An Overview of Rayonier Southeast Forest Resources’
Sustainable Forestry® Initiative
(SFI) Program
Dan Roach
Land Services Manager
2003 BELL Conference
July 18, 2003
Discussion Outline
• What is Rayonier?
• What is the SFI program?
• Who is participating in the SFI program?
• How does Rayonier implement SFI?
• Why third-party certification?
What is Rayonier?
• International Forest Products Company
• Core businesses: Timberland
Management & Performance Fibers
• Manage over 2 million acres of
timberland in FL, GA, AL, SC, WA,
New Zealand & Tasmania
• Two performance fiber mills
(dissolving pulp, photographic film)
• Three sawmills
• Additional operations in South America,
Europe, Asia and Australia
• Headquartered in Jacksonville, FL
What is Rayonier –
Southeast Forest Resources?
• Division that manages 1.6 million
acres of timberland in FL, GA, AL & SC
• Business strategy: maximize NPV* of
every acre of timberland sustainably
• Third-party SFI Certified
• 25 Forests ranging from 10,000 to
160,000 acres
• Headquarters @ Fernandina Beach, FL
* NPV = Net Present Value
What is the SFI Program?
• Definition: Comprehensive system of principles,
objectives and performance measures that integrates the
perpetual growing and harvesting of trees with the
protection of wildlife, plants, soil, water quality and
unique areas
• Assurance that sustainable forestry practices are being
used
• Largest sustainable forestry certification program in the
world
• Input from a variety of stakeholders – including
environmental groups, public officials, academia, industry
• An objective, independent, credible, third party program
SFI Standard
• Principles (6)
– Basic practices
• Objectives (11)
– Fundamental goals of SFI
• Performance Measures (41)
– Means of judging if objectives are being met
• Core Indicators (118)
– Common to all verification
– Assess conformance to SFI performance measures
SFI Program Principles (6)
•Sustainable Forestry: meet the needs of the present while
ensuring the future of the forests for generations
•Responsible Practices
(economically, environmentally & socially)
•Forest Health and Productivity
(protection from insects, disease, fire; improved yields, )
•Protection of Special Sites
(biological, cultural, historical, & geological)
•Legal Compliance
•Continual Improvement
SFI Participants & Beginnings
• The SFI program was originally sponsored by the
American Forest & Paper Association
– 204 program participants
– Participants represent (in US):
84% of paper production
50% of solid wood production
85% of structural panel production and
90% of industrial timberland in U.S.
– Awarded 1 of 22 Business Awards for
Sustainable Development by the UN in 2002
(Johannesburg, S. Africa)
SFI is One of the World’s Largest
Sustainable Forestry Certification Programs
Acres Enrolled in the SFI Program
in the U.S. and Canada (in Millions)
0
50
100
2003
2001
1999
72
60
16
1
56
54
53
1995
108
100
60
28
1997
137
96
77
150
52
Acres Enrolled
3rd Party Certified
Sustainable Forestry Board
• The SFI program is governed by a multi-stakeholder
board (SFB)
- 15 members, 66% from diverse non-industry groups:
• 1/3 environmental/conservation (The Nature Conservancy,
Conservation Fund)
• 1/3 public officials/professional/academic (SAF, Univ. WA)
• 1/3 industry/landowners
• Separate entity that oversees the SFI program
• SFB’s (Sustainable Forestry Board) role in SFI:
• Owns SFI Standards and Verification Procedures
• Accreditation & Auditor Review
• Dispute Resolution & Quality Control
Independent External Review Panel (ERP)
Members *
The Nature Conservancy
PA Bureau of Forestry
National Wild Turkey Federation
Policy Center of NACD
The Conservation Fund
Ruffed Grouse Society
Department of the Interior
USDA Forest Service
International Paper Company
American Bird Conservancy
Texas A&M University
Wildlife Management Institute
The Sampson Group
Auburn University
Louisiana State Forester
Wildlife Management Institute
Society of the Protection of NH Forests
*As of October, 2002
SFI Program Participants
• U.S. & Canadian Forest Products Companies
(Rayonier, IP, Plum Creek, Smurfit Stone Container,
G-P, etc.)
