Habitat for Humanity Wall- Raising Event
Even in the rain, SFI Members, along with Pat Sirois, coordinator of the Maine SFI Implementation Committee, joined Gov. John Baldacci and other guests at a ceremonial wall-raising on Aug. 12 for the SFI-sponsored home and three other Habitat houses.
“This is a fantastic way for SFI member companies to show they are committed to their communities as well as to responsible forest management,” Sirois said. “The outcome will yield benefits for Portland, the environment, youth, the Matiyabo family, and every one of us who has the honor to be part of this effort.”
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) has teamed up with Habitat for Humanity and the Bank of America to sponsor the construction of a house made of sustainable forests products donated by SFI-certified companies.
The Maine project involves SFI volunteers and donated resources — and will be the first Habitat home certified to the new National Association of Home Builders green building guidelines. The project also involves Portland West Youth Building Alternatives.
Governor Baldacci thanked Sirois for bringing sustainable forestry to the forefront of green home building. “This energy-efficient house meets the long-term goals of providing a family with a home, and one that will be more affordable to maintain,” he said. “This is an important milestone for Habitat and for affordable housing efforts in Maine.”
Contributors to the Habitat house include Huber Engineered Woods LLC, Louisiana Pacific Corp., Plum Creek Timber Co. Inc., Wagner Forest Management Ltd, Fraser Timber Limited, Seven Islands Land Company, Sappi Fine Papers North America, H.O. Bouchard, Madison Paper and Pierce Atwood.
Left to Right -Mark Doty(Plum Creek), Gordon Gamble (Wagner Forest Management) Helen Edmunds (Pierce Atwoods), Governor Baldacci, Bob Zavorskas (Huber Engineered Woods LLC), Steve Bolton(Exec. Dir. Habitat), Carl Sanborn (Louisiana-Pacific), Patrick Sirois(Director Maine SFI)
With more than 90% of Maine covered by forests, it is no surprise that the citizens of Maine want to know that the people who own and work in the Maine woods are managing them with an eye toward keeping them productive for the present and sustained for future generations.
That’s where the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) comes in. SFI is a program designed to ensure that forests in Maine and across the country are managed sustainably. The Program fosters continuous improvement in forest management by requiring forest professionals – including landowners, loggers, and mill owners – to commit to ongoing research, continuing professional education, and consistent communication with the general public concerning developments within the SFI Program.
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Program was a response to the public’s obvious concern about the long-term sustainability of the country’s forest resources.
In practice, the SFI program involves the development and implementation of forest management standards that, in addition to requiring sustainable levels of forest harvesting, are dedicated to, among other things:
- the protection of water quality
- the management of wildlife habitat
- the protection of rare plants
- the conservation of biodiversity
- the application of science-based forestry and
- the protection of soil productivity
In broader terms, the five underlying principles of SFI are to:
- Meet the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations.
- Promote environmentally and economically responsible practices.
- Improve forest health and productivity.
- Manage our forests to protect their special qualities.
- Continuously improve forest management and measure progress.
Administered by an independent Sustainable Forestry Board comprised of experts from the conservation community, the broader forestry community, and AF & PA members, SFI has certified more than 6 million Maine acres as being sustainably managed forests. In fact, Maine has the highest percentage of certified forestland of any state in the country.
