprise the Caucasus hotspot contain a large number of 

endemic plant species.

 IRANO-ANATOLIAN

Forming a natural barrier between the Mediterranean 

Basin and the dry plateaus of Western Asia, the mountains 

and basins that make up the Irano-Anatolian Hotspot 

contain many centers of local endemism.

 MEDITERRANEAN BASIN

The flora of the Mediterranean Basin is dramatic. Its 22,500 

endemic vascular plant species are more than four times 

the number found in all the rest of Europe.

 MOUNTAINS OF CENTRAL ASIA

Comprising two of Asia’s major mountain ranges, the 

Mountains of Central Asia were known to early Persians as 

the “roof of the world.”

 North and Central America 

CALIFORNIA FLORISTIC PROVINCE

The California Floristic Province is a zone of 

Mediterranean-type climate and has the high levels of 

plant endemism characteristic of these regions. 

 CARIBBEAN ISLANDS

The Caribbean Islands support exceptionally diverse 

ecosystems, ranging from montane cloud forests to cactus 

scrublands, which have been devastated by deforestation 

and encroachment. 

 MADREAN PINE-OAK WOODLANDS

Encompassing Mexico’s main mountain chains, and 

isolated mountaintop islands in Baja California and the 

southern United States, the Madrean Pine-Oak Woodlands 

is an area of rugged mountainous terrain, high relief and 

deep canyons.

 MESOAMERICA

The Mesoamerican forests are the third largest among the 

world’s hotspots. Their spectacular endemic species include 

quetzals, howler monkeys and 17,000 plant species.

 South America

ATLANTIC FOREST

The Atlantic Forest of tropical South America boasts 20,000 

plant species, 40 percent of which are endemic. 

 CERRADO

The Cerrado region of Brazil, comprising 21 percent of 

the country, is the most extensive woodland-savanna in 

South America.

 CHILEAN WINTER RAINFALL-VALDIVIAN FOREST

A virtual continental island bounded by the Pacific Ocean, 

the Andes Mountains and the Atacama Desert, the Chilean 

Winter Rainfall-Valdivian Forest harbors richly endemic 

flora and fauna.

 TROPICAL ANDES

The richest and most diverse region on Earth, the Tropical 

Andes region contains about a sixth of all plant life in less 

than one percent of the world’s land area.

 TUMBES-CHOCÓ-MAGDALENDA

Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena is bordered by two other 

hotspots: Mesoamerica to the north and the Tropical Andes 

to the east.

10.1.2 High-Biodiversity Wilderness Areas 

High-biodiversity wilderness areas are areas where the 

vegetation is still over 70 percent intact.

 Amazonia

Spanning nine South American countries, the Amazonia 

wilderness is unlike any other, supporting more than 

40,000 species of plants, with three-quarters of them found 

nowhere else.

 Congo Basin

Seven African nations share the second-largest expanse of 

tropical wilderness in the world. Unlike other landscapes

in the region, a great portion of the remote Congo Basin 

forests have remained intact.

 New Guinea

The world’s biggest tropical island and its outlying islands 

contain the largest remaining wilderness in the entire 

Asia-Pacific. New Guinea and its neighbors are home to 

thousands of species known to science, and possibly many 

yet to be discovered.

 North American Deserts

This arid, mostly desert region covering northern Mexico 

and the southwestern United States contains more unique 

species than any other desert on the planet, including the 

majority of all known cactus species.

 Miombo-Mopane Woodlands and Savannas of 

Southern Africa

Quite possibly the single largest block of dry woodlands 

in the world, this wilderness region stretches across 10 

countries, supporting large numbers of wildlife and people 

who depend on its natural resources.

10.2 Resources for the Conservation of Biological Diversity

The following table provides information on each organization 

referenced in Indicator 11.1.1.b in the SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing 

Standard. This information is intended to provide background 

information on each resource and internet links are provided for 

further details. 
12/21 | Guidance to SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules

Organization and website Overview of organization 

and goals

How sites are classified For more information

Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE)

(http://www.zeroextinction.org)

AZE is a joint global initiative 

of 52 biodiversity conservation

organizations, aimed to prevent 

extinctions by identifying and 

safeguarding key sites where 

species are in imminent danger of 

disappearing. Its goal is to create 

a front line of defense against 

extinction by eliminating threats 

and restoring habitat to allow 

species populations to rebound. 

The purpose of the Alliance is 

to identify sites in most urgent 

need of conservation, and to 

act together to prevent species 

extinctions.

AZE has identified the last 

remaining sites for the world’s 

most highly threatened species, 

93 percent of which are 

threatened primarily by habitat 

destruction. 

The data gathering process was 

performed over a period of many 

months with input from regional 

experts, as well as experts in the 

five AZE taxa (mammals, birds, 

reptiles, amphibians and conifers) 

from around the world. The 

data was verified using existing 

databases such as the IUCN 

Red List, BirdLife International’s 

global database, and the 

Global Amphibian Assessment. 

AZE scientists, working in 

collaboration with an international 

network of experts, have so far 

identified 595 such sites that must 

be effectively protected to prevent 

the extinction of 794 of the world’s 

most threatened species including 

mammals, birds, some reptiles 

(crocodilians, iguanas, turtles 

and tortoises), amphibians and 

conifers (many sites have more 

than one AZE “trigger species” 

confined to them). Additionally, 

AZE uses the following criteria 

to identify priority sites (a site 

must meet all three to qualify): 

Endangerment, Irreplaceability, 

and Discreteness. 

The Alliance for Zero Extinction

has released an updated set 

of sites, coinciding with the 

2010 meeting of the parties on 

the Convention on Biological 

Diversity in Nagoya, Japan 

The following table provides information on each organization referenced in Indicator 11.1.1.b in the SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard. This 

information is intended to provide background information on each resource and internet links are provided for further details. 
Guidance to SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules | 13/21 SECTION 6

Organization and website Overview of organization 

and goals

How sites are classified For more information

International Union for the

Conservation of Biodiversity

(IUCN)

(http://www.iucn.org/what/

biodiversity/)

IUCN’s work on biodiversity 

includes comprehensive research 

on the status of biodiversity 

and thousands of individual 

animal and plant species; action 

to protect specific species; 

managing and restoring natural 

areas, national parks and other 

protected areas; and promoting 

the sustainable use of natural 

resources. IUCN also provides 

the knowledge, standards and 

tools for biodiversity conservation

for governments, community 

organizations, the United 

Nations and business. The IUCN 

Species Programme, working 

with the IUCN Species Survival 

Commission, has for more than 

four decades been assessing the 

conservation status of species, 

subspecies, varieties and even 

selected subpopulations on a 

global scale in order to highlight 

taxa threatened with extinction, 

and therefore promote their 

conservation.

The IUCN Red List of Threatened 

SpeciesTM provides taxonomic, 

conservation status and distribution 

information on plants and animals that 

have been globally evaluated using the 

IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. 

The main purpose of the IUCN Red 

List is to catalog and highlight those 

plants and animals that are facing a 

higher risk of global extinction (i.e., 

those listed as Critically Endangered, 

Endangered and Vulnerable). The IUCN 

Red List also includes information 

on plants and animals that are 

categorized as Extinct or Extinct in the 

Wild; on taxa that cannot be evaluated 

because of insufficient information 

(i.e., are Data Deficient); and on plants 

and animals that are either close to 

meeting the threatened thresholds 

or that would be threatened were 

it not for an ongoing taxon-specific 

conservation programme (i.e., are Near 

Threatened).

Access the conservation

status of species here:

http://www.iucnredlist.org/

A how-to guide to the IUCN 

Red List:

http://www.iucnredlist.org/

documents/redlist_website_

users_guide.pdf
14/21 | Guidance to SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules

Organization and website Overview of organization 

and goals

How sites are classified For more information

NatureServe

(http://www.natureserve.org)

NatureServe is a non-profit 

conservation organization whose 

mission is to provide the scientific 

basis for effective conservation 

action. NatureServe and its 

network of natural heritage 

programs and conservation data 

centers are the leading source 

for information about rare 

and endangered species and 

threatened ecosystems.

2012-2016 Goals

Biodiversity conservation is guided 

by increasingly high-quality and 

up-to-date scientific knowledge.

Network effectiveness for 

building biodiversity knowledge is 

enhanced.

NatureServe analyses and 

syntheses inform key societal 

challenges.

Clients use NatureServe data, 

tools, and expertise to address 

their specific needs.

The data centers that make up the 

NatureServe network utilize the 

core methodology to answer three 

key questions: What species and 

ecosystems exist in a region? How 

are they doing (their condition and 

status), and which are priorities for 

conservation? Where precisely are they 

found? These questions are answered 

through a sequence of iterative steps:

• Develop a list of the elements of 

biodiversity in a given jurisdiction, 

focusing on macroscopic 

species groups and ecological 

communities.

• Assess the relative risk of 

extirpation or extinction of 

the elements to determine 

conservation status and set initial 

priorities for detailed inventory 

and protection.

• Gather information from all 

available sources on priority 

elements and their known and 

possible locations, ecology, and 

management requirements.

• Conduct field inventories for these 

elements and collect data about 

their location, condition, and 

conservation needs.

• Process and manage the 

data collected, making use of 

standardized procedures.

• Analyze the data with a view 

toward refining previous 

conclusions about element 

abundance or rarity, location, 

management needs, and other 

issues.

• Provide information to interested 

parties so that it can be 

used to guide conservation, 

management planning, and other 

environmental decision-making.

Nature Serve Explorer Tool 

http://www.natureserve.org/

conservation-tools/datamaps-tools/natureserveexplorer

Nature Serve Methodology 

http://www.natureserve.

org/conservation-tools/

standards-methods/

natureserve-coremethodology
Guidance to SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules | 15/21 SECTION 6

Organization and website Overview of organization 

and goals

How sites are classified For more information

World Resources Institute

(WRI) Intact Forest

Landscapes

(http://www.intactforests.org/)

An Intact Forest Landscape (IFL) 

is an unbroken expanse of natural 

ecosystems within the zone of 

current forest extent, showing 

no signs of significant human 

activity, and large enough that 

all native biodiversity, including 

viable populations of wide-ranging 

species, could be maintained. 

The IFL concept and its technical 

definition were introduced to 

help create, implement and 

monitor policies concerning 

the human impact on forest 

landscapes at the regional or 

country levels. The essence of the 

approach is to use high spatial 

resolution satellite information to 

establish the boundaries of large 

undeveloped forest areas, and use 

these boundaries as a baseline 

for monitoring. Developed by 

a group of non-governmental 

environmental organizations 

(Greenpeace, World Resources 

Institute, Global Forest Watch, 

Biodiversity Conservation Center, 

International Socio-Ecological 

Union, and Transparent World), 

the IFL concept, mapping and 

monitoring algorithms have been 

used both in regional and global 

forest monitoring projects and in 

scientific research.

An IFL is an unbroken expanse 

of natural ecosystems within the 

zone of current forest extent, 

showing no signs of significant 

human activity and large enough 

that all native biodiversity, 

including viable populations of 

wide-ranging species, could be 

maintained. Although all IFL are 

within the forest zone, some may 

contain extensive naturally treeless areas, including grasslands, 

wetlands, lakes, alpine areas 

and ice. This definition builds on 

the definition of Frontier Forest 

developed by WRI (Bryant et al., 

1997). 

Technically, an IFL is defined as 

a territory within today’s global 

extent of forest cover which 

contains forest and non-forest 

ecosystems minimally influenced 

by human economic activity, 

with an area of at least 500 

km2 (50,000 ha) and a minimal 

width of 10 km (measured as 

the diameter of a circle that is 

entirely inscribed within the 

boundaries of the territory).

Areas with evidence of certain 

types of human influence are 

considered disturbed, and 

consequently not eligible for 

inclusion, e.g., settlements, 

transportation infrastructure 

such as roads, railways, pipeline 

and power transmission lines; 

agriculture and timber production; 

industrial activities during the last 

30 to 70 years, such as logging, 

mining, oil and gas exploration 

and extraction and peat extraction.

The global IFL map can be 

found here:

http://www.intactforests.org/

world.map.html 
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Organization and website Overview of organization 

and goals

How sites are classified For more information

World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

(http://www.worldwildlife.org/

science/ecoregions/global200.

html)

WWF uses the best available 

scientific knowledge to preserve 

the diversity and abundance of 

life on Earth and the health of 

ecological systems, by:

 • protecting natural areas and 

wild populations of plants and 

animals, including endangered 

species;

 • promoting sustainable 

approaches to the use of 

renewable natural resources; 

and

 • promoting more efficient use 

of resources and energy and 

the maximum reduction of 

pollution

WWF’s Global 200 attempts to 

identify a set of ecoregions whose 

conservation would achieve the 

goal of saving a broad diversity of 

the Earth’s ecosystems. 

These ecoregions include 

those with exceptional levels of 

biodiversity, such as high species 

richness or endemism, or those 

with unusual ecological or 

evolutionary phenomena.

WWF, in collaboration with the 

National Geographic Society 

developed an interactive map and 

descriptions of the Global 200 

available through a Wild World 

website.

WWF researchers analyzed global 

patterns of biodiversity to identify 

a set of the Earth’s terrestrial, 

freshwater and marine ecoregions 

that harbor exceptional 

biodiversity and are representative 

of its ecosystems. They placed 

each of the Earth’s ecoregions 

within a system of 30 biomes and 

biogeographic realms to facilitate 

a representation analysis. 

Biodiversity features were 

compared among ecoregions to 

assess their irreplaceability or 

distinctiveness. These features 

included species richness, 

endemic species, unusual higher 

taxa, unusual ecological or 

evolutionary phenomena, and 

the global rarity of habitats. This 

process yielded 238 ecoregions – 

the Global 200 – comprising 142 

terrestrial, 53 freshwater and 

43 marine priority ecoregions. 

Ecoregions were also assigned 

a conservation status, with those 

most at-risk assigned “critical” or 

“endangered.”

Global 200 maps can be 

found at 

(http://www.

nationalgeographic.com/

wildworld/)

Descriptions of each Global 200 

ecoregion:

http://www.nationalgeographic.

com/wildworld/profiles/g200_

index.html

WWF Wildfinder Tool: 

http://worldwildlife.org/

science/wildfinder/
Guidance to SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules | 17/21 SECTION 6

11. Use of Qualified Logging Professionals and 

Certified Logging Professionals

11.1 Use of Qualified Logging Professionals

Logger training is a very effective tool in promoting sustainable forest 

management, and has been a key component of the SFI program 

since its inception. The SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard 

strengthens requirements for logger training with revisions to 

Indicators, 11.1.5, 11.2.1 and 11.2.2 and the SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing 

Standard does the same with Indicators 3.1.1, 6.1.5, 6.2.1 and 6.2.2.

“SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard indicator 3.1.1. Program to 

promote the use of qualified logging professionals, certified logging 

professionals (where available) and qualified resource professionals.” 

“SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard indicator 11.1.5 and 

SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard indicator 6.1.5 - Program 

Participants shall have written agreements for the use of qualified 

logging professionals and/or certified logging professionals (where 

available) and/or wood producers that have completed training 

programs and are recognized as qualified logging professionals.“

“SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard indicator 11.2.1 and SFI 

2015-219 Fiber Sourcing Standard indicator 6.2.1 - Participation in or 

support of SFI Implementation Committees to establish criteria and 

identify delivery mechanisms for wood producer training courses and 

periodic continuing education that address:

a. awareness of sustainable forestry principles and the 

SFI program;

b. best management practices, including streamside 

management and road construction, maintenance 

and retirement; 

c. reforestation, invasive exotic plants and animals, forest resource 

conservation, aesthetics and special sites;

d. awareness of responsibilities under the U.S. Endangered 

Species Act, the Canadian Species at Risk Act, and other 

measures to protect wildlife habitat (e.g., Forests with 

Exceptional Conservation Value);

e. awareness of rare forested natural communities as identified 

by provincial or state agencies, or by credible organizations 

such as NatureServe, The Nature Conservancy, etc. 

f. logging safety;

g. U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 

and Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety 

(CCOHS) regulations, wage and hour rules, and other 

provincial, state and local employment laws; 

h. transportation issues;

i. business management;

j. public policy and outreach; and

k. awareness of emerging technologies. 

“SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard indicator 11.2.2 and SFI 

2015-219 Fiber Sourcing Standard indicator 6.2.2 - The SIC-approved 

wood producers training programs shall have a continuing education 

component with coursework that supports the current logger training 

programs, safety and the principles of sustainable forestry.” 

Program is defined in the SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules as an 

organized system, process or set of activities to achieve an objective or 

performance measure. 

SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard Indicator 11.1.5 and SFI 

2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard Indicators 3.1.1 require Program 

Participants to develop a program for the purchase of their raw material 

from logging professionals who have completed training programs. The 

SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard indicator 6.1.5 says that Program 

Participants will use written agreements requiring the use of qualified 

logging professionals. They should strive to achieve 100 percent of their 

raw material deliveries from qualified logging professionals, or loggers 

in the process of completing a SIC-approved logger training program, 

with allowances for turnover in the logging workforce, availability, 

timing and length of training programs, other wood suppliers (defined 

as a person who or organization that infrequently supplies wood fiber 

on a small scale, such as farmers and small-scale land-clearing 

operators), and availability of qualified logging professionals locally. 