• Conservation Groups (e.g., The Conservation Fund,
Society for the Protection of NH Forests)
• Public Agencies
• Universities (e.g., Clemson, Yale, NC State, Duke)
SFI Program Supporters
• American Forests
• American Tree Farm System®
• American Legislative Exchange Council
• The Conservation Fund
• Council of State Governments
• Ducks Unlimited
• Longleaf Alliance
• Nat’l Asc. of Professional Forestry Schools & Colleges
• National Association of State Foresters
• National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
*one environmental/conservation position on the SFB has not yet been filled
SFI Program Supporters
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
(cont’d)
National Wild Turkey Federation
National Woodland Owners Association
Pulp and Paper Workers Resource Council
Quail Unlimited
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Ruffed Grouse Society
Society of American Foresters
The Wildlife Society
USDA Cooperative State Research
Wildlife Management Institute
*one environmental/conservation position on the SFB has not yet been filled
Rayonier’s Implementation of
the SFI Standard
Ensure Long-term Forest Productivity
– Prompt reforestation (after harvest):
Re-plant within 1 year (Rayonier reforests 78% within 1 year)
Re-plant within 2 years (Rayonier reforests 100% within 2 years)
– Protect and maintain forest soil and productivity (mandatory BMP’s, streamside buffer
zones, weekly checks)
– Protect forests from damaging agents (insects, disease, fire, etc.)
– Support forest research with:
- in-house research staff
- participation in eight university co-ops
– Ensure sustainable harvest levels
- scheduling harvests using GIS (Geographic Information Systems, genetic algorithms)
- growth & yield modeling (Net Present Value calculations on all harvests)
Protect Water Quality
–
Strict adherence to Best Management Practices (BMP’s)
–
Protect all perennial streams and lakes by delineating buffers
–
BMP training required for employees and contractors
–
Weekly, written monitoring of BMP compliance on all sites
Enhance Wildlife Habitat & Conserve Biodiversity
– Protect food, perch or nest trees
Not harvesting unique groups of trees/other vegetation
Prescribed burning, thinning to improve habitat
Leave at least 20% of wetland stands uncut within harvest area
– Protect threatened and endangered species and their habitat
(GIS layer)
– Required training for all field employees
– Incorporate wildlife concerns (corridors, etc.)
into harvest scheduling
Manage Impact on Visual Quality
– Visual buffers along high-traffic roads
– Actual average harvest size (’02) of 54 acres
– Three-year Green-Up requirement:
No stand of trees is cut until trees on the
adjoining areas are 3 years old or 5 feet tall
Protect Special Sites
– Identify, plan and manage appropriately
– Involve independent experts – NatureServe
– Work with natural heritage and conservation
organizations to identify, map and conserve
– Catalog in GIS and map
– Examples:
Threatened & endangered species habitats
State Champion trees
Indian mounds
Cemeteries
Sink holes
Fort sites
Old homesteads
Why Third-Party Certification?
- Assures public that forests are being managed sustainably
- Gives investors confidence that their investment is being managed
wisely
- Responding to need identified by retailers
- Addresses NGO’s concerns regarding retailers procurement policies
- Rayonier – 3rd party certified since August, 2001
- Able to use on-product labeling
On-Product Labeling
Primary Producers
Manufacturers of forest products
(wood, paper, pulp, etc.) sourcing
50% or more of a manufacturing
unit’s raw materials from primary
sources.
Secondary Producers
Manufacturers of forest products
sourcing more than 50% of a
manufacturing unit’s raw materials
from secondary sources. Secondary
producers include manufacturers of
finished forest products such as
plywood, furniture, windows,
magazines or catalogs.
For more information:
• www.aboutsfi.org
• www.aboutsfb.org
• www.abouterp.org
• www.afandpa.org
Objectives Implementation
Broaden Practice of Sustainable Forestry
– Written policies and plans adopting SFI principles –
sustainable harvest levels, soil & water protection,
wildlife & biodiversity enhancement, staff training, etc.
– Recreation/education through hunting leases, wildlife
management areas, public education (PLT), tours, etc.
Promote Community SFI Participation
– Public outreach such as:
Project Learning Tree
Project Wild
School programs
Temperate Forest Foundation Teachers Tours
– Tours, presentations, field demonstrations,
brochures, forums
– BELL Conference participation