WASHINGTON - Oregon State Forester Marvin Brown has been elected Chair of the independent board of directors for the Sustainable Forestry Initiative^® (SFI^®) Inc., which is solely responsible for the non-profit SFI forest certification program. Other changes include new members representing conservation and labor organizations.

SFI Inc.'s 18-member board represents environmental, social and economic sectors equally so it can meet the many needs of forests and communities. Current board members include representatives of environmental, professional and academic groups, independent loggers, family forest landowners, public officials, labor and the forest products sector.

Brown became involved with the SFI program in 1995 when he was State Forester in Missouri and was invited to join the first SFI External Review Panel, an independent panel of external experts who offer diverse perspectives and expertise. "The SFI program has matured into a standard that is improving practices on the ground across North America," he said today. "It provides system rigor and expands requirements, especially around wildlife and biodiversity."

Christopher A. (Chris) Wood, President and CEO of Trout Unlimited (TU), joins the board's environmental chamber, and William V. (Bill) Street Jr., Director of the Woodworkers Department for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, represents labor as a member of the social chamber.

"The SFI program has enormous potential," Wood said. "At TU, we appreciate the role of all forest certification standards, and their impact on conservation. We will work with anyone as long as they are doing good things for fish, water and wildlife."

"The SFI program recognizes that workers' rights are human rights," said Street, also the first North American to be elected Chairman of the international Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (PEFC). "This means workers in SFI-certified forests have access to the highest standards for labor protection in the United States. I look forward to helping keep the SFI standard strong, and to finding ways to tackle issues such as conversion of forest lands to non-forest uses."

SFI Inc. is a registered charitable organization responsible for the largest single forest certification standard in the world. The SFI program works with a wide array of partners to promote responsible forest management in North America and responsible fiber sourcing worldwide. Almost 200 million acres/80 million hectares are certified to the SFI forest standard in the United States and Canada. The standard 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.

"As a state forester, Marvin Brown understands the immense value forest certification delivers for forests and communities across North America," SFI President and CEO Kathy Abusow said. "He brings extensive experience in forest policymaking at the state, national and international levels, and he has worked closely with the SFI program - providing advice and meeting standard requirements on the ground."

Brown said state foresters especially appreciate the SFI program's willingness to complement and build on government policy, going beyond North America's comprehensive forest laws. "In Oregon, for example, we don't have to pay for the many improvements resulting from the work of SFI program participants, but our forests and our communities benefit a great deal," he said.

Brown, whose term began March 10, is a member of the board's social chamber. Robert A. (Bob) Luoto, who represents independent professional loggers and the American Loggers Council on the board, becomes vice-chair.

Abusow thanked departing board members John Faraci, Chairman & CEO, International Paper Company; Norm. L. Christensen Jr., Professor of Ecology and Past Dean, Nicholas School of Environment and Earth Sciences at Duke University; and R. Thomas Buffenbarger, International President, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, for their service.

Editors Note: Biographies of Marvin Brown, Chris Wood and Bill Street are available here

here, along with a list of current SFI Inc. board members. More information about SFI Inc.'s independent governance is available at www.sfiprogram.org/sustainable-forestry-initiative/sfi-governance.php.

About SFI Inc.

SFI Inc. is an independent 501(c) (3) non-profit charitable organization, and is solely responsible for maintaining, overseeing and improving the internationally recognized Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) program (www.sfiprogram.org). Across North America, close to 200 million acres/80 million hectaresare certified to the SFI forest management standard, making it the largest single standard in the world. SFI chain-of-custody certification tells buyers how much certified, responsibly sourced and/or recycled content is in a product. The SFI program's unique fiber sourcing requirements promote responsible forest management on all suppliers' lands. SFI Inc. is governed by a three-chamber board of directors representing environmental, social and economic sectors equally.