This goal for deliveries by qualified logging professionals also needs to 

recognize that catastrophic events (e.g., severe storms, wildfire, beetle 

epidemics) can result in large-scale salvage efforts over comparatively 

short periods of time, which can result in increased deliveries by 

untrained loggers. Where the Program Participant identifies a region 

where the availability of qualified logging professionals is not sufficient 

to meet the expectations of SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard

indicator 11.1.5 and SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard indicator 

6.1.5, the Program Participant will develop a program, individually or 

collaboratively, to address this shortage. 

11.2 Certified Logging Professionals

SFI Inc. recognizes the potential and value in promoting the use 

of certified logging professionals, and the SFI 2015-2019 Forest 

Management Standard Performance Measure 11.1 and the SFI 2015-

2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard Performance Measures 3.1 and 6.1 

encourages their use

 “SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard indicator. 6.1.2 - List of 

qualified logging professionals and certified logging professionals 

and maintained by Program Participant, state or provincial 

agency, loggers’ association or other organization.”

 “SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard indicator 11.1.5 

and SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard Indicator 3.1.1 

require Program Participants to develop a program for the 

purchase of their raw material from logging professionals who 

have completed training programs. The SFI 2015-2019 Fiber 

Sourcing Standard indicator 6.1.5 says that Program Participants

will use written agreements requiring the use of qualified 

logging professionals.”

Certified logging professional programs are not in widespread use. 

The SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules recognizes these limitations 

while encouraging their use by Program Participants where they 

are available and after consideration of other factors involved in 

developing contractual relationships. Certified logging professionals 

are those professionals who have completed SFI Implementation 

Committee approved training programs and who have also 

successfully completed and are members in good standing of a 

credible certified logging professional program recognized by the SFI 

Implementation Committee. 
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SFI Implementation Committees will review, when requested, certified 

logging professional programs to determine if they meet the criteria 

in SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard indicator 11.2.3 and 

SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard indicator 6.2.3. This process is 

identical to the one currently in use by SFI Implementation Committees

for evaluating credible logger training programs. 

 Indicator 11.2.3 and Indicator 6.2.3. Participation in or support 

of SFI Implementation Committees to establish criteria for 

recognition of logger certification programs, where they exist, 

that include:

a. completion of SFI Implementation Committee recognized 

logger training programs and meeting continuing education 

requirements of the training program;

b. independent in-the-forest verification of conformance with the 

logger certification program standards;

c. compliance with all applicable laws and regulations including 

responsibilities under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, the 

Canadian Species at Risk Act and other measures to protect 

wildlife habitat;

d. use of best management practices to protect of water quality;

e. logging safety;

f. compliance with acceptable silviculture and utilization 

standards;

g. aesthetic management techniques employed where 

applicable; and

h. adherence to a management or harvest plan that is site 

specific and agreed to by the forest landowner.

12. Illegal Logging

The SFI program has strong existing measures in the SFI 2015-2019 

Standards and Rules to avoid sourcing fiber from illegal logging.

These measures are reinforced by the SFI Policy on Illegal Logging

(September 2008). These measures address the issue of illegal logging 

from sources within the United States and Canada and off-shore. 

The United States Lacey Act, as amended May 22, 2008, makes 

it unlawful to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or 

purchase in interstate or foreign commerce any plant, with some 

limited exceptions, taken, possessed, transported or sold in violation 

of the laws of the United States, a State, an Indian tribe, or any foreign 

law that protects plants from removal or that regulates the removal 

of plants and products made from illegally removed plants. The 

European Union Timber Regulation (EUTR), applied since March 3, 

2013, prohibits illegally harvested timber, or products derived from 

such timber, to be brought into the EU and creates due diligence 

obligations for operators who place timber and timber products on the 

EU market.

SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard Objective 12 has the 

requirements for avoidance of controversial sources including 

Illegal Logging when sourcing from regions outside of the United 

States and Canada. 

   Performance Measure 12.1. Program Participants shall ensure 

that their fiber sourcing programs support the principles of 

sustainable forestry, including efforts to reduce the risk of 

illegal logging.

   Indicator 12.1.1. Process to assess the risk that the Program 

Participant’s fiber sourcing program could acquire material from 

illegal logging such as consulting information from the World 

Resources Institute Forest Legality Risk Tool, the World Bank 

Legal Rights Index, or Transparency International.

SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard Objective 9 and SFI 2015-

2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard Objective 4 requires legal and regulatory 

compliance with applicable federal, provincial, state and local laws 

and regulations. 

 SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard Performance 

Measure 9.1 and SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard 

Performance Measure 4.1. 

 Program Participants shall comply with applicable federal, 

provincial, state and local forestry and related social and 

environmental laws and regulations and take appropriate steps 

to avoid illegal logging. 

SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard Indicator 4.1.4:

Program to assess the risk that the Program Participants fiber 

sourcing program could acquire material from illegal logging by 

considering some of the following:

 a. communications with suppliers;

 b. independent research;

 c. contract documentation; and

 d. maintain records.

The definition of illegal logging is intended to cover intentional 

violations, such as timber theft from areas that are precluded 

from logging, falsification of official documents, avoidance of 

harvest payments and duties, and deliberate removal of trees 

from the land without the legal right to do so. The definition is not 

intended to cover isolated occurrences of legal infractions such as 

unintentional trespass over a property line (for private ownership) 

or unit boundaries (for public ownership), violation of roadway 

laws, or minor contract disputes. As stated in SFI 2015-2019 Forest 

Management Standard Objective 9 and SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing 

Standard Objective 4, Program Participants are required to comply with 

applicable federal, provincial, state and local laws and regulations. 

13. ILO Core Conventions

SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard Performance Measure 9.2 

and SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard Performance Measure 4.2 

addresses differences in U.S. labor law and the ILO core conventions. 

Additional guidance is provided here for application of 9.2 and 4.2 for 

independent contractors and for Program Participants.
Guidance to SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules | 19/21 SECTION 6

 Application of SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard

Performance Measure 9.2 and SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing 

Standard Performance Measure 4.2 for independent contractors 

operating on lands owned or controlled by Program Participants:

• Certification bodies at the time of the audit will collect and 

review information the Program Participant has received from 

outside stakeholders with regards to concerns or conformance 

pertaining to independent contractor actions related to ILO 

Core Conventions 87, 98 and 111.

• Any information collected by the certification bodies during 

normal auditing times will be promptly submitted without 

contractor identifying information to the Program Participant,

SFI Inc. and the SFI ILO Task Force. Information received will be 

reviewed every six months by the SFI ILO Task Force, which will 

develop recommendations to the SFI Inc. Board of Directors for 

resolution of any significant problems identified.

• Indicators 9.2 and 4.2 shall only apply to the core conventions 

not fully covered by existing U.S. or Canadian law. 

 • Right to Organise (No. 87)

 • Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining (No. 98)

 • Discrimination (111). 

• In addition, any ILO related issue that is being addressed 

through a formal grievance process or before any of the 

agencies established by the U.S. National Labor Relations Act 

(NLRA), the appropriate provincial labour code or act, or the 

courts until those processes are completed, will not be subject 

to review, consideration or recommendations by the SFI ILO 

Task Force nor by the SFI Inc. Board of Directors.

 Application of SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard 

Performance Measure 9.2 for Program Participants with respect 

to their employees operating on lands owned or controlled by 

Program Participants:

• Certification bodies at the time of the audit will collect and 

review information the Program Participant has received from 

outside stakeholders with regards to concerns or conformance 

pertaining to their employee relations with regards to ILO Core 

conventions 87, 98 and 111.

• Stakeholders may raise issues regarding conformance to 

indicator 9.2.2 through the inconsistent practices procedures 

outlined in the SFI Public Inquiries and Official Complaints 

(Section 11) requirements, part 3.

• All information collected through the inconsistent practices 

process will be reviewed every six months by the SFI ILO Task 

Force, which will develop recommendations to the SFI Inc. Board 

of Directors for resolution of any significant problems identified.

• Indicator 9.2.2 shall only apply to the core conventions not fully 

covered by existing U.S. or Canadian law. 

 • Right to Organise (No. 87)

 • Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining (No. 98)

 • Discrimination (111). 

• In addition, any ILO related issue that is being addressed 

through a formal grievance process or before any of the 

agencies established by the U.S. National Labor Relations Act 

(NLRA), the appropriate provincial labour code or act, or the 

courts until those processes are completed, will not be subject 

to review, consideration or recommendations by the SFI ILO

Task Force nor by the SFI Inc. Board of Directors.

Public forest landowners in states (Alabama, North Carolina and 

Virginia) that currently have laws prohibiting bargaining with their 

public employees shall be “grandfathered in” as meeting the 

requirements in indicator 9.2.2 but must still participate in the 

information gathering process with their certification bodies (for 

independent contractors) and the inconsistent practices process 

in part 8.4 of the Public Inquiries and Official Complaints (Section 

11) requirements to aid in the resolution of any issues that may be 

identified.

14. SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard and 

SFI On-Product Label Use 

14.1 Defining the Product Group

SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard at Part 3.2.1 and Appendix 

1 allows an organization to define the product group(s) for which the 

certification percentage is calculated. The product group should be 

identified for specific products or groups of products. The organization 

should include in one product group only products that consist of the 

same raw material. For example, a printer could identify as a product 

group the paper usage for all inserts, order-forms, offset body, 

gravure body, and cover products being bound or stitched together 

into the final product of a magazine or catalog.

14.2 Exemption from Surveillance Audits

An SFI chain-of-custody certificate holder, can upon receiving approval 

from their certificate body, waive a surveillance audit if they have not 

sold any certified material since their last audit. The chain-of-custody 

certificate holder must sign a declaration for their certification body 

stating that no material has been sold as SFI certified since the last 

audit. The declaration must also include a commitment by the chainof-custody certificate holder to contact the certification body as soon 

as they wish to sell SFI certified material. Certification bodies shall not 

waive more than two consecutive audits.

14.3 Exemption from SFI Chain of Custody

An organization (such as a warehouse or distribution center) that 

passes on SFI certified material/product does not need an SFI chainof-custody system provided the SFI certified material/product is in its 

original packaging and the material/product is identified with an SFI 

chain-of-custody on-product label. 

14.4 Eligibility of Credits – Volume Credit Method

An organization using the Volume Credit method can start counting 

all eligible credit after the completion of a successful internal audit 

of the chain-of-custody system and completion of a management 

review of the chain-of-custody system performance. Eligible credits 

can be accumulated up to 365 days prior to the initial registration 

audit. Accumulated credits can be utilized for the sale of products only 

after successful completion of the registration audit and receipt of the 

chain-of-custody certificate from their certification body.
20/21 | Guidance to SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules

14.5 Controversial Sources and De Minimis Amounts

Organizations wishing to utilize de minimis amounts of materials 

sourced from outside of the United States and Canada in their 

product(s) must conform to the requirements of the SFI 2015-2019 

Fiber Sourcing Standard, Appendix 1: Part 6 - Due Diligence System 

to Avoid Controversial Sources or the SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody 

Standard Part 4 - Due Diligence System to Avoid Controversial Sources. 

14.6 Scoping Suppliers into a Chain of Custody 

A Program Participant that sources from primary producers can 

include these organizations in the scope of their SFI 2015-2019 

Chain-of-Custody Standard certificate. The Program Participant

will be responsible for all objectives and performance measures of 

those organizations they scope into their own procedures. Those 

organizations are subject to sample audits. Certification bodies shall 

follow guidelines in Section 9 - SFI 2015-2019 Audit Procedures and 

Auditor Qualifications and Accreditation - Appendix 1, for “multi-site 

organizations.” If the Program Participant scopes in primary producers,

the Program Participant is also responsible for all SIC related activity 

for that company.

15. SFI Implementation Committees

SFI Program Participants established state SFI Implementation 

Committees in 1995 and the first provincial SFI Implementation 

Committee in 2001. SFI Implementation Committees provide a strong 

foundation for the SFI program and make important contributions 

in assuring SFI Standard conformance and SFI program recognition. 

The state, provincial and regional SFI Implementation Committees

are semi-autonomous committees reflecting significant geographic 

and organizational diversity. This flexible, grassroots infrastructure 

is a fundamental strength of the SFI program and its goal to promote 

responsible forestry across all forest ownerships. 

The definition of SFI Implementation Committee (SIC) in Section 13 

of the SFI 2015-2019: Standards and Rules is ”A state, provincial, or 

regional committee organized by SFI Program Participants to facilitate 

or manage the programs and alliances that support the growth of the 

SFI program, including sustainable forest management.”

The SFI Implementation Committee governance document was 

reviewed for relevance to the current SFI program, and to ensure 

consistency with the SFI 2015-2019 Standard and Rules. The SFI 

Implementation Committee governance document will be updated 

in conjunction with future SFI Standard revisions, and may also be 

reviewed between scheduled revisions if there are significant SFI 

program changes. 

Some key elements from the governance document and how they 

relate to the SFI 2015-2019 Standards are included here.

Vision Statement

SFI Implementation Committees (SICs) are an integral part of the SFI 

program and play a vital role in promoting training and landowner 

outreach, maintaining integrity of the SFI program, and supporting and 

promoting responsible forestry and the SFI program at local levels. 

Mission Statement

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) defines the SIC Mission, 

ensuring SIC goals and priorities are based on recommendations from 

the SIC Governance Review Ad-hoc Committee. The MOU clarifies 

both the SIC mission and supports obligations for the SFI Program 

Participants as follows:

I. Overall SIC Mission – Effectively facilitate or manage at a state, 

provincial or regional level the programs and alliances that support 

the growth of sustainable forest management through the SFI 

program.

II. Core SIC Mission – Priorities for all SICs: 

a. Training & Education – Establish criteria and identify delivery 

mechanisms for qualified logging professional, qualified 

resource professional and wood producer training, and defining 

what it means to be “SFI trained.”2 Establish criteria for 

recognition of certified logging professional programs, where 

they exist.3

b. Inconsistent Practices – Establish protocols for 

addressing, investigating, and responding to SFI Standard

nonconformity allegations and inconsistent practices, 

and allegations regarding non-Program Participant forest 

management practices.4

c. Landowner Outreach – Focus landowner outreach efforts on 

education and technical assistance.5

d. Informational Resources – Focus informational resource 

efforts on increasing SFI program recognition, awareness and 

support with groups, such as local opinion leaders and forestry

resource professionals.6

e. Annual Reporting – Submit the SIC annual progress report to 

SFI Inc.

f. SFI Program Integrity7 – Protect the integrity of the SFI 

program by: 

• ensuring proper SIC service mark usage; 

• alerting SFI Inc. when improper communications or 

misleading claims are observed; 

• avoiding the appearance of participation or compliance 

by non-SFI Program Participants; and 

• avoiding the appearance of third-party certification by 

non-certified SFI Program Participants.

III. Secondary SIC Mission – Below are priorities that may be 

determined by each SIC; however, individual participants may 

choose not to participate or support these objectives.

a. Training and Education – Provide delivery mechanisms 

for qualified logging professional, and qualified resource 

professional, and wood producer training to address SFI 

program needs not adequately provided by other programs.

b. Market Outreach – Sponsor active market outreach efforts in 

local communities that may include paid advertising.

2 SFI 2015-2019 Standard Indicator 11.2.1 (FM) and 6.2.1 (FS).

3 SFI 2015-2019 Standard Indicator 11.2.3 (FM) and 6.2.3 (FS).

4 SFI 2015-2019 Standard Performance Measure 12.3 (FM) and 7.3 (FS).

5 SFI 2015-2019 Standard Indicators12.1.1 and 12.2.1 (FM) and 7.1.1 and 7.1.2 (FS).

6 SFI 2015-2019 Standard Performance Measure 12.2 (FM) and 7.2 (FS).

7 SFI 2015-2019 Standard Indicators 12.3.1 and 12.3.2 (FM) and 7.3.1 and 7.3.2(FS).

8 SFI 2015-2019 Standard Performance Measure 10.2 (FM) and 8.1 (FS).

9 SFI 2015-2019 Standard Objective 10 (FM) and 5 (FS).
Guidance to SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules | 21/21 SECTION 6

c. Recruitment – Encourage large landowners and all forest 

products facilities to enroll as SFI Program Participants; 

encourage family forest owners to participate in the American 

Tree Farm System or similar programs recognized by the SFI 

program, as appropriate. 

d. Forest Management Statistics – Encourage government 

agencies to provide accessible timely, accurate harvest and 

regeneration statistics, in support of a Program Participant’s 

sustainable forestry programs.8

e. Research – Promote forestry research, science and 

technology, upon which sustainable forest management 

decisions are based.9

SIC Organization

SICs are semi-autonomous committees reflecting significant 

geographic and organizational diversity. This flexible, grassroots 

infrastructure is a fundamental strength of the SFI program and 

our goal to promote sustainable forestry across all ownerships. The 

following is intended to clarify support expectations and provide 

guidance to ensure consistency, while still maintaining SIC flexibility. 

