SFI 2009 Annual Conference:
Awards
A number of individuals and organizations involved with SFI certification were recognized at the SFI 2009 Annual Conference.
The Dr. Sharon Haines Memorial Award for Innovation and Leadership in Sustainability
SFI Inc. and International Paper created the Dr. Sharon Haines Memorial Award for Innovation and Leadership in Sustainability to honor Dr. Haines, who was International Paper’s first director of the Office of Sustainability when she died in 2007. The award is open to teams or individuals from an SFI program participant or close partner who demonstrate exemplary work in developing, implementing and promoting sustainability in their organization, working collaboratively with external stakeholders, leading by example, and/or broadening the understanding of sustainable forestry concepts and achievements.
Lawrence (Larry) A. Selzer, President and CEO of The Conservation Fund, became the first winner of this award for his leadership in bringing together diverse groups to promote responsible forest management.
Selzer has led The Conservation Fund since 2001. Since it was created in 1985, The Fund and its partners have protected more than six million acres (2.4 million hectares) of irreplaceable wildlife habitat, watersheds and waterways, working landscapes, historic sites and recreation areas across the United States.
News Release: Lawrence A. Selzer Receives Dr. Sharon Haines Memorial Award
Photo: Photo: John Faraci, Chairman and CEO, International Paper; Larry Selzer, President and CEO of The Conservation Fund; Kathy Abusow, President and CEO, SFI Inc.
The 11th SFI Implementation Committee Achievement Award
SFI Inc.’s 37 SFI Implementation Committees help the SFI program maintain a vital link to communities across North America, working with local government agencies, forestry and professional associations, landowner groups and many others to improve forest management. Each year, one committee receives the achievement award based a broad range of criteria – such as leadership, the growth of the SFI program, logger education, landowner outreach and education, recognition and SFI program integrity.
The Maine SFI Implementation Committee received the 11th achievement award for a combination of activities promoting responsible forest management and community outreach. Members were involved with Habitat for Humanity and the Maine Green Forest Summit, as well as supporting small landowners, promoting best management practices, and delivering logger training and public outreach. This is the second time the Maine committee has won the achievement award.
News Release: Minnesota Committee Wins SFI Achievement Award
Photo: Pat Sirois, SFI Implementation Committee Coordinator; Gordon Gamble, Wagner Forest Management; Kevin McCarthy, Sappi Fine Papers; Dan Russell, Huber Engineered Woods
SFI Conservation Research Leadership Awards
SFI Inc. introduced its conservation research leadership award in 2007 to recognize program participants involved in strong partnership activities that achieve ongoing and far-reaching benefits.
Crown Pine Timber LP, a limited partnership managed by The Campbell Group LLC, received an SFI Conservation Leadership Award for Biodiversity Research for conservation partnerships that will protect and restore longleaf pine woodlands in east Texas.
Crown Pine Timber has partnered with conservation groups and government agencies, including The Nature Conservancy of Texas, The Conservation Fund, the National Wild Turkey Federation, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to protect unique values on 137,000 acres (55,444 hectares) of SFI-certified lands it owns within the Longleaf Ridge Conservation Area.
News release: SFI Inc. Recognizes Crown Pine Timber for Longleaf Pine Conservation
Photo: Brian Gowin, SFI and Conservation Manager for Crown Pine Timber
International Forest Products Ltd. (Interfor) received an SFI Conservation Leadership Award for a partnership with Aboriginal people along British Columbia’s Pacific Coast that will ensure there is a suitable supply of monumental cedar trees to meet long-term cultural needs.
Through their partnership, Interfor and the Nanwakolas Council, a leadership group for 12 coastal First Nations, will ensure appropriate cedar trees are available to meet the cultural needs of coastal First Nation communities for 300 years.
News release: SFI Inc. Presents Interfor with Conservation Leadership Award
Photo: Gerry Fraser, Manager of Sustainable Forestry, Interfor; and Dallas Smith, President of the Nanwakolas Council.
SFI President’s Award
The SFI Inc. President’s Award acknowledges outstanding work in a given field such as forestry or innovative partnerships. In 2009, two companies were recognized for their consumer education activities, which raise awareness of the value of forest certification and the SFI program’s commitment to responsible forest management.
Irving Consumer Products was recognized for its consumer education activities, including a partnership with Tree Canada that resulted in thousands of trees being planted across Canada. Irving Consumer Products developed a website Majesta brand, which includes information about the many ways the company supports responsible forest management, fun facts about forests and trees, and discovery tree-related games.
News release: Irving Consumer Products Earns SFI President's Award
Photo: Jim Schedler, Vice President of Marketing, Irving Consumer Products
Georgia-Pacific LLC received a President’s award for its outstanding efforts in increasing understanding of the SFI fiber sourcing program and how it supports family forest owners across North America. Georgia-Pacific conducts extensive SFI outreach, including communicating with its sales and marketing teams about SFI fiber sourcing, and works with customers, large and small, to promote the SFI fiber sourcing certification.
News release: Georgia-Pacific Earns SFI President's Award
Photo: Deborah Baker, vice president - sustainable forestry, Georgia-Pacific.