NSF Offers New Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard Certification

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – NSF, the leading global public health and safety organization, is now offering the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)’s Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard. The standard, which is the world’s first and only industry-recognized forest standard for communities, was launched today at the International Society of Arboriculture’s Annual International Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

“This new SFI standard provides third-party validation to the important sustainability efforts of organizations that own, manage, or are responsible for urban or community forests,” said Michelle Matteo, Forestry Program Manager at NSF-ISR. “By achieving certification to SFI’s Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard, organizations can demonstrate their leadership and innovation in forest management through their commitment to quality environmental, social, and governance practices.”

The standard is being introduced at a time when urban and community forests are being prioritized by national governments. In fact, the United States is investing $1.5 billion in urban and community forests over the next 10 years through the Inflation Reduction Act. In Canada, the Natural Infrastructure Fund will make investments in communities in natural and hybrid infrastructure projects, such as planting and restoring urban green space.

The SFI Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard is suitable for government organizations (e.g. municipalities, counties, states, provinces), non-governmental organizations, Indigenous Peoples, community groups, healthcare organizations, educational organizations, and corporate organizations.

The standard is based on five guiding principles and 16 objectives that strive to address the environmental, social, and governance issues that help to ensure the sustainability of urban forests. As one of the first certification bodies accredited to certify to the standard, NSF can certify organizations to one of or all 16 objectives.

NSF has supported organizations with auditing their forests to management standards for more than 17 years. Its forestry team is led by a certified arborist, who will support audits to the new SFI standard. NSF-ISR can also provide integrated audits and resources to help organizations on the journey to certification.