SIC Participation

All SFI program participants owning and/or operating forest product 

facilities, owning and/or managing forestland, or procuring fiber 

within the state or province are expected to participate in the SFI 

Implementation Committees (SICs). SFI Program Participants 

are required to participate in the SIC where significant operations 

exist, i.e. majority of forestland owned and/or fiber procured. The 

expectation is that Program Participants with facilities within the scope 

of an SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard certificate will support all 

the SICs in the regions, states or provinces where they procure fiber. 

However, there may be regions, states or provinces where a Program 

Participant sources a de minimis amount of fiber for a given facility. 

In these situations it is possible for a Program Participant to meet the 

requirements of Performance Measure 6.2 of the SFI 2015-2019 Fiber 

Sourcing Standard in the regions where the majority of the Program 

Participant’s procurement occurs.

16. Transition to the SFI 2015-2019 Standards

and Rules

Changes adopted by the SFI Inc. Board of Directors to the SFI 

Standards must be incorporated into a Program Participant’s policies, 

plans, and management activities within one year of adoption 

and publication. Similarly, changes to certification procedures and 

qualifications for certification bodies must be accomplished within one 

year of adoption and publication. 

It is the Program Participant’s responsibility to work with the 

certification body to establish a surveillance audit schedule that meets 

the requirements outlined in Section 9 SFI 2015-2019 Audit Procedures 

and and Auditor Qualifications and Accreditations. Additional guidance 

regarding the transition is included below:

• The SFI 2015-2019 Standard and Rules replace the SFI 2010-

2014 Standard, which is the current standard implemented 

by organizations within their forest operations in the United 

States and Canada.

• SFI Inc. developed the SFI 2015-2019 Standard and Rules, but 

does not conduct auditing and certification. All certification, 

recertification and surveillance audits to the SFI 2015-2019 

Standards and Rules shall be conducted by certification bodies 

accredited by the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board 

(ANAB), American National Standards Institute (ANSI) or the 

Standards Council of Canada (SCC) to conduct certification to 

SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules.

• Accredited certification bodies are required to maintain audit 

processes consistent with the requirements of International 

Organization for Standardization (ISO) 17021:2011 conformity 

assessment – requirements for bodies providing audit and 

certification of management systems; and conduct audits in 

accordance with the principles of auditing contained in the 

ISO 19011:2002 Guidelines for Quality and/or Environmental 

Management Systems Auditing. 

• ANAB-, ANSI- and SCC-accredited certification to the SFI 

2015-2019 Standards and Rules shall not be granted until they 

are published as standards.

• SFI Program Participants have one year from the time 

the SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules take effect 

on January 1, 2015 to implement all new and revised 

requirements, and Program Participants must demonstrate 

conformance to the new requirements at their first 

surveillance audit following the implementation period. Earlier 

adoption is encouraged. 

• Initial certification audits in 2015 must be conducted against 

the SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules. 

• After March 31, 2015, all re-certifications must be conducted 

against the SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules. For recertifications against the SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules

nonconformities against changes made in the revised SFI 

2015-2019 Standards and Rules shall be reported but will not 

adversely affect re-certification until after December 31, 2015.

• Surveillance audits through December 31, 2015 may be 

conducted against either the SFI 2010-2014 Standard and/or 

the 2010-2014 SFI Chain-of-Custody Standard or the SFI 2015-

2019 Standards and Rules at the Program Participant’s choice. 

For surveillance audits after March 31, 2015, nonconformities

against changes made in the SFI 2015-2019 Standards 

and Rules shall be reported but will not adversely affect 

certification status until December 31, 2015; these audits shall 

also include an assessment of action plans to fully transition 

to the SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules by December 31, 

2015. 

• After December 31, 2015, all surveillance audits must be 

conducted against the SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules.

SECTION 7SFI POLICIES

JANUARY 2015

SFI POLICIES

SFI POLICIES | 1/4 SECTION 7

1. SFI POLICY ON ILLEGAL LOGGING 3

2. SFI POLICY ON FOREST TREE BIOTECHNOLOGY3
2/4 | SFI POLICIES

THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
SECTION 7

1. SFI POLICY ON ILLEGAL LOGGING1

The SFI program has strong existing measures in the SFI 2015-2019 

Forest Management Standard, SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard 

and the SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard to avoid illegal 

sources of supply. This section covers the issue as to whether 

an organization can certify one operation to the SFI 2015-2019 

Fiber Sourcing Standard (Section 3, Appendix 1) or SFI’s Chain-ofCustody Standard (Section 4) in the SFI requirements document, 

while another operation controlled by the company is engaged in

illegal logging. This is an evolving issue and as international laws, 

regulations, agreements, treaties and definitions of illegal logging

change, SFI Inc. will review and update the language as necessary.

A. SFI Inc. will not license any person or entity to use SFI’s 

trademarks or labels, and SFI may revoke any license previously 

granted, if the proposed licensee or an Affiliate of the licensee 

has been found to have engaged in illegal logging by a government 

authority in the jurisdiction where the logging occurred2, unless 

the evidence available to SFI supports a conclusion that, in the 

business judgment of the SFI Inc. Board, any incidents of illegal 

logging by the entity are followed by prompt corrective action and 

do not show a pattern of illegal logging. 

B. SFI Inc. will not license any person or entity to use SFI’s 

trademarks or labels, and SFI may revoke any license previously 

granted, if the evidence available to SFI supports a conclusion 

that, in the business judgment of the SFI Inc. Board, the proposed 

licensee or an Affiliate of the licensee has engaged in a pattern of 

Illegal Logging.3

C. Any person or entity whose application for an SFI license has 

been denied or whose license has been revoked pursuant to this 

section may reapply for a license upon a showing that any past

Illegal Logging has been stopped, that appropriate actions have 

been taken to prevent it from recurring, and that the proposed 

licensee and its Affiliates do not knowingly engage in Illegal 

Logging. Such showing shall be supported by a third-party audit 

conducted by an SFI certification body accredited to conduct 2015-

2019 SFI Standards certifications and shall include local expertise 

as part of the audit team.

4

D. As used in this section, 

• “Illegal Logging” means harvesting and trading of wood fiber 

in violation of applicable laws and regulations in the country 

of harvest. 

• “Affiliate” means any person or entity that directly or 

indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common 

control with the proposed licensee. 

• “Control” means owning a majority of the stock, appointing a 

majority of the directors, or otherwise having the practical or 

legal power to direct the operations of a person or entity.

2. SFI POLICY ON FOREST TREE BIOTECHNOLOGY5

The SFI program has strong existing measures in the SFI 2015-

2019 Forest Management Standard and the SFI 2015-2019 Fiber 

Sourcing Standard regarding research on genetically engineered 

trees via forest tree biotechnology.

6

 The use of genetically modified 

organisms is an evolving issue and as federal and international laws, 

regulations, agreements, treaties and marketplace recognition of 

the use of genetically engineered trees via forest tree biotechnology

change, SFI Inc. will proactively review and update the SFI 2015-2019 

Standards and Rules language and this policy as necessary.

A. SFI Inc. recognizes that forest tree biotechnology offers the 

potential to prevent the loss of tree species like the American 

Chestnut due to devastating diseases and to further improve the 

quality and productivity of trees, and their resistance to insects 

and disease and to grow trees with characteristics that allow 

them to be more efficiently manufactured into building products, 

paper and to provide feedstock for bioenergy.

B. SFI Inc. recognizes that genetically engineered forest trees are 

not approved for commercial plantings in the United States and 

Canada and, even if approved in the future, it will take many 

years for fiber from genetically engineered forest trees to reach 

manufacturing facilities.

C. SFI Inc. realizes that much research is still being conducted to 

study the ecological cost benefits of genetically engineered trees 

and regulations concerning forest biotechnology continue to 

evolve. As such research and regulations develop; SFI Inc. will 

review to understand the impacts of genetically engineered trees 

from an ecological perspective.

D. SFI Inc. is endorsed by the Program for the Endorsement of 

Forest Certification (www.pefc.org), which has restrictions on the 

use of genetically engineered trees until December 31, 2015:

Genetically-modified trees shall not be used. 7

Note: The restriction on the usage of genetically-modified trees 

has been adopted based on the Precautionary Principle. Until 

enough scientific data on genetically-modified trees indicates 

that impacts on human and animal health and the environment 

are equivalent to, or more positive than, those presented by trees 

genetically improved by traditional methods, no geneticallymodified trees will be used.”

Note: The policy on the exclusion of material from genetically 

modified forest based organisms remains in force until 31 

December 2015.”

SFI POLICIES | 3/4
E. Given the issues identified in item (b) regarding legal approval 

and lack of commercialization and in item (d) regarding PEFC 

requirements for endorsement of the SFI program, the use of 

fiber from genetically engineered trees via forest biotechnology is 

not approved for use in SFI labeled products.

F. The SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules requirements regarding 

research on genetically engineered trees via forest tree 

biotechnology will remain in place.

G. SFI Inc. will proactively review and update the SFI 2015-2019 

Standard and Rules language and this policy as necessary.

1

 As Approved by the SFI Board of Directors on September 23, 2008.

2

 This enables SFI to take action that is based on a government finding (conviction, court decision, regulatory 

decision, fine, etc.) of illegal	logging. SFI would not make any factual determinations of illegal	logging; they 

would be made by the government. No audit of overseas operations is required unless and until such a finding 

is made.

3

 This enables SFI to take action against a company that is known to engage in a pattern of illegal	logging, but 

that has NOT been subject to government enforcement actions (perhaps because the local government is corrupt or ineffective). The SFI Board would need to make the factual determinations based on the best evidence 

available to it. No audit of overseas operations is required unless and until such a finding is made.

4

 The audit shall cover all operations in all jurisdictions where the illegal	logging occurred.

5

 As approved by the SFI Board of Directors on December 5, 2013.

6

 5.1.2 (FS) and 10.1.2 (FM). Research on genetically engineered trees via	forest	tree	biotechnology shall adhere 

to all applicable federal, state, and provincial regulations and international protocols.Definition: As commonly 

used, forest	tree	biotechnology	encompasses structural and functional studies of genes and genomes (including 

development and application of genetic markers); various methods of vegetative reproduction such as 

micro-propagation, tissue culture, and somatic embryogenesis; and genetic engineering (GE), which is the 

physical manipulation and asexual insertion of genes into organisms.

7 PEFC ST 1003:2010, Sustainable Forest Management-Requirements, 5.4.7.

4/4 | SFI POLICIES
SECTION 8 JANUARY 2015

SFI STANDARDS

DEVELOPMENT AND 

INTERPRETATIONS

PROCESS

SFI STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT AND INTERPRETATIONS PROCESS | 1/8 SECTION 8

SFI STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT AND 

INTERPRETATIONS PROCESS

1. PROCEDURES FOR SFI STANDARD REVISION 2

2. DEVELOPMENT OF THE SFI 2015-2019 STANDARDS AND RULES 6 

3. INTERPRETATIONS 8
2/8 | SFI STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT AND INTERPRETATIONS PROCESS

1. PROCEDURES FOR SFI STANDARD REVISION

1.1 Actors and Responsibilities

The SFI Board of Directors is responsible for standard development 

and revision and will convene the Forum. The SFI Board of 

Directors, the Resources Committee and the External Review Panel 

(independent oversight role) constitute the Forum and ensure that 

the revision process includes economic, environmental and social 

representation equally. Any individual can suggest candidates to 

the nominations committee. The Board Nominations Committee 

considers suggestions and invites individuals to be considered by the 

Board. The Forum follows the procedures outlined in this document 

for SFI Standard Revision.1

1.1.1 SFI Board

SFI Board members include representatives of 

environmental, conservation, social professional and 

academic groups, independent professional loggers, small 

family forest owners, public officials, labor and the forest 

products industry. The 18-member SFI Board of Directors 

has representatives from the main geographic regions of 

the U.S. and Canada and includes:

 • Six directors from non-profit environmental /conservation

organizations representing the environmental sector;

 • Six directors from community or social interest groups 

such as universities, labor, independent professional 

loggers, family forest owners or government agencies 

representing the social sector; and

 • Six directors from the forest, paper and wood products 

industry or other for-profit forest ownership or 

management entities representing the economic sector.

SFI Board members are invited by the Board Nominations 

Committee to participate as directors and must be approved 

by the full Board. The Board is a voluntary Board.

1.1.2 SFI Resources Committee

Each SFI Inc. Board member appoints one person from 

their organization (or other organization they may choose) 

to serve on the SFI Inc. Resources Committee (RC) or 

the Board member may choose to represent themselves 

on the Resources Committee. As such, the Resources 

Committee has the same equal representation of social, 

environmental and economic interests and geographic 

scope as the SFI Inc. Board. 

1.1.3 SFI External Review Panel

The SFI External Review Panel is an independent panel of 

experts that provides diverse perspectives and expertise 

to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) program 

while contributing to quality assurance and continuous 

improvement. As part of the Forum, Panel members 

provide external independent oversight to ensure the 

standard revision process is objective and credible and that 

all comments are treated equally and fairly. The volunteer 

External Review Panel is made up of 15-18 external 

experts and has representatives from the main geographic 

regions of the U.S. and Canada where the SFI Standards 

are applied. Its membership maintains a balance of 

technical skills and organizational experience, with four 

to six members from each of the following categories – 

environmental/conservation groups, professional/academic 

groups, and public agencies (local, state, provincial, 

tribal or federal governments). Panel members come 

from universities, government agencies, foundations, 

professional associations, and landowner/conservation

organizations. The SFI External Review Panel selects its 

own members based on their individual expertise and 

experience, following an election process set out in its 

charter. It develops its own agenda to represent the public 

interest as an outside observer of the SFI program. All 

stakeholders can suggest candidates to the SFI External 

Review Panel for consideration. 

1.2 Procedures

The SFI Standards setting process shall be on a five year cycle, which 

is consistent with international protocols for forest certification 

standard revision cycles. The SFI Standards development process is 

open, transparent and consensus2 based, and SFI Inc. Board decisions 

regarding final changes to the SFI Standards shall be consistent 

with PEFC ST 1001:2010 for consensus3 based decision making. 

The revision process shall begin in the first quarter of the year prior 

to the year the existing standard expires. The SFI Standards setting 

process shall begin with a public notice to all stakeholders prior to the 

start of the process. The start of the process will be communicated 

on the SFI website, in newsletters and e-mails to all stakeholders 

inviting comments. SFI shall identify stakeholders relevant to the 

objectives and scope of the standard-setting work. A stakeholder 

mapping exercise will be used to identify which interest sectors —

both public and private — are relevant (environmental, economic, 

social) including stakeholders who may not be able to participate by 

conventional means and what means of communications will best 

1

 Section 8 - SFI Standards Development and Interpretations Process is publicly available and can be found 

on the SFI website. 

2

 Consensus as defined by PEFC and ISO: General agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained 

opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interests and by a process that 

involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting 

arguments. NOTE - Consensus need not imply unanimity. Item 1.7 in ISO/IEC	Guide	2:1991 and item 3.1 in 

PEFC	Standard	Setting	Requirements	PEFC	ST	1001:2010	dated	2010-11-26.	PEFC	ST	1001:2010 and	ISO	Guide	

59:1994,	Code	of	Good	Practice	for Standardisation are normative references.

3

 The SFI Inc. Board of Directors has a balance of stakeholders including representatives of environmental, 

conservation, social professional and academic groups, independent professional loggers, small family 

forest owners, public officials, labor and the forest products industry. The SFI Inc. Board of Directors 

voting structure in the SFI Inc. bylaws defines the consensus based approach used for final approval of 

revisions to the SFI Standard: a minimum of eighty percent of those present, which must include at least 

two representatives of each Sector [environmental, social, economic] is required to approve any action of 

the Board.
SFI STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT AND INTERPRETATIONS PROCESS | 3/8 SECTION 8

reach each stakeholder group. This mapping exercise will be done at 

the beginning of each standard review process and will define who the 

stakeholders are and what is necessary to ensure all can participate in 

the process if they so choose.4 The process shall include an initial 60-

day public comment period, a second 60 day public comment period 

(the inquiry draft) and a final draft review period of at least 45 days. 

(See Figure 1.) The External Review Panel (ERP) shall independently 

monitor the entire process including a review of all comments 

received on draft standards and their disposition. 

Broad public and stakeholder involvement is important to the SFI 

program. The SFI Standards review process shall be conducted on a 

national level in Canada and in the United States. Stakeholders — 

including disadvantaged and key stakeholders and those from the 

environmental community, forest products industry, private forest 

landowners, customers, local and federal government agencies, 

trade associations, landowner associations, academia and all other 

stakeholders shall be invited to participate in the review process. The 

start of the standards review process and all subsequent public review 

periods shall be communicated publicly to all interested stakeholders 

with an invitation to provide comments on the standards and standard 

setting process.5

The Standards Revision process is intended to be collaborative. While 

consensus on proposed SFI Standards revisions is desirable, there 

may be issues for which consensus cannot be achieved. In these 

scenarios the Review Task Groups established by the Resources 

Committee may forward multiple recommended options to a Steering 

Committee, also established by the Resources Committee, who will 

review and prepare recommendations for the Resources Committee’s 

review. Task Group Chairs shall be fair to all viewpoints; however, they 

are charged with moving the process forward in a timely manner. If 

consensus is not achieved by the Resources Committee, the issue(s) 

will be moved forward to the SFI Board of Director for final resolution 

either by consensus or according to voting procedures outlined in the 

SFI Board Directors bylaws (http://www.sfiprogram.org/about-us/

sfi-governance/). All recommendations developed by the task groups 

will be reviewed by the Board and may be accepted as is, modified, 

or returned to the task groups with instructions for additional 

consideration and discussion. 

The draft of proposed changes to the SFI Standards shall be released 

and published to the SFI website during the first quarter of the 

second review year, followed by an additional 60-day public comment 

period to allow all stakeholders an opportunity to provide additional 

comments regarding proposed changes. 

This draft will also be presented to and discussed with SFI Program 

Participants and all other stakeholders at regional workshops 

conducted by the Forum and SFI Inc. throughout the U.S. and Canada. 

All stakeholders who have commented on proposed changes or who 

have proposed changes to the SFI Standards shall use this opportunity 

to raise any concerns regarding their comments and the manner 

in which the SFI Standards Review Task Group addressed their 

comments or suggested changes. 

Formal complaints regarding the disposition of comments shall be 

submitted in writing to the External Review Panel Secretariat (http://

sfierp.org/resources) for review.6 The ERP shall acknowledge receipt 

of all complaints, impartially and objectively review all complaints, and 

provide feedback to the Forum regarding complaints where additional 

review and potential action by the Forum is warranted. Once resolved, 

the decision on the complaint and the complaint process shall be 

communicated to the complainant.

A final draft of the proposed changes to the SFI Standards shall be 

delivered to the SFI Inc. Board of Directors during the third quarter of 

the final review year. The SFI Inc. Board will meet in the third quarter 

of the final review year at the SFI annual conference to discuss the 

SFI Standards draft and begin the 45-day advance notice to review 

proposed changes to the standards before Board approval can occur. 

The proposed changes to the SFI Standards draft will be presented at 

the SFI annual conference in the third quarter of the final review year.

Upon completion of the SFI Board 45-day advance review period, the 

SFI Standards shall be finalized by the Forum and approved by the SFI 

Board and published to the SFI program website. Printed copies will 

be available during the first quarter of the following year. All Program 

Participants have one year to fully implement new and revised SFI 

Standards elements adopted by the Forum.

The Forum shall maintain records regarding all comments and 

their disposition for review by the independent External Review 

Panel. All comments will be considered carefully and records of 

their disposition maintained for a minimum of five years and posted 

to the SFI website. As in any review process, it is not necessary to 

agree to every suggestion, but it is important that all comments be 

given consideration.

These written procedures shall be publicly available to all interested 

parties. Additional information on the SFI Standards development 

process, regional workshop reports and stakeholder comments 

submitted during both public comment periods and how they were 

addressed shall be publicly available and also maintained for a 

minimum of five years. 

4 Stakeholders will be identified by doing a stakeholder mapping exercise that includes defining which

interest sectors are relevant and why, and for each sector what are likely to be the key issues, who are

the key stakeholders including those who may not be able to participate by conventional means, and what

means of communication will best reach them.

5 The public announcement will include where to find the publicly available standards-setting procedures,

the objectives, scope and steps of the standards setting process including key dates, information on how

stakeholders can participate in the process, information on how to submit comments on the standards

and how to be involved in standards revision workshops and working groups.

6

  The ERP process for reviewing complaints will be posted on the ERP website.
4/8 | SFI STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT AND INTERPRETATIONS PROCESS

Figure 1: Procedure Used For SFI Standards Revision 

YEAR 1 March (year prior to current standard expiration)

Stakeholder mapping exercise conducted

Review process, areas of focus, and timeline published on SFI Inc. website

June

First 60-day public comment period begins —

open to all stakeholders

August

SFI Inc. staff synthesize comments for 

Forum Review Task Groups

September

Forum Review Task Groups begin first draft review 

workshop at SFI annual conference

October - November

Forum Editing Team & Forum meetings to finalize first draft

December

SFI Inc. Board meeting to review first draft

January (final year of existing standards)

Post comments from the first review period and their disposition

Publish any complaints and their status/resolution

Second (final) 60-day comment period begins

Regional review workshops — open to all stakeholders begin

February

Regional review workshops — open to all stakeholders

March

Regional review workshops concluded

April

Forum Review Task Groups begin final draft

See Next Page

May - June

Invites to stakeholders sent to 

volunteer on a Forum Review 

Task Group

SFI Inc. Board and Resources Committee 

and ERP established as Forum. SFI 

Committees (Customers, Supporters, 

Certification Bodies, SFI Inc. Task Groups, 

Program Participants, SICs, etc.) also 

provide comments.

ERP meeting to monitor progress

YEAR 2

ERP neeting to monitor progress
SFI STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT AND INTERPRETATIONS PROCESS | 5/8 SECTION 8

May

Forum Editing Team and Forum meetings to create final draft

September

Final draft to SFI Board for 45-day advanced notice 

period per SFI Inc. bylaws

Final draft previewed at workshop at SFI annual conference —

open to all stakeholders

November

Final SFI Standards approved by the SFI Inc. Board of Directors

December 31

Current tandards expire

January (first year of new standards)

New standards published to SFI Inc website. SFI Inc. announces new 

SFI Standards broadly via e-mails and press releases; effective date to begin 

implementation is January

December 31

All SFI Program Participants required to conform to 

provisions in new SFI Standards

YEAR 3

ERP meeting to monitor progress
6/8 | SFI STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT AND INTERPRETATIONS PROCESS

2. DEVELOPMENT OF THE SFI 2015-2019 STANDARDS AND RULES

Figure 2: Procedure Used for the 2015-2019 SFI Standards and Rules Development

YEAR 1

2013

March - April 2013

Stakeholder mapping exercise conducted

Review process, areas of focus, and timeline published on SFI Inc. website

June 5, 2013

First 60-day public comment period begins —

open to all stakeholders

August 2013

SFI Inc. staff synthesize comments for Forum Review Task Groups

September 2013

Standard Review Task Groups begin review of first draft. 

September 19, 2013 - Review workshop at SFI annual conference. 

September 24-25, 2013 Aboriginal and First Nations workshop

October - November 2013

Standard Review Task Groups and Forum Editing Team & Forum 

meetings to finalize first draft

December 5, 2013

SFI Inc. Board meeting to review first draft

January 6, 2014

Second (final) 60-day comment period begins

January 22, 2014 – Vancouver BC – Review workshop - open to all stakeholders 

January 23, 2014 – Edmonton AB – Review workshop - open to all stakeholders

January 28, 2014 – Portland OR – Review workshop - open to all stakeholders

February 6, 2014

Published comments from the first comment period and their 

disposition to SFI Inc website

February 2014

Review workshops conducted – open to all stakeholders

February 4, 2014 – Charlotte, NC

February 5, 2014 – Memphis, TN

February 25, 2014 – Montreal, QC (session in French and English) 

February 27, 2014 – Portland, ME

See Next Page

June 11, 2014

Invites to stakeholders sent to 

volunteer on a Forum Review 

Task Group

SFI, Inc. Board and Resources Committee 

and ERP established as Forum. SFI 

Committees (customers, supporters, 

Certification Bodies, SFI Inc. Task Groups, 

Program Participants, SICs, etc.) also 

provide comments.

September 17-19, 2013 

ERP meeting to monitor progress

YEAR 2

2014
SFI STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT AND INTERPRETATIONS PROCESS | 7/8 SECTION 8

January 2015

New standards published to SFI Inc website. 

SFI Inc. announces new SFI Standards broadly via e-mails and press releases; 

effective date to begin implementation is January 1, 2015.

Published comments from the final comment period and their 

disposition to SFI Inc website

YEAR 3

2015

March 2014

March 4, 2014 – Minneapolis, MN — review workshop — 

open to all stakeholders

March 6, 2014 – Webinar — review workshop –

open to all stakeholders

March - April 2014

Standard Review Task Groups begin final draft based on 

comments received from website and workshops

April - July 2014

Standard Review Task Group meetings, Steering Committee 

Meetings and Resources Committee meetings to complete final 

draft. Includes SFI Board meetings to review progress on April 30, 

2014 and June 26, 2014. 

September 2, 2014

Final draft of 2015-2019 Standards and Rules to SFI Board two 

weeks in advance of SFI Board meeting.

September 16, 2014

SFI Board reviews final draft. 45-day advance notice (as per SFI Inc. 

bylaws) begins on September 22, 2014.

September 18, 2014

Preview of final draft during SFI Annual Conference Workshop. SFI 

Inc. will make available to Program Participants copies to preview.

November 5, 2014

Final SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules approved by the SFI Inc. 

Board of Directors

December 31, 2014

SFI 2010–2014 Program requirements expire

December 31, 2015

All SFI Program Participants required to conform to provisions 

in new SFI Standards

September 16-18, 2014

ERP meeting at annual conference to 

monitor progress

April 23-24, 2014

ERP meeting to monitor progress
3. INTERPRETATIONS

From time to time, a formal process may be needed to interpret 

the SFI 2015-2019 Standards and supporting documents. As part 

of SFI Inc.’s commitment to continual improvement of both the SFI 

certification process and the SFI 2015-2019 Standards, such concerns 

shall be submitted promptly to the SFI Inc. Interpretations Committee 

by contacting staff at SFI Inc. The SFI Inc. Interpretations Committee 

shall respond within 45 days of receipt.

It is neither the intent nor the responsibility of the SFI Inc.

Interpretations Committee to resolve disputes arising through 

certification; nevertheless, the committee will provide opinions 

and direction to assist parties in answering interpretive questions. 

Through this process, the SFI program shall maintain a record of 

opinions and concerns available to both Program Participants and 

certification bodies to assist with certification planning. SFI Inc. shall 

periodically review this record and, where appropriate, recommend 

changes for inclusion in the SFI 2015-2019 Standards or SFI audit 

procedures.

8/8 | SFI STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT AND INTERPRETATIONS PROCESS
SECTION 9

SFI 2015-2019 

AUDIT PROCEDURES

AND AUDITOR 

QUALIFICATIONS

AND ACCREDITATION

JANUARY 2015 JANUARY 2015

SFI 2015-2019 AUDIT PROCEDURES AND AUDITOR QUALIFICATIONS AND ACCREDITATION | 1/9 SECTION 9

SFI 2015-2019 AUDIT PROCEDURES AND AUDITOR 

QUALIFICATIONS AND ACCREDITATION

INTRODUCTION 2

1. SCOPE 3

2. NORMATIVE REFERENCE 3

3. TERMS AND DEFINITIONS 3

4. PROCEDURES FOR IMPLEMENTING THE PRINCIPLES FOR SFI AUDITING 3

5. SFI AUDIT ACTIVITIES 3

6. COMPETENCE AND EVALUATION OF CERTIFICATION BODIES 5

7. ACCREDITATION OF CERTIFICATION BODIES 5

Appendix 1: Audits of Multi-Site Organizations [Normative] 6
2/9 | SFI 2015-2019 AUDIT PROCEDURES AND AUDITOR QUALIFICATIONS AND ACCREDITATION

All certification, recertification and surveillance audits to Sections 2 and 3 in the SFI 2015-2019 

Standards and Rules document shall be conducted by certification bodies accredited by the ANSIASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB) or the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) to conduct SFI 

certification.

All certification, recertification and surveillance audits to Section 3 – Appendix 1: Rules for Use 

of SFI Certified Sourcing Label and Section 4 in the SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules shall be 

conducted by certification bodies accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) or 

the Standards Council of Canada to conduct SFI certifications.

Information related to the accreditation process can be found on the websites of ANSI-ASQ National 

Accreditation Board (www.anab.org), the American National Standards Institute (www.ansi.org) or 

the Standards Council of Canada (www.scc.ca). 

Accredited certification bodies that provide certification services for SFI Sections 2 and 3 are required 

to maintain audit processes and conduct audits consistent with the requirements of:

• International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 17021:2011 (Conformity assessment – 

Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems); and

• ISO TS 17021-2 (Part 2: Competence requirements for auditing and certification of environmental 

management systems).

Accredited certification bodies that provide certification services for SFI Section 3 – Appendix 1: 

Rules for Use of SFI Certified Sourcing Label and Section 4 are required to maintain audit processes 

and conduct audits consistent with the requirements of ISO 17065 (Conformity assessment – 

Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes and services).

ISO is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies. The preparation of International 

Standards is conducted by ISO technical committees.

The ISO 17021:2011, ISO TS 17021-2 and ISO 17065 standards were prepared by the ISO Committee 

on Conformity Assessment (CASCO).

SFI 2015-2019 AUDIT PROCEDURES AND AUDITOR 

QUALIFICATIONS AND ACCREDITATION

INTRODUCTION
SFI 2015-2019 AUDIT PROCEDURES AND AUDITOR QUALIFICATIONS AND ACCREDITATION | 3/9 SECTION 9

1. SCOPE

This SFI Audit Procedures and Qualifications document is intended to 

support, but not replace the audit process requirements contained 

in ISO 17021:2011, ISO 17021-2 and ISO 17065, by providing specific 

requirements to SFI Program Participants and certification bodies. It 

is applicable to all forest management, fiber sourcing organizations 

and chain-of-custody certificate holders when conducting third-party 

certification, recertification, or surveillance audits to the SFI 2015-

2019 Standards and Rules Sections 2, 3 and 4. 

2. NORMATIVE REFERENCE

Certification bodies and auditors conducting third-party audits to SFI 

Sections 2 and 3 in the SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules document 

must conform to the requirements of ISO 17021:2011 and ISO TS 

17021-2, while those conducting third-party audits to SFI Section 3 – 

Appendix 1: Rules for Use of SFI Certified Sourcing Label and Section 

4 must conform to the requirements of ISO 17065. In addition, all 

certification bodies and auditors conducting third-party audits to SFI 

Sections 2, 3 or 4 in the SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules document 

must conform to all applicable ANAB, ANSI or SCC requirements 

and International Accreditation Forum (IAF) Mandatory Documents 

(e.g., IAF MD 1, IAF MD 5, IAF MD 11).

3. TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

Definitions of terms can be found in the Section 13 of the SFI 2015-

2019 Standards and Rules document.

4. PROCEDURES FOR IMPLEMENTING THE

PRINCIPLES FOR SFI AUDITING

ISO 17021:2011 Section 4 addresses general principles associated 

with auditing, including impartiality, competence, responsibility, 

openness, confidentiality and responsiveness to complaints.

All information and documents, including working drafts and 

reports, shall be considered confidential. Certification bodies shall 

not release any information or documents without the prior written 

permission of the Program Participant. Auditors shall conduct 

themselves in a professional and ethical manner. 

Certification bodies and audit team members and their employers 

shall not participate in an appraisal or advise a potential purchaser 

or broker a purchase of property audited within the prior three years 

without the written permission of the audited party. Certification 

bodies, audit team members, and employers shall notify the audited 

party of participation in such activities after the three-year period 

immediately upon initiation of such activities for a period of at least 

10 years following the audit.

Prior to engaging in an audit and the Program Participant’s 

acceptance of the audit team, the certification bodies and audit team

members shall disclose to the party requesting the audit any prior 

land appraisal or assessment work or land brokerage activity or 

other professional services they or their employers conducted 

related to the property to be audited. 

Certification bodies must successfully complete annual witness 

audits and periodic re-accreditation audits to maintain their 

accreditation status from ANAB or SCC.

5. SFI AUDIT ACTIVITIES

5.1 Initial Certification 

For the initial certification audit to be completed, the auditee must 

be an SFI Program Participant or be in the process of becoming 

one in which case the final certification decision is conditioned 

on becoming a Program Participant. The SFI certificate(s), Forest 

Management, Fiber Sourcing or Chain of Custody cannot be issued by 

the certification body until the applicant has become an SFI Program 

Participant. It should be noted that the SFI 2015-2019 Standards and 

Rules is a publicly available document and, as such, anyone who 

wants to can offer their “opinion” on an organization’s conformance 

to it. However, because “Sustainable Forestry Initiative” and “SFI” 

are registered service marks, an entity would infringe on this 

ownership in violation of the federal intellectual property laws if they 

were to use the service marks in a public claim about the “opinion” 

without becoming an SFI Program Participant.

5.2 Certification of Multiple Sites 

ISO 17021: 2011 Clause 9.1.5 specifies that where multi-site 

sampling is utilized for the audit of a client’s management system 

covering the same activity in various locations, the certification body 

shall develop a sampling program to ensure proper audit of the 

management system. The rationale for the sampling plan shall be 

documented for each client.

International Accreditation Forum Mandatory Document 1 (IAF MD 1) 

provides mandatory guidance for the consistent application of Clause 

9.1.5 that is subject to the specific requirements of relevant standards.

Within the context of the SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules Section 

2 and Section 3, and specific risks associated with certification 

of forestry operations, Certification bodies may apply alternative 

sampling approaches to IAF MD 1 in certain circumstances.

Additional information regarding multi-site certification (including 

the circumstances under which alternative sampling approaches to 

IAF MD-1 is permissible) is included in Appendix 1 of Section 9 in the 

SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules document.

5.3 Substitution and Modification of SFI 2015-2019 Sections 2 and 3 

Standard Indicators

Program Participants, with consent from the certification body, may 

substitute or modify indicators in SFI 2015-2019 Sections 2 and 3 

Standards to address local conditions based on a thorough analysis 

and adequate justification. The certification body is responsible for 

ensuring revised indicators are consistent with the spirit and intent of 

the SFI 2015-2019 Sections 2 and 3 Standards performance measures
and indicators and with the principles of sustainable forestry, and 

that the changes are appropriate for specific local conditions and 

circumstances and the Program Participant’s scope of operation. 

Additional indicators beyond those identified in the SFI 2015-2019 

Sections 2 and 3 Standards, if included by the Program Participant, 

shall be audited like all other indicators. 

5.4 Determination of Conformance 

5.4.1 The certification body shall assess conformance to each 

element of the SFI 2015-2019 Sections 2 and 3 Standards’, 

objectives, performance measures and indicators within the 

scope of the audit. SFI 2015-2019 Standards’ elements 

are objectives, performance measures and indicators. The 

Introduction (Section 1) to the SFI 2015-2019 Standards 

and Rules document is informative, and as such, is not an 

auditable element. 

Evidence shall be compiled by examining operating 

procedures, materials relating to forestry practices and 

on-the-ground field performance, and through meetings 

or correspondence with employees, contractors and other 

third parties (e.g., government agencies, community 

groups, affected Indigenous Peoples, conservation

organizations), as appropriate, to determine conformance 

to the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard and the 

SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard.

5.4.2 The certification body shall assess conformance to each 

element of the SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard

requirements within the scope of the audit. The Preface 

to the SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard is 

informative, and as such, is not an auditable element.

5.4.3 The certification body shall ensure that the audit objectives 

and scope as well as the auditor time allocated to the audit: 

• allow for accurate determination of conformance for the 

operating units within the scope of the audit;

• verify that the SFI 2015-2019 Standards Sections 2 and 3 

programs conform to SFI principles, policies, objectives, 

performance measures, indicators, and any additional 

indicators that the Program Participant chooses; and

• verify whether the Program Participant has effectively 

implemented its SFI 2015-2019 Standards Sections 2 and 3 

program requirements on the ground and SFI 2015-2019 

Chain-of-Custody Standard program requirements.

If a major nonconformity is found, a certificate of 

conformance shall not be issued until the certification body

verifies that corrective action approved by the lead auditor 

has been implemented. A revisit may be required to verify 

implementation of corrective actions.

If a minor nonconformity is found, a certificate of 

conformance may be issued only after the lead auditor

approves a corrective action plan that addresses the 

nonconformity within an agreed-upon period, not to 

exceed one year. Verification that the corrective action has 

been effectively implemented shall occur during the next 

surveillance audit.

5.5 SFI Technical Audit Report to the Program Participant

The ISO document 17021:2011 at Section 9.1.1.0 addresses audit 

report contents. In addition, the SFI audit report to the Program 

Participant shall cover:

a. the audit plan; 

b. a description of the audit process used;

c. the number of auditor days used to conduct the audit, including 

both on-site and off-site audit activities;

d. information regarding any meetings or correspondence between 

the audit team and government agencies, community groups, 

affected Indigenous Peoples and conservation organizations;

e. documentation of the rationale for the substitution or modification 

of an indicators; 

f. a schedule for surveillance and recertification; and

g. any specific focus areas for the next audit visit.

See Section 10 in the SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules

document regarding the development and release of public 

summary audit reports.

5.6 Recertification

5.6.1 To maintain current SFI 2015-2019 Standard certificates, 

Program Participants shall recertify their SFI programs to the 

SFI 2015-2019 Sections 2 and 3 Standards every three years.

5.6.2 To maintain a current Section 4 SFI 2015-2019 Chain-ofCustody certificate, Program Participants shall recertify 

their SFI chain-of-custody program to the Section 4 SFI 

2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard every five years.

5.7 Transferal of Certified Lands or Facilities 

When one SFI Program Participant acquires the certified forest land 

or facilities of another Program Participant, the certification bodies

shall work with the parties involved to review the acquisition or 

sale. This review will determine the significance of changes that 

may occur with the transfer of ownership of the forestland and/or 

facilities to determine the actions necessary in order to issue a new 

certificate to the party receiving the new assets. It is imperative that 

Program Participants notify their respective certification body as soon 

as possible when forestland and/or facilities are being purchased or 

sold to ensure that lapses in certification status can be eliminated or 

minimized. Refer to ISO/IEC 17021 for more information.

4/9 | SFI 2015-2019 AUDIT PROCEDURES AND AUDITOR QUALIFICATIONS AND ACCREDITATION
SFI 2015-2019 AUDIT PROCEDURES AND AUDITOR QUALIFICATIONS AND ACCREDITATION | 5/9 SECTION 9

In order to minimize disruptions in operations due to the transfer 

of certified forestlands and or facilities from one certified Program 

Participant to another, the SFI Office of Label Use and Licensing will 

honor current SFI certifications for the forestlands and or facilities 

involved in the transfer for a period of 90 days for SFI product 

labeling purposes provided:

a. The parties involved request this grace period in writing 

prior to the transfer of the assets with documentation 

confirming that there will not be significant variation in the 

current operations, environmental management systems, 

personnel, etc. during the transfer.

b. The party receiving the assets must provide documentation 

demonstrating the timeline for obtaining their new SFI 

certification from an accredited certification body.

c. The party desiring to utilize the SFI product labels must be in 

full conformance with Sections 2, 3 or 4 and Section 5 of the 

SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules.

6. COMPETENCE AND EVALUATION OF

CERTIFICATION BODIES

6.1 Qualifications of Audit Teams 

Audit teams shall have the competence (knowledge and skills) to 

conduct an audit in accordance with the principles of auditing. The 

certification body shall select audit team members appropriate to 

the scope, scale and geography of the operation being audited. 

Additionally, at least one member of the audit team shall have 

knowledge of forestry operations in the region undergoing the audit, 

at least one member shall have knowledge of applicable laws and 

regulations, at least one member shall have knowledge of the 

socio-demographics and cultural issues in the region, and at least 

one member shall be a professional forester as defined by the Society 

of American Foresters (SAF), the Canadian Institute of Forestry, 

or licensed or registered by the state(s) or province(s) in which the 

certification is conducted. For forest management audits, the audit 

team shall have expertise that includes plant and wildlife ecology, 

silviculture, forest modeling, forest operations, occupational safety and 

health, international labor standards, and hydrology. One specialist 

per discipline is not required to meet any of the above requirements. 

6.2 Qualifications of Auditors

ISO document 17021:2011 at Section 7.1 and Section 7.2 addresses 

general competence requirements for certification bodies providing 

audit and certification of management. This is supplemented by 

the environmental management system-specific competence 

requirements contained in ISO 17021-2. 

In addition to the competence requirements contained in ISO 

17021:2011 and ISO 17021-2, for certifications to the SFI 2015-

2019 Standards, audit team members shall have the education, 

formal training and experience that promote competency in and 

comprehension of:

a. forestry operations as they relate to natural resource 

management, including wildlife, fisheries, recreation, 

ecology;

b. international and domestic sustainable forestry management 

systems and performance standards including occupational 

safety and health, and labor standards; and

c. certification requirements related to the SFI program.

Audit team members who have obtained a professional degree in 

forestry or a closely related field shall have a minimum of two years’ 

relevant work experience.

6.3 Maintenance and Improvement of Competence

All audit team members shall pursue ongoing personal and 

professional development in:

a. forest management science and technology;

b. sustainable forest management systems and certification 

programs and standards;

c. understanding and interpretation of federal, state, and 

provincial forestry and environmental laws and codes of 

practice; and 

d. certification procedures, processes and techniques, especially 

as these pertain to the SFI 2015-2019 Standards.

An auditor who maintains Certified Forester, Registrar Accreditation 

Board, or Canadian Environmental Certification Approvals Board 

sustainable forest management auditor ( (EP(EMSLA)) certification, 

or equivalent, shall be considered to have fulfilled continuing 

education requirements.

7. ACCREDITATION OF CERTIFICATION BODIES

The SFI program requires certification bodies to be accredited in 

order to conduct SFI certifications and issue certificates. 

Certification body: an independent third party that is accredited by: 

• ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB) as being 

competent to conduct certifications to the SFI 2010-2015 

Standards Sections 2 and 3. 

• American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as being 

competent to conduct certifications to the SFI 2015-2019 

Chain-of-Custody Standard Section 4 and SFI Section 3 – 

Appendix 1: Rules for Use of SFI Certified Sourcing Label. 

• Standards Council of Canada (SCC) as being competent to 

conduct certifications to the SFI 2015-2019 Standards Sections 

2 and 3 and the SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard

Section 4 and SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard Section 

3, Appendix 1: Rules for Use of SFI Certified Sourcing Label. 
APPENDIX 1: AUDITS OF MULTI-SITE ORGANIZATIONS

[Normative]

Introduction

Multi-site organizations may be audited on a site-by-site basis (all sites visited each year) or, in some cases, on a sample basis.

This appendix expands on Section 5.1 of the SFI Audit Procedures and Auditor Qualifications and Accreditation document and provides additional 

normative guidance for certification bodies wishing to audit multi-site organizations on a sample basis. 

1. Scope

Audits of multi-site organizations applying a sampling approach to assess conformance with:

• Section 2 - SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard

• Section 3 - SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard 

• Section 4 - SFI 2015-2019 Chain-Of-Custody Standard

• Section 5 - Rules For Use Of SFI On-Product Labels and Off-Product Marks

2. References

IAF Mandatory Document for The Certification of Multiple Sites Based on Sampling Issue 1 (IAF MD1: 2007) – (Normative for SFI 2015-2019 

Standards and Rules Section 2 and Section 3 and Informative for SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules Section 4)

IAF Mandatory Document for Duration of QMS and EMS Audits Issue 1 (IAF MD 5: 2009) – (Informative).

3. Terms and Definitions

3.1 Organization: The term organization is used to designate any company or other organization owning a management system subject to 

audit and certification.

3.2 Site: A site is a permanent location where an organization carries out work or a service.

3.3 Multi-Site Organization: An organization having an identified central function (hereafter referred to as a central office – but not 

necessarily the headquarters of the organization) at which certain activities are planned, controlled or managed and a network of local 

offices or branches (sites) at which such activities are fully or partially carried out.

3.4 Group Certification Organization: A specific type of multi-site organization where forest owners, forest owners’ organizations, forest 

managers, forest products manufacturers or forest products distributors without a pre-existing legal or contractual link can form a group 

for the purposes of achieving certification and gaining eligibility for a sampling approach to certification audits.

4. Procedures for Implementing Audits

4.1 Eligibility Criteria

4.1.1 Multi-site organizations using IAF-MD1 as the basis for sampling shall meet the eligibility criteria established in IAF-MD1, 

including, but not limited to, the following:

a. The processes at all sites have to be substantially of the same kind and have to be operated to similar methods and procedures.

b. The organization’s management system shall be under a centrally controlled and administered plan and be subject to central 

management review and all relative sites (including the central administration function) shall be subject to the organization’s 

internal audit program.

c. It shall be demonstrated that the central office of the organization has established a management system in accordance with the 

SFI 2015-2019 Standards and that the whole organization meets the requirements of the standard.

d The organization should demonstrate its ability to collect and analyze data (including, but not limited to, the items listed 

below) from all sites including the central office and its authority and also demonstrate its authority and ability to initiate 

organizational change if required:

i. System documentation and system changes;

ii. Management review;

iii. Complaints;

iv. Evaluation of corrective actions;

v. Internal audit planning and evaluation of the results;

vi. Changes to aspects and associated impacts for environmental management systems and

vii. Different legal requirements.

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SFI 2015-2019 AUDIT PROCEDURES AND AUDITOR QUALIFICATIONS AND ACCREDITATION | 7/9 SECTION 9

4.1.2 Multi-Site Organizations using alternate approaches to sampling provided for in 5.1 of the Audit Procedures and Auditor Qualifications 

and Accreditation document shall meet all of the eligibility requirements specified in 4.1.1 above. Deviation from the sampling 

requirements specified in IAF MD-1 is only permissible in exceptional (i.e., limited) circumstances. In addition, the following 

requirements must also be met:

a. The alternate sampling approach must be accompanied by a written justification demonstrating that the same 

level of confidence in conformity with the SFI 2015-2019 Standards across all of the sites included in the certification can be 

obtained.

b. A legal or contractual link shall exist between all sites.

c. The scope and scale of activities carried out by participating sites shall be similar.

d. The management system framework shall be consistent across all sites (allowing for site level procedures to reflect variable 

local factors).

e. A Central Function1 shall be established that shall:

i. provide a commitment on behalf of the whole multi-site organization to establish and maintain practices and procedures in 

accordance with the requirements of the relevant standard;

ii. provide all the sites with information and guidance needed for effective implementation and maintenance of practices and 

procedures in accordance with the relevant standard;

iii. maintain the organizational or contractual connection with all sites covered by the multi-site organization including the right 

of the Central Function to exclude any site from participation in the certification in case of serious nonconformities with the 

relevant standard;

iv. keep a register of all the sites of the multi-site organization, including for the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard the 

forest area associated with each participating site;

v. maintain an internal audit or monitoring program sufficient to ensure overall organizational conformance with the 

relevant standard;2

vi. operate a review of the conformity of sites based on results of internal audit and/or monitoring data sufficient to assess 

Organizational performance as a whole rather than at the individual site level;

vii. establish corrective and preventive measures if required and evaluate the effectiveness of corrective actions taken; and

viii. establish procedures for inclusion of new sites within the multi-site organization including an internal assessment of 

conformity with the standard, implementation of corrective and relevant preventive measures and a requirement to inform 

the relevant certification body of changes in participation prior to including the sites within the scope of the certification.

f. Functions and responsibilities of individual sites shall be established for:

i. implementing and maintaining the requirements of the relevant standard;

ii. responding effectively to all requests from the Central Function or certification body for relevant data, documentation or other 

information whether in connection with formal audits or reviews or otherwise;

iii. providing full co-operation and assistance in respect of the satisfactory completion of internal audits, reviews, monitoring, 

relevant routine inquiries or corrective actions; and

iv. implementing relevant corrective and preventive actions established by the central office.

4.1.3 Group certification organizations formed to achieve SFI 2015-2019 Standards certification, in addition to meeting either 4.1.1 or 4.1.2, 

shall submit all the forest area under management within the catchment area for the group certification (i.e., the group certification 

shall be defined in geographic terms at a logical scale such as county, region, state/province but once defined must include all sites 

managed by the central function within that geographic area).

4.1.4 Group certification organizations formed to achieve SFI 2015-2019 Standards certification shall establish connections with all 

participants based on a written agreement that shall include the participants’ commitment to comply with the SFI 2015-2019 

Forest Management Standard and/or the SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard. The Central Function shall provide all participants 

with information and guidance required for the effective implementation of the sustainable forest management standard and 

other applicable requirements of the forest certification scheme. The group entity shall have a written contract or other written 

agreement with all participants covering the right of the group entity to implement and enforce any corrective or preventive 

measures, and to initiate the exclusion of any participant from the scope of certification in the event of nonconformity with the 

sustainable forest management standard. 

1

 The Central Function comprises the system of processes and procedures necessary to manage the multi-site organization and is not a 

physical location.

2

 Annual performance data on overall organizational conformance implies that all sites have been internally audited, or monitored, prior 

to the initial audit and subsequent audit.
4.1.5 For audits of conformance with SFI Section 4 in the SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules document, multi-site organizations using 

either IAF-MD1 or alternate approaches to sampling shall ensure that all the relevant sites (including the central function) are 

subject to the organization’s internal audit program and shall have been audited in accordance with that program prior to the 

certification body starting its assessment.

5. SFI Multi-Site Audit Activities

5.1 Sampling Approaches

5.1.1 Certification bodies auditing multi-site organizations using IAF -MD1 as the basis for sampling shall meet the sample selection and 

intensity criteria established in IAF -MD1.

5.1.2 Certification bodies auditing multi-site organizations using alternate approaches as the basis for sampling shall meet the following 

minimum sample selection and intensity criteria:

a. stratification of the sites included within the multi-site certification based on the scope and scale of activities as well as previous 

audit findings, complaints and monitoring data collated by the central function;3 4

b. a formal documented evaluation of the inherent and control risks at each of the sites participating in the multi-site certification;

c. a sample strategy designed to specifically address the identified risks;

d. consideration of the need for an element of randomness within the sampling strategy to address previously unidentified risks;

e. in cases where the multi-site organization maintains an internal audit program determined to be reliable the minimum sample 

size shall in no event be less than:

i. √(n) for initial certification audits5

ii. 0.6 √(n) for surveillance audits

iii. 0.8 √(n) for re-certification audits

f. In cases where there the multi-site organization does not maintain an internal audit program determined to be reliable the 

minimum sample size shall in no event be less than√(n) for initial certifications, surveillance audits and re-certification audits; and

g. In addition to site audits, the central function shall be audited on an annual basis.6

5.2 Audit Scope

5.2.1 At a minimum the audit sampling process shall address all elements of the standards on an:

• Annual basis for surveillance audits of conformance with SFI Sections 2, 3 and 4 of the SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules document.

• Triennial basis for re-certification audits of conformance with the SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules Section 2 and Section 3.

• Quinquennial basis for re-certification audits of conformance with the SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules Section 4.

5.3 Audit Duration

5.3.1 In determining the overall duration of multi-site audits the underlying objective is to maintain at least the same level of confidence 

that would be achieved under IAF MD1. When calculating audit days, consideration should be given to the general principles guiding 

audit time calculations outlined in ISO 17021:2011 Section 9.1.4 Determining audit time, IAF -MD5 and (for audits of integrated 

management systems) IAF MD11.

3

 For example in a multi-site organization with three forest management operations and 15 procurement operations at a minimum, separate strata would be required for the woodlands and procurement operations. Under 

SFI 2015-2019 Sections 2 and 3, a range of processing facilities may be included under a single stratum to the extent that the nature and risks associated with the fiber supply are consistent across the facilities e.g., three 

sawmills a plywood mill and a pulp mill may be included within a single stratum if they are all using fiber with a similar risk profile (such as from a single state/province/region). If one of the sawmills imported tropical 

hardwoods, it would require a separate stratum. 

4

 In determining the impact of previous audit findings on a sample strategy consideration shall be given to both the need to formally close out prior audit findings (which may require a site visit) and the implications of previous 

audit findings for ongoing conformance with the applicable standard(s) by individual sites.

5

 Where n = the number of sites within the stratum.

6

 Auditing of the central function will be primarily based on interviews, document and record review and may be conducted through any combination of off-site audit activities, additional activities carried out through electronic

record access at individual sites or visits to the central office as appropriate.

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SFI 2015-2019 AUDIT PROCEDURES AND AUDITOR QUALIFICATIONS AND ACCREDITATION | 9/9 SECTION 9

5.4 Nonconformities

5.4.1 Nonconformities identified at the site or organizational level shall be addressed by the central function considering both the site 

level implications and the broader implications for the organization as a whole.

5.4.2 If a major nonconformity is found, a certificate of conformance shall not be issued until the certification body verifies 

that corrective action approved by the lead auditor has been implemented at both the site level and for the organization 

as a whole.

5.4.3 Certification bodies shall close out identified minor nonconformities at the next scheduled audit. This may require an 

amendment to the site sampling strategy to ensure that open site-level nonconformities are closed out at the next audit.7

5.5 Audit Reporting

5.5.1 At a minimum, the certification body shall prepare a technical audit report that addresses the multi-site organization as a whole. 

Individual site level reports may be developed to summarize site level findings but do not eliminate the need for an organizational 

level report.

6. Competence and Evaluation of Certification Bodies

6.1 Prior to conducting multi-site certification under the methodologies described in this appendix certification bodies shall have documented 

procedures in place to guide audit teams in the planning, conduct and reporting of multi-site certification audits.

7. Public Communication and Claims Regarding Multi-Site Certificates

7.1 For audits of the SFI 2015-2019 Standards and Rules Section 2 and Section 3 requirements, certification bodies shall prepare a summary 

audit report that, in addition to the requirements of the SFI Communications and Public Reporting (Section 10) in the SFI 2015-2019 

Standards and Rules document, indicates:

a. the fact that the certification is a multi-site certification; 

b. whether the multi-site organization is a group certification organization; 

c. the sampling approach (strata, location, number of sites sampled and the percentage of sites sampled within each stratum); and

d. any changes in the scope of the multi-site certification since the last public summary report.

7.2 Certificates issued to multi-site organizations shall be issued to the central function and include an appendix listing the participating 

sites. The central function shall provide a copy of the certificate to all participating sites. The certificate shall list all participants. 

8. Interpretations, Public Inquiries and Official Complaints

8.1 In assessing the validity of complaints raised in relation to a specific site within a multi-site organization, certification bodies shall 

investigate the complaint at the site level and (where relevant) at the organizational level.8

7

 For example, where Operation A has a minor	nonconformity raised in 2015, it will be necessary to close this out in 2016 regardless of whether Operation A was scheduled to be one of the sites sampled in 2016. As a result, the 

sampling strategy will need to include a process for closing out open site-level nonconformities.

8

 For example, where a complaint has implications for the effectiveness of a process carried out by the central function (such as procedures, monitoring or internal audit) then the implications for the reliability of information 

from other sites within the organization shall also be considered.

SECTION 10

COMMUNICATIONS 

AND PUBLIC 

REPORTING

UPDATED AUGUST 2015

COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC REPORTING | 1/1 SECTION 10

COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC REPORTING

PREPARING AND SUBMITTING A PUBLIC REPORT –

SFI 2015-2019 FOREST MANAGEMENT STANDARD

A SFI Program Participant shall provide a summary audit report (one 

copy must be in English) to SFI Inc. after the successful completion of 

certification, recertification, or surveillance audit to the SFI 2015-2019 

Forest Management Standard. The summary audit report will be posted 

on the SFI Inc. website (www.sfiprogram.org) for public review. 

The certification body shall prepare the SFI 2015-2019 Forest 

Management Standard summary audit report, which shall include, at a 

minimum:

a. a description of the audit process, objectives and scope. This 

shall include:

• the specific SFI objectives that were within the scope of 

the audit;

• a description of the sampling approach (consistent with 

IAF MD-1 and, where appropriate, adopting a risk based 

approach) outlining the strata, location and number 

of sites sampled and the percentage of sites sampled 

within each stratum; and

• the sampling size, including the number of roads, 

harvesting blocks and silviculture sites physically 

inspected during the audit.

b. a description of substitute indicators, if any, used in the audit 

and a rationale for each;

c. the name of the SFI Program Participant that was audited, 

including its SFI representative;

d. a general description of the Program Participant’s forest lands 

included in the audits. This shall include:

• a general description of the management plan outlining 

forest management policies and objectives;

• an outline of the area of ownership (including the 

number of acres/hectares under management and 

provide a description of key ecological features);

• a general description of major timber types with a 

general characterization of management approaches 

used (natural regeneration vs. planting, thinning 

regimes, even-aged vs. uneven-aged silvicultural; and

• The long-term harvest level and the participant’s 

conformance to this.

e. a description of the audit team. This shall include the 

names and professional qualifications of the lead auditor, 

all audit team members and any technical experts who 

participated in the audit. This may include the names and 

affiliations of any audit observers and an explanation of 

their role;

f. the dates the audit was conducted and completed. This shall 

include the number of auditor days spent to conduct the audit, 

broken down by auditor time spent off and on-site. This shall 

include the specific woods operations visited if there is more 

than one operation/region associated with the certificate; 

g. a summary of the findings, including general descriptions of 

evidence of conformity and any nonconformities (reported at 

the Performance Measure level) and corrective action plans to 

address them, opportunities for improvement, and exceptional 

practices. This shall include:

• a description of the evidence examined for each SFI 

objective within the scope of the audit and

• an update on the status of previous non-conformities, if 

any.

h. the certification decision.

Guidance to Certification Bodies per Section 6 - 3.3 Temporal Scale: It is SFI’s expectation that certification bodies shall 

audit sustainable harvest levels based on the criteria specified in Performance Measure 1.1, taking into account the 

maintenance of landscape level biodiversity, and confirming that any increases in planned harvest level(s) are consistent 

with the SFI Program Participant’s forest management plan. Additionally, sustainable harvest levels or government 

regulated allowable annual harvest should not be exceeded for extended periods of time unless a substantive 

ecological rationale is developed to justify the elevation, examples of which could include a response to forest health 

emergencies such as beetle epidemics or sanitation logging of forests impacted by catastrophic wildfire, ice storm or 

wind damage. In instances where harvest levels are exceeded for extended periods, a documented plan must be in 

place to demonstrate how harvest planning will achieve a return to the long-term sustainable harvest levels over one 

rotation. 
REPARING AND SUBMITTING A PUBLIC REPORT –

SFI 2015-2019 FIBER SOURCING STANDARD

A SFI Program Participant shall provide a summary audit report (one 

copy must be in English) to SFI Inc. after the successful completion of 

certification, recertification, or surveillance audit to the SFI 2015-2019 

Fiber Sourcing Standard. The summary audit report will be posted on 

the SFI Inc. website (www.sfiprogram.org) for public review. 

The certification body shall prepare the SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing 

Standard summary audit report, which shall include, at a minimum:

a. a description of the audit process, objectives and scope. This 

shall include:

• the specific SFI objectives that were within the scope of 

the audit;

• a description of the sampling approach (consistent with 

IAF MD-1 and, where appropriate, adopting a risk based 

approach) outlining the strata, location and number 

of sites sampled and the percentage of sites sampled 

within each stratum; and

• the sampling size, including the number of roads, 

harvesting blocks and silviculture sites physically 

inspected during the audit.

b. a description of substitute indicators, if any, used in the audit 

and a rationale for each;

c. the name of the SFI Program Participant that was audited, 

including its SFI representative;

d. a general description of the Program Participant’s fiber 

sourcing and manufacturing operations included in the audits.

This shall include:

• an outline of the manufacturing operations within the 

scope of the certificate (including the types of mills and 

their relative reliance of procurement for their fiber 

needs);

• a general description of the fiber sourcing program, 

specifically indicating whether or not the organization 

has a purchased stumpage program;

• a general description of the verifiable monitoring system 

in place; and 

• an outline of the area from which fiber is procured.

e. a description of the audit team. This shall include the 

names and professional qualifications of the lead auditor, 

all audit team members and any technical experts who 

participated in the audit. This may include the names and 

affiliations of any audit observers and an explanation of 

their role;

f. the dates the audit was conducted and completed. This shall 

include the number of auditor days spent to conduct the audit, 

broken down by auditor time spent off and on-site. This shall 

include the specific woods operations visited if there is more 

than one operation/region associated with the certificate; 

g. a summary of the findings, including general descriptions of 

evidence of conformity and any nonconformities (reported at 

the Performance Measure level) and corrective action plans to 

address them, opportunities for improvement, and exceptional 

practices. This shall include:

• a description of the evidence examined for each SFI 

objective within the scope of the audit and

• an update on the status of previous non-conformities, if 

any.

h. the certification decision.
SECTION 11

PUBLIC INQUIRIES

AND OFFICIAL

COMPLAINTS

JANUARY 2015

PUBLIC INQUIRIES AND OFFICIAL COMPLAINTS | 1/4 SECTION 11

PUBLIC INQUIRIES AND OFFICIAL COMPLAINTS

1. PUBLIC INQUIRIES REGARDING INCONSISTENT PRACTICES 3

2. OFFICIAL COMPLAINTS QUESTIONING THE VALIDITY OF A CERTIFICATION 

TO SFI 2015-2019 STANDARDS AND RULES SECTION 2 AND SECTION 3 3

3. PUBLIC INQUIRIES REGARDING INCONSISTENT PRACTICES AND 

THE ILO CORE CONVENTIONS (87, 98 AND 111) 4

4. CHALLENGES OR COMPLAINTS REGARDING SFI ON-PRODUCT 

LABEL USE (SECTION 5) 4
2/4 | PUBLIC INQUIRIES AND OFFICIAL COMPLAINTS

A process that openly investigates concerns and official complaints is an important component of 

any legitimate certification program. The transparency requirements of the SFI 2015-2019 Standards 

and supporting documents allow individuals and organizations to bring forward questions and 

concerns using two different processes as outlined in this section.

The “Public Inquiries Regarding Inconsistent Practices” (number 1 below) shall be used for 

general inquiries from the public and to promptly review and apply corrective actions, if warranted, 

in situations where isolated deficiencies in implementing the requirements of the SFI Forest 

Management, Fiber Sourcing or Chain-of-Custody Standards may have occurred.

Inquiries that involve multiple or systemic instances of alleged nonconformity that challenge the 

validity of a certification shall be addressed using the process outlined in “Official Complaints 

Questioning the Validity of a Certification” (number 2 below). 

An official complaint does not challenge the credibility or the content of the standard requirements; 

rather it challenges the audit findings and the decision of the certification body to grant the 

certification, or events occurring since the audit that question the maintenance of the certification.

In instances where there is disagreement on the process to be applied, SFI Inc. shall serve as the 

higher authority in determining which process is most appropriate.

PUBLIC INQUIRIES AND OFFICIAL COMPLAINTS

INTRODUCTION
PUBLIC INQUIRIES AND OFFICIAL COMPLAINTS | 3/4 SECTION 11

1. PUBLIC INQUIRIES REGARDING INCONSISTENT

PRACTICES

Any party with information or claims about a Program Participant’s

individual practices that may be in nonconformity with SFI 2015-2019 

Forest Management Standard or the SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing 

Standard may seek to have those claims investigated.

The complainant shall present specific claim(s) of inconsistent 

practice in writing and in sufficient detail to the Program Participant. 

Within 45 days of receipt of the claim of inconsistent practice, the 

Program Participant shall respond to the complainant and forward 

a copy of the claim of inconsistent practice and its response to their 

certification body for review via surveillance or certification audits. 

The certification body shall investigate the validity of the inconsistent 

practice and the Program Participant’s response and resolution of the 

claim at the time of the next scheduled surveillance audit.

A complainant who believes the issue has not been satisfactorily 

resolved may provide its original documentation and the response 

from the Program Participant to the appropriate SFI Implementation 

Committee Inconsistent Practices Program, which shall investigate 

and respond to the claim of inconsistent practice(s) within 45 days of 

receipt of documentation. The SFI Implementation Committee shall 

provide copies of its findings and any recommended actions to both 

the Program Participant and the complainant. The Program Participant 

shall forward the results of the SFI Implementation Committee 

investigation to its certification body.

In the event litigation is involved between the external party and Program 

Participant, the inconsistent practices process shall be suspended 

pending resolution of the litigation. It shall be re-started following 

resolution of the litigation if SFI nonconformity issues remain.

2. OFFICIAL COMPLAINTS QUESTIONING THE VALIDITY 

OF A CERTIFICATION TO SFI 2015-2019 FOREST

MANAGEMENT STANDARD OR SFI 2015-2019 FIBER 

SOURCING STANDARD

The official complaint process is an important component of any 

legitimate certification program, including the SFI program. The 

official complaint process allows individuals or organizations to 

have their complaint regarding the validity of a certification openly 

and independently investigated. A complaint does not challenge the 

credibility or the content of the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management 

Standard or SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard, rather it challenges 

the audit findings and the decision to grant the certification, or 

events that have happened since the last audit that questions the 

maintenance of the certification. 

2.1 Official Complaint Process 

2.1.1 The complainant outlines their concerns in a letter to the 

Program Participant’s certification body. 

2.1.2 The certification body may request additional specifics 

associated with the concerns and will investigate the issue 

in accordance with their official complaint procedures that 

were approved by their accreditation body. 

2.1.3 If the certification body finds a sound basis for the official 

complaint then it would require the Program Participant to 

take corrective action to address the complaint and advise 

the complainant accordingly. 

2.1.4 If the certification body does not find a sound basis 

for the complaint and determines the certification 

was appropriately granted and Program Participant’s 

performance has not changed since the certification, it 

would inform the complainant of this. 

2.1.5 If the findings of the certification body do not satisfy the 

complainant then they can appeal to the accreditation 

body that accredited the certification body, which is either 

ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Body (www.anab.org) 

or the Standards Council of Canada (www.scc.ca). The 

accreditation body would then conduct its own investigation 

into the complaint as the highest authority.

2.1.6 In the event litigation is involved between the complainant 

and the Program Participant, the complaint process shall 

be suspended pending resolution of the litigation. It shall 

be re-started following resolution of the litigation if SFI

nonconformity issues remain.
3. PUBLIC INQUIRIES REGARDING INCONSISTENT

PRACTICES AND THE ILO CORE CONVENTIONS (87, 98 

AND 111)

Any party with information or claims about a Program Participant’s 

individual practices that may be in nonconformity may seek to have 

those claims investigated.

The complainant shall present specific claims of nonconformity in 

writing and in sufficient detail to the Program Participant. Within 

45 days of receipt of the complaint, the Program Participant shall 

respond to the complainant and forward a copy of the complaint and 

its response to the Program Participant’s certification body for future 

review via surveillance or certification audits. 

A complainant who believes the issue has not been satisfactorily 

resolved may provide its original documentation and the response 

from the Program Participant to the SFI ILO Task Force, which shall 

investigate the allegations and provide copies of its findings and any 

recommended actions to the SFI Inc. Board of Directors bi-annually. 

The SFI Inc. Board of Directors shall provide copies of its findings and 

required actions to the SFI ILO Task Force, the Program Participant, 

certification body and the complainant.

Concerns regarding compliance with other labor laws and regulations 

are not covered by the process here in Section 11 part 3. In addition, 

any ILO related issue that is being addressed through a formal 

grievance process or before any of the agencies established by the 

U.S. National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), the appropriate Provincial 

Labour Code or Act, or the courts until those processes are completed 

will not be subject to review, consideration or recommendations by 

the SFI ILO Task Force nor by the SFI Inc. Board of Directors.

4. CHALLENGES OR COMPLAINTS REGARDING SFI 

ON-PRODUCT LABEL USE (SECTION 5)

4.1 The Office of Label Use and Licensing will hear challenges or 

complaints regarding SFI on-product label use

4.2 If an SFI on-product label user fails to comply with any aspects 

of this document, approval for SFI on-product label use may be 

withdrawn. 

4.3 Any party with information or claims about the practices of a 

Program Participant or label user, or questions about the validity of a 

Program Participant’s label use in accordance with the requirements 

of SFI Section 5 may seek to have those claims investigated, as 

outlined below.

4.3.1 The complainant should outline concerns in a letter to the 

certificate holder or label user.

4.3.2 Within 45 days, the certificate holder or label user shall 

respond to the complainant, and forward a copy of the 

complaint and response to its SFI certification body. 

4.3.3 The SFI certification body shall investigate the validity of 

the complaint based on the seriousness of the claim, and 

respond no later than the next annual assessment. 

4.3.4 If the complainant is not satisfied, they may provide the 

original documentation and response to the SFI Office 

of Label Use and Licensing, which shall investigate and 

respond within 45 days. 

4.4 Upon reviewing the information, the SFI Office of Label Use 

and Licensing may:

a. seek more information from the complainant or the 

certificate holder or label user before making a final 

determination; or

b. find that the complaint is without merit and no further 

action is required; or

c. find that corrective actions are necessary; or 

d. if the certificate holder or label user fails to take 

appropriate corrective measures or if no action would 

be sufficient to remedy the situation, suspend the 

label license. 

4/4 | PUBLIC INQUIRIES AND OFFICIAL COMPLAINTS
SECTION 12OPTIONAL MODULES

JANUARY 2015

SFI Inc. has developed a process for the SFI program to address emerging issues and new 

opportunities, such as start-up templates for new Program Participants, carbon markets, short 

rotation woody crops, conservation easements, small lands, etc. through optional modules 

developed by SFI Inc. and approved by the SFI Inc. Board of Directors. These modules will provide 

implementation assistance using case studies or optional certification requirements to address 

specific issues of benefit to the SFI program. Any modules developed prior to the next standard 

review process in 2019 will be added in this section.

OPTIONAL MODULES

OPTIONAL MODULES | 1/1 SECTION 12

SECTION 13SFI DEFINITIONS

JANUARY 2015

SFI DEFINITIONS | 1/8 SECTION 13

SFI DEFINITIONS

The following definitions apply to italicized words in the SFI 2015-2019 

Standards and Rules. 

afforestation: The establishment of a forest or stand in an area where 

the preceding vegetation or land use was not forest. 

Alliance for Zero Extinction: A global initiative of biodiversity 

conservation organizations, which aims to prevent extinctions by 

identifying and safeguarding key sites where species are in imminent 

danger of disappearing. The goal of the Alliance is to create a front 

line of defense against extinction by eliminating threats and restoring 

habitat to allow species populations to rebound.

American Tree Farm System® (ATFS): A national program that 

promotes the sustainable management of forests through education 

and outreach to private forest landowners.

aquatic habitat: An area where water is the principal medium and 

that provides the resources and environmental conditions to support 

occupancy, survival and reproduction by individuals of a given species.

aquatic species: Animals that live on or within water during some 

stage of their development.

auditor: A person with the competence to conduct an audit (ISO 

19011:2002, 3.8).

audit team: One or more auditors conducting an audit, supported if 

needed by technical experts (ISO 19011:2002, 3.9).

available regulatory action information: Statistics or regulatory 

compliance data collected by a federal, state, provincial, or local 

government agency. Note: Although conformance with laws is 

the intent, certification bodies are directed to look for a spirit and 

general record of compliance rather than isolated or unusual 

instances of deviation.

best management practices (BMPs): A practice or combination 

of practices for protection of water quality that is determined by a 

federal, provincial, state, or local government or other responsible 

entity, after problem assessment, examination of alternative 

practices, and appropriate public participation, to be the most effective 

and practicable (including technological, economic, and institutional 

considerations) means of conducting a forest management operation 

while addressing any environmental considerations. 

best scientific information: Available factual information that is 

generally accepted by the broad scientific community. It includes, but 

is not limited to, peer-reviewed scientific information obtainable from 

any source, including government and non-governmental sources, that 

have been verified by field testing to the maximum extent feasible.

Biodiversity hotspots: A biogeographic conservation region with 

more than 1,500 endemic plant species and less than 30 percent 

of its historical extent. (Further information can be found under 

Descriptions of Biodiversity Hotspots and High-Biodiversity Wilderness 

Areas in Section 6 – Guidance to SFI 2015-2019 Standards.) 

bioenergy feedstock: Biomass used for the production of renewable 

energy. Biomass includes any organic products and byproducts derived 

from trees, plants and other biological organic matter, including limbs, 

bark and other cellulosic material, organic byproducts from wood 

pulping, and other biologically derived materials.

biological diversity, biodiversity: The variety and abundance of life 

forms, processes, functions, and structures of plants, animals and 

other living organisms, including the relative complexity of species, 

communities, gene pools and ecosystems at spatial scales that range 

from local to regional to global.

certification body: An independent third party that is accredited by: 

• ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB) as being 

competent to conduct certifications to the SFI 2015-2019 Forest 

Management and SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standards. 

• American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as being 

competent to conduct certifications to the SFI 2015-2019 Chainof-Custody Standard and Appendix 1 of the SFI 2015-2019 Fiber 

Sourcing Standard. 

• Standards Council of Canada (SCC) as being competent to 

conduct certifications to the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management, 

SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard and SFI 2015-2019 Chainof-Custody Standard. 

certified content: Raw material that can count towards the calculation 

of certified content percentages in chain-of-custody tracking. Below 

are the acceptable certified content sources.

certified forest content: Raw material from lands third-party 

certified to acceptable forest management standards. 

acceptable forest management standards: These standards are 

all endorsed in the United States and Canada by the Program for 

the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (PEFC).

• SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard 

• Canadian Standards Association (CAN/CSA-Z809)

• Canadian Standards Association (CAN/CSA-Z804)

• American Tree Farm System (ATFS) individual and 

group certification

post-consumer recycled content: Material generated by 

households or by commercial, industrial and institutional 

facilities in their role as end-users of the product, which can no 

longer be used for its intended purpose. 
Any claims about post-consumer recycled content by Program 

Participants and label users shall be accurate and consistent 

with applicable law. Program Participants and label users are 

encouraged to consult the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s 

guidelines on environmental claims in product advertising and 

communication and the guidelines on environmental labeling 

and advertising issued by the Fair Business Practices Branch 

of Industry Canada’s Competition Bureau, as appropriate, and 

to seek additional information and direction from national 

accreditation bodies, national standards bodies, and national, 

state and provincial consumer protection and competition 

laws.

Pre-consumer recycled content: Material diverted from the 

waste stream during a manufacturing process. It does not include 

materials such as rework, regrind or scrap generated in a process 

and capable of being reclaimed within the same process.

Any claims about pre-consumer recycled content by Program 

Participants or label users shall be accurate and consistent 

with applicable law. Program Participants and label users are 

encouraged to consult the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s 

guidelines on environmental claims in product advertising and 

communication and the guidelines on environmental labeling 

and advertising issued by the Fair Business Practices Branch 

of Industry Canada’s Competition Bureau, as appropriate, and 

to seek additional information and direction from national 

accreditation bodies, national standards bodies and national, state 

and provincial consumer protection and competition laws.

certified logging professional: A qualified logging professional who 

has successfully completed and is a member in good standing, 

of a credible logger certification program recognized by the SFI 

Implementation Committee as meeting the criteria of Performance 

Measure 11.2 in the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard or 

Performance Measure 6.2 in the SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard.

certified sourcing: Raw material sourced from the following sources 

confirmed by a certification body: 

• Fiber that conforms with the SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing 

Standard; and/or 

• Pre-Consumer Recycled Content: Material diverted from the waste 

stream during a manufacturing process. It does not include 

materials such as rework, regrind or scrap generated in a 

process and capable of being reclaimed within the same process.

Any claims about pre-consumer recycled content by Program 

Participants or label users shall be accurate and consistent 

with applicable law. Program Participants and label users are 

encouraged to consult the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s 

guidelines on environmental claims in product advertising and 

communication and the guidelines on environmental labeling 

and advertising issued by the Fair Business Practices Branch 

of Industry Canada’s Competition Bureau, as appropriate, and 

to seek additional information and direction from national 

accreditation bodies, national standards bodies and national, 

state and provincial consumer protection and competition 

laws; and/or

• Post-consumer recycled content: Material generated by 

households or by commercial, industrial and institutional 

facilities in their role as end-users of the product, which can no 

longer be used for its intended purpose. 

Any claims about post-consumer recycled content by Program 

Participants and label users shall be accurate and consistent 

with applicable law. Program Participants and label users are 

encouraged to consult the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s 

guidelines on environmental claims in product advertising and 

communication and the guidelines on environmental labeling 

and advertising issued by the Fair Business Practices Branch 

of Industry Canada’s Competition Bureau, as appropriate, and 

to seek additional information and direction from national 

accreditation bodies, national standards bodies, and national, 

state and provincial consumer protection and competition laws; 

and/or

• Certified forest content: Includes content from specific forest 

tracts that are third-party certified to conform with the SFI 2015-

2019 Forest Management Standard or other acceptable forest 

management standards (e.g., CAN/CSA-Z809, CAN/CSA-Z804, 

and ATFS); and/or

• Non-controversial sources: If the raw material is sourced from 

outside of the United States and Canada, the organization 

shall establish adequate measures to ensure that the labeled 

products do not come from controversial sources. See Section 

4, Part 4 on the process to avoid controversial sources. Up to 

one third of the supply for secondary producers can come from 

non-controversial sources for use of the Certified Sourcing label; 

the other two-thirds must come from the sources defined under 

the certified sourcing definition— fiber that conforms with the 

SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard, and/or pre-consumer 

recycled content, and/or post-consumer recycled content, and/or 

certified forest content.

claim period: Time period for which the chain-of-custody claim applies.

climate change: A change in the state of the climate that can be 

identified (e.g., by using statistical tests) by changes in the mean and/

or the variability of its properties and that persists for an extended 

period typically decades or longer. Climate change may be due to natural 

internal processes or external forcings or to persistent anthropogenic 

changes in the composition of the atmosphere or in land use. Note: 

Taken from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC).

2/8 | SFI DEFINITIONS
SFI DEFINITIONS | 3/8 SECTION 13

conservation: 1. Protection of plant and animal habitat. 2. The 

management of a renewable natural resource with the objective of 

sustaining its productivity in perpetuity while providing for human use 

compatible with sustainability of the resource.

controversial sources: 

a. Forest activities which are not in compliance with applicable 

state, provincial or federal laws, particularly as they may 

relate to:

• conversion sources, 

• legally required protection of threatened and 

endangered species, 

• requirements of CITES (The Convention on International 

Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) 

• legally required management of areas with designated high 

environmental and cultural values, 

• labor regulations relating to forest workers, 

• Indigenous Peoples’ property, tenure and use rights. 

b. Fiber sourced from illegal logging.

c. Fiber sourced from areas without effective social laws.

illegal logging: Harvesting and trading of wood fiber in violation of 

applicable laws and regulations in the country of harvest. 

fiber sourced from areas without effective social laws: The 

United States and Canada have a strong legal framework. Fiber 

from countries without effective laws addressing the following will 

need a risk assessment:

1. workers’ health and safety;

2. fair labor practices;

3. Indigenous Peoples’ rights;

4. anti-discrimination and anti-harassment measures;

5. prevailing wages; and

6. workers’ right to organize.

conversion sources: Roundwood and/or chips produced from 

conversion of forestland to other land uses. Manufacturers cannot 

include it when calculating certified forest content.

critically imperiled: A plant or animal or community, often referred 

to as G1, that is globally extremely rare or, because of some 

factor(s), especially vulnerable to extinction. Typically, five or fewer 

occurrences or populations remain, or very few individuals (<1,000), 

acres (<2,000 acres or 809 hectares), or linear miles (<10 miles or 16 

kilometers) exist. (Further information can be found under Forests 

with Exceptional Conservation Value in Section 6 – Guidance to SFI 

2015-2019 Standards.) 

culturally important: Having significance for or being representative 

of human activities or beliefs (e.g., documented areas such as 

cemeteries, sacred sites).

degree: A professional academic degree (e.g., bachelor’s) or equivalent.

direct supplier: An individual or organization with whom a Program 

Participant has a direct contractual relationship for fiber sourcing.

economic viability: The economic incentive necessary to keep 

forest ownerships profitable and competitive, and to keep people 

gainfully employed.

ecosystem services: Components of nature, directly enjoyed, 

consumed, or used to yield human well-being.

exotic tree species: A tree species introduced from outside its 

natural range. This does not include species that have become 

naturalized in an area and have a naturally reproducing population. 

(Note: Hybrids of native species or native plants that have been 

derived from genetic tree improvement and biotechnology programs 

are not considered exotic species.)

fiber sourcing: Acquisition of roundwood (e.g., sawlogs or pulpwood) 

and field-manufactured or primary-mill residual chips, pulp and 

veneer to support a forest products facility. 

forest cover type: Classification of a forest stand by the dominant tree 

species or combination of tree species present. Unless required to 

use a regulatory system of forest cover type classification the Program 

Participant shall use the Society of American Foresters Forest Cover 

Types of the United States and Canada (Eyre, 1980).

forest health: The perceived condition of a forest derived from 

concerns about such factors as its age, structure, composition, 

function, vigor, presence of unusual levels of insects or disease, and 

resilience to disturbance.

forest inventory: 1. A set of objective sampling methods that quantify 

the spatial distribution, composition and rates of change of forest 

parameters within specified levels of precision for management 

purposes. 2. The listing of data from such a survey.

Forest Legacy Program: The Forest Legacy Program, a voluntary 

U.S. government program in partnership with the states, supports 

state efforts to protect environmentally sensitive forest lands that are 

privately owned.

forest tree biotechnology: As commonly used, forest tree 

biotechnology encompasses structural and functional studies of 

genes and genomes (including development and application of 

genetic markers); various methods of vegetative reproduction such 

as micropropagation, tissue culture, and somatic embryogenesis; 

and genetic engineering (GE), which is the physical manipulation and 

asexual insertion of genes into organisms. 
4/8 | SFI DEFINITIONS

forestry: The profession embracing the science, art and practice of 

creating, managing, using and conserving forests and associated 

resources for human benefit and in a sustainable manner to meet 

desired goals, needs and values.

forestry enterprise: A business engaged in the management 

of forestland, having its own functions and administration and 

comprising one or more operating units (this does not include 

independent contractors). 

Forests with Exceptional Conservation Value: Critically imperiled (G1) 

and imperiled (G2) species and ecological communities.

critically imperiled: A plant or animal or community, often 

referred to as G1, that is globally extremely rare or, because 

of some factor(s), especially vulnerable to extinction. Typically, 

five or fewer occurrences or populations remain, or very few 

individuals (<1,000), acres (<2,000 acres or 809 hectares), 

or linear miles (<10 miles or 16 kilometers) exist (Further 

information can be found under Forests with Exceptional 

Conservation Value in Section 6 of the SFI Standards and Rules). 

imperiled: A plant or animal or community, often referred to 

as G2, that is globally rare or, because of some factor(s), is 

very vulnerable to extinction or elimination. Typically, six to 

20 occurrences, or few remaining individuals (1,000 to 3,000), 

or acres (2,000 to 10,000 acres or 809 to 4,047 hectares), or 

linear miles (10 to 50 miles or 16 to 80.5 kilometers) exist. 

(Further information can be found under Forests with Exceptional 

Conservation Value in Section 6 of the SFI Standards and Rules.)

geographic information system (GIS): An organized collection of 

computer systems, personnel, knowledge and procedures designed to 

capture, store, update, manipulate, analyze, report and display forms 

of geographically referenced information and descriptive information.

green-up requirement: Previously clearcut harvest areas must have 

trees at least 3 years old or 5 feet (1.5 meters) high at the desired level 

of stocking before adjacent areas are clearcut. 

growing stock: All the trees growing in a forest or in a specified part 

of it that meet specified standards of size, quality and vigor; generally 

expressed in terms of number or volume.

growth and drain: The average annual net increase in the volume of 

trees during the period between inventories (including the increment 

in net volume of trees at the beginning of the specific year surviving 

to its end, plus the net volume of trees reaching the minimum size 

class during the year, minus the volume of trees that died during the 

year, and minus the net volume of trees that became cull trees during 

the year) minus the net volume of growing stock trees removed from 

the forest inventory during a specified year by harvesting, cultural 

operations such as timber stand improvement, or land clearing. 

growth-and-yield model: A set of relationships, usually expressed 

as equations and embodied in a computer program or tables, that 

provides estimates of future stand development given initial stand

conditions and a specified management regime.

habitat: 1. A unit area of environment. 2. The place, natural or 

otherwise (including climate, food, cover and water) where an 

individual or population of animals or plants naturally or normally 

lives and develops.

high-biodiversity wilderness areas: The world’s largest-remaining 

tracts of tropical forest that are more than 75 percent intact. These 

areas are characterized by extraordinary biological richness, 

including exceptional concentrations of endemic species, and 

are also of crucial importance to climate regulation, watershed 

protection, and maintenance of traditional Indigenous lifestyles 

(Further information can be found under Descriptions of Biodiversity 

Hotspots and High-Biodiversity Wilderness Areas in Section 6 of the 

SFI requirements document). 

illegal logging: Harvesting and trading of wood fiber in violation of 

applicable laws and regulations in the country of harvest. 

imperiled: A plant or animal or community, often referred to as G2, 

that is globally rare or, because of some factor(s), is very vulnerable 

to extinction or elimination. Typically, six to 20 occurrences, or few 

remaining individuals (1,000 to 3,000), or acres (2,000 to 10,000 acres 

or 809 to 4047 hectares), or linear miles (10 to 50 miles or 16 to 80.5 

kilometers) exist. (Further information can be found under Forests 

with Exceptional Conservation Value in SFI Section 6 - Guidance to SFI 

2015-2019 Standards.)

improved planting stock: Products of tree improvement programs in 

which the parent trees were selected through Mendelian crosses for 

increased growth, pest resistance, or other desirable characteristics.

indicator: In the SFI program, a specific metric that provides 

information about an organization’s forestry and environmental 

performance, and that is integral to assessing conformance to the SFI 

2015-2019 Standards’ objectives and performance measures.

Indigenous Peoples: Inclusive of all Indigenous Peoples residing in 

Canada and the United States. More specifically, “Indigenous Peoples” 

is defined in the United States as members of federally recognized 

tribes and in Canada as those peoples that are defined by section 35(2) 

of the Constitution Act, 1982. 
SFI DEFINITIONS | 5/8 SECTION 13

In the United States, the US Department of Interior: Bureau of Indian 

Affairs publishes a list of each of the 566 federally recognized tribes. 

The list is found at the following address: 

http://www.bia.gov/WhoWeAre/BIA/OIS/TribalGovernmentServices/

TribalDirectory/

In Canada, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada 

provides a list of the 633 registered Indian Bands. The list of Indian 

Bands divided by province is found at:

pse5-esd5.ainc-inac.gc.ca/fnp/Main/Search/SearchFN.aspx?lang=eng

integrated pest management: The maintenance of destructive agents, 

including insects at tolerable levels, by the planned use of a variety of 

preventive, suppressive or regulatory tactics and strategies that are 

ecologically and economically efficient and socially acceptable.

invasive exotic plants and animals: Species introduced from another 

country or geographic region outside its natural range that may have 

fewer natural population controls in the new environment, becoming a 

pest or nuisance species.

label users: Any Program Participant, label licensee, secondary 

manufacturer, publisher, printer, retailer or distributor who has 

obtained a license to use the label; met Section 5 - Rules For Use Of 

SFI On-and Off-Product Labels; and obtained approval from the SFI 

Office of Label Use and Licensing to use the SFI on-product label for at 

least one product or manufacturing unit. 

land classification: The process of designating areas of land into 

classes or strata that are sufficiently homogeneous in their physical, 

vegetative and development attributes. 

landscape: 1. A spatial mosaic of multiple ecosystems, landforms, 

and plant communities across a defined area irrespective of 

ownership or other artificial boundaries and repeated in similar form 

throughout. 2. An area of land characterized by: 

• similar biogeoclimatic conditions that influence site potential;

• similar historical disturbance regimes that influence vegetation 

structure and species composition; and 

• sufficient size to provide the range of habitat conditions for 

naturally occurring communities (except for a few megafauna 

with large spatial needs, e.g., wolves).

lead auditor: An auditor appointed to lead an audit team. Also referred 

to as an audit team leader (ISO 19011:2002, 3.9, note 1). 

least-toxic and narrowest-spectrum pesticide: A chemical 

preparation used to control site-specific pests that minimizes impact 

to non-target organisms and causes the least impact to while meeting 

management objectives. The management objectives should consider 

the target pest, the degree of control needed, cost, and other issues, 

such as season and timing of application, rates and methods, terrain, 

forest conditions, and the presence or absence of water bodies.

long-term: Extending over a relatively long time period – for the SFI 

2015-2019 Standards, this means the length of one forest management 

rotation or longer.

major nonconformity: One or more of the SFI 2015-2019 Standard(s) 

performance measures or indicators has not been addressed or has not 

been implemented to the extent that a systematic failure of a Program 

Participant’s SFI system to meet an SFI objective, performance measure

or indicator occurs. 

management responsibilities on public lands: Accountability for 

developing plans and translating public agencies’ missions, goals and 

objectives to an organized set of actions.

minimize: To do only that which is necessary and appropriate to 

accomplish the task or objective described.

minor nonconformity: An isolated lapse in SFI 2015-2019 Standard(s) 

program implementation which does not indicate a systematic failure 

to consistently meet an SFI objective, performance measure or indicator.

native: Species of ecological communities occurring naturally in 

an area, as neither a direct or indirect consequence of recent 

human activity.

natural regeneration: Establishment of a plant or a plant age class 

from natural seeding, sprouting, suckering or layering.

neutral sources: Raw material that is not counted towards or against 

the calculation of the certified content percentages in chain-of-custody 

tracking or certified sourcing tracking in SFI Sections 3 and 4. Below 

are the acceptable neutral sources.

• Agricultural products (e.g., cotton or other non-wood fibers and 

biomass from wood fiber legally classified as agricultural by 

state, provincial or local government) and agricultural residues.

• Post-consumer recycled content and pre-consumer recycled 

content may be tracked as a neutral source when not making 

post-consumer or pre-consumer claims about the product.

non-forested wetland: A transitional area between aquatic and 

terrestrial ecosystems that does not support tree cover and is 

inundated or saturated for periods long enough to produce hydric soils 

and support hydrophytic vegetation. 

non-timber forest products (NTFPs): Products derived from forests 

other than roundwood or wood chips. Examples include, but are not 

limited to, seeds, fruits, nuts, honey, maple syrup and mushrooms.

objective: In the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard and SFI 

2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard, a fundamental goal of sustainable 

forest management.
6/8 | SFI DEFINITIONS

Office of Label Use and Licensing: Provides administrative support 

and oversight of the SFI on-product labeling program, and serves as 

the depository for SFI 2015-2019 Standards certificates SFI 2015-2019 

Section 5 On-product label use certificates and PEFC ST 2002:2013 

Chain of Custody of Forest Based Products-Requirements, May 24, 

2013 certificates, and other documents that must be submitted to 

receive approval for use of the SFI on-product labels and claims.

old-growth forests: A forested ecosystem distinguished by old trees 

and related structural attributes, such as tree size, down woody debris, 

canopy levels, and species composition. Program Participants should 

utilize a definition specific to their region and particular forest types. 

origin: The attributes of the raw material used in the product. This can 

be certified forest content, certified sourcing or pre-consumer or postconsumer recycled content. 

other credible chain-of-custody standards: Standards capable 

of tracking fiber back to a forest certified to the SFI 2015-2019 

Standard or other acceptable standards recognized by the SFI 

program. They include:

• PEFC ST 2002:2003 Chain of Custody of Forest Based ProductsRequirements, May 24, 2013

• Additional programs may apply for similar recognition or be 

recognized by the SFI program in the future. The criteria used 

to assess other chain-of-custody standards can be found in SFI

Section 4 (Appendix 3).

other wood supplier: A person who or organization that infrequently 

supplies wood fiber on a small scale, such as farmers and small-scale 

land-clearing operators.

performance measure: In the SFI program, a means of judging 

whether an objective has been fulfilled.

planting: The establishment of a group or stand of young trees created 

by direct seeding or by planting seedlings or plantlets.

policy: A written statement of commitment to meet an objective 

or to implement a defined program or plan to achieve an objective

or outcome. 

primary producers: Manufacturing units that manufacture forest 

products and source 50 percent or more (by weight) of their woodbased raw materials directly from primary sources. Primary producers

can include companies that manufacture roundwood, wood chips, 

and/or composite products.

primary sources: Roundwood (logs or pulpwood) and wood chips. 

Wood chips include:

• Field Manufactured Chips - chips produced from roundwood in 

the forest. 

• Primary Chips - chips produced from roundwood other than 

in the forest or as residuals from production of other wood 

products. 

• Mill Residual Chips - chips produced from slabs or other 

residuals from a primary operation. 

principle: In the SFI program, the vision and direction for sustainable 

forest management as embodied in the principles of the SFI 2015-

2019 Standards.

product group: Set of products manufactured or traded in the specified 

processes which are covered by the organization’s chain of custody.

productivity: The inherent capacity of a particular site or ecosystem to 

produce a crop or tree stand, often measured in volume or height. 

program: An organized system, process or set of activities to achieve 

an objective or performance measure. 

Program Participant: An organization certified by an accredited 

certification body to be in conformance with the SFI 2015-2019 Forest 

Management Standard, and/or SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard

and/or SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard. 

protection: Maintenance of the status or integrity, over the long 

term, of identified attributes or values including management where 

appropriate and giving consideration to historical disturbance 

patterns, fire risk and forest health when determining appropriate 

conservation strategies.

public land: Land enrolled in the SFI program that is owned 

or administratively managed by a government entity (federal, 

state, provincial, county or local), excluding easements or other 

encumbrances held by a government entity on private land.

purchased stumpage: Standing timber under a contractual 

agreement that gives the Program Participant the right and obligation 

to harvest the timber.
SFI DEFINITIONS | 7/8 SECTION 13

qualified logging professional: A person with specialized skills in 

timber harvesting gained through experience or formal training who 

has successfully completed wood producer training programs and 

continued education requirements recognized by SFI Implementation 

Committees as meeting the spirit and intent of performance measure

under Objective 11 in the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard 

or Objective 6 in the SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard.

a. Each crew must include a qualified logging professional

who (1) has completed the SFI Implementation Committee

approved wood producer training program; (2) is an owner 

of, employee of, or contracted by the wood producer; (3) has 

direct responsibility and is on-site regularly to consistently 

carry out the roles and responsibilities of the qualified logging 

professional under the SFI 2015-2019 Standard(s) (e.g., safety, 

protection of soils, streams and other water bodies).

b. All of the components of an SFI Implementation Committee

approved wood producer training program could take several 

years to carry out. To be considered a qualified logging 

professional, an individual must complete the required 

training appropriate to their level of responsibility (e.g., 

owner, supervisor, employee) within the specified time 

period required by their SFI Implementation Committee. SFI 

Implementation Committees have the flexibility to require 

different training requirements for owners of logging 

businesses versus training requirements for other employees 

(e.g., supervisors). Once classified as a qualified logging 

professional, the individual must complete the required SFI 

Implementation Committee maintenance training within the 

prescribed time period to retain their status as a qualified 

logging professional. 

qualified resource professional: A person who by training and 

experience can make forest management recommendations. 

Examples include foresters, soil scientists, hydrologists, forest 

engineers, forest ecologists, fishery and wildlife biologists or 

technically trained specialists in such fields.

recycled content: Pre-consumer recycled content and post-consumer 

recycled content.

reforestation: The reestablishment of forest cover either naturally or 

by seeding or planting of seedlings.

riparian area: Transition zone characterized by vegetation or 

geomorphology adjacent to rivers, streams, lakes, wetlands and other 

water bodies..

secondary producers: Manufacturing units that produce forest 

products and source 50 percent or more (by weight) of their woodbased raw materials from secondary sources. Secondary producers 

can include manufacturers of finished forest products, such as 

plywood, furniture, windows, magazines, printers or catalogs, and 

manufacturers using market pulp. 

secondary sources: Semi-finished solid wood, paper, market 

pulp, recycled wood fiber, or composite products obtained from a 

primary producer and/or a secondary producer. 

SFI 2015-2019 Audit Procedures and Auditor Qualifications and 

Accreditation: The principles and guidelines that detail specific 

requirements to Program Participants and certification bodies for 

conducting audits to the SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management, Fiber 

Sourcing and Chain-of-Custody Standards.

SFI 2015-2019 Chain-of-Custody Standard: The requirements that 

detail processes for tracking fiber content from certified forest content, 

recycled content and certified sourcing. 

SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard: The principles, objectives, 

performance measures and indicators that detail specific fiber sourcing 

requirements for Program Participants. 

SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard: The principles, policies, 

objectives, performance measures and indicators that detail specific 

forest management requirements for Program Participants. 

SFI certification: A systematic and documented verification process 

to obtain and evaluate evidence objectively to determine whether a 

Program Participant’s SFI program conforms to the requirements of SFI 

2015-2019 Standards and Rules.

SFI Implementation Committee (SIC): A state, provincial, or regional 

committee organized by SFI Program Participants to facilitate or 

manage the programs and alliances that support the growth of the SFI 

program, including sustainable forest management.

silviculture: The art and science of controlling the establishment, 

growth, composition, health, and quality of forests and woodlands to 

meet the diverse needs and values of landowners and society on a 

sustainable basis. 

skid trail: A temporary path through the woods to transport felled 

trees or logs to a collection area for further transportation. 

special sites: Sites that include geologically unique or culturally 

important features.

stand: A contiguous group of trees sufficiently uniform in age, 

composition, and structure, and growing on a site of sufficiently 

uniform quality, to be a distinguishable unit.
sustainable forestry: To meet the needs of the present without 

compromising the ability of future generations to meet their 

own needs by practicing a land stewardship ethic that integrates 

reforestation and the managing, growing, nurturing, and harvesting 

of trees for useful products and ecosystem services such as the 

conservation of soil, air and water quality, carbon, biological diversity,

wildlife and aquatic habitats, recreation and aesthetics.

Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI): SFI Inc. is a 501c(3) non-profit 

charitable organization, and is solely responsible for maintaining, 

overseeing and improving the Sustainable Forestry Initiative program. 

SFI Inc. directs all elements of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative

program including the SFI Standard(s), including forest management, 

fiber sourcing, and chain-of-custody certifications, and labeling and 

marketing. SFI Inc. is overseen by a three-chamber Board of Directors 

representing social, environmental and economic sectors.

technical expert: A person who provides specific knowledge or 

expertise to the audit team (ISO 19011 2002, 3.10). 

third-party certification: An assessment of conformance to the 

SFI 2015-2019:Standards and Rules conducted according to the 

requirements of SFI Section 9 SFI 2015-2019 Audit Procedures and 

Auditor Qualifications and Accreditation, and ISO 19011 by a qualified 

certification body. 

threatened and endangered: Listed under The U.S. Endangered 

Species Act or The Canadian Species at Risk Act and listed under 

applicable state or provincial laws requiring protection.

traditional forest-related knowledge: Forest-related knowledge 

owned and maintained by Indigenous Peoples as a result of their 

traditional use of or tenure on forestland. 

varietal seedlings: Genetically identical individuals produced through 

vegetative reproduction methods, such as micropropogation, tissue 

culture or somatic embryogenesis.

verifiable monitoring system: A system capable of being audited by a 

third party that includes:

a. a means to characterize the Program Participant’s 

wood and fiber supply area, which may include sources 

certified to a standard that requires conformance with 

best management practices, including those sources from 

certified logging professionals;

b. a process to identify and use sources of available data (e.g., 

state or provincial monitoring programs, certification status of 

suppliers) in the use of best management practices; and

c. a method to assess supplier performance, if needed, to 

supplement available data. 

vernal pool: A seasonal wetland with sufficient water present during 

amphibian breeding season, absence of fish, and presence of wetland 

obligate fauna.

visual quality: The seen aspects of both the land and the activities 

that occur upon it. 

visual quality management: Minimization of the adverse visual effects 

of forest management activities.

wetland: (1) seasonally or permanently water-logged areas 

characterized by vegetation adapted for life in saturated /flooded 

conditions; (2) wetlands can be forested, shrubby or open and include 

bogs, fens, swamps, marshes and shallow open water areas; (3) 

wetlands may be stagnant systems (e.g., bogs), slow flowing (e.g., 

fens, swamps) or have fluctuating water levels (e.g., marshes, 

shallow open water). 

wildlife: Aquatic (marine and freshwater) and terrestrial fauna.

wood and fiber supply area: The geographic area from which a 

Program Participant procures, over time, most of its wood and fiber 

from wood producers. 

wood producer: A person or organization, including loggers and 

wood dealers, involved in harvesting or regularly supplying wood fiber 

directly from the forest for commercial purposes.

8/8 | SFI DEFINITIONS
Canada

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Ottawa, ON K1Y 3B2

United States

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Washington, DC 20037

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