The SFI 2022 Fiber Sourcing Standard promotes responsible forestry practices based on 13 Principles, 11 Objectives, 29 Performance Measures and 59 Indicators that address the 90 percent of the world's forests that are not certified.

Because it governs how SFI-certified organizations procure fiber from non-certified land, supporters argue that the standard encourages the spread of responsible forestry practices.

The SFI standards are revised and updated regularly to incorporate the latest scientific information and to ensure continual improvement.

SFI standards only apply to forestlands in the United States and Canada, and SFI-certified organizations must comply with all applicable laws.

Additional members of the board come from social action groups, Indigenous organizations, government, professional associations of foresters, and other non-profits.

In turn, the term “Climate-Smart Forestry” (CSF) has recently entered the vernacular in myriad disciplines and decision-making circles espousing the linkage between forests and climate.

The research showed an increase in total harvest area was associated with a significant decrease in the percent area occupied by access features such as roads, trails, and stream crossings.This work was supported by SFI, the Virginia Tech Forest Operations and Business Research Cooperative, the Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, the McIntire-Stennis Program of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, US Department of Agriculture, and the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement.

[22] Forest Ecology and Management (Sep. 2022) Increased levels of forestry best management practices reduce sediment delivery from Piedmont and Upper Coastal Plain clearcut harvests and access features, southeastern states, USA ― “Best management practices and their international equivalents can be voluntary, mandated by state or federal law (Titus et al., 2021), or required by third party forest certification systems such as the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) or the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) (Tumpach et al., 2018).” This research discusses the essential role of forest management in erosion control and water quality protection in the Piedmont and Upper Coastal Plain of the southeastern U.S. [23] The Forestry Source (July 2022) At Issue is Deforestation “Right Here in River City” ― “In hopes of avoiding legal gridlock, federal and state agencies responsible for designing, financing, and conducting wildfire risk reduction thinning projects need to be thoroughly transparent and appropriately participatory with respect to parties of interest.

However, few studies document erosion rates and masses associated with harvest and access network features (e.g., decks, roads, skid trails, stream crossings) across different southeastern regions.

This research evaluated 109 recent harvests across eleven southeastern states and three topographically different regions (Coastal Plain, Piedmont, and Mountains).

This work highlights the importance of harvest planning and minimizing bare soil areas, especially in the steep and challenging terrain of the Mountain region.

This research received financial support from the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, SFI, the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, Virginia Tech, the Virginia Tech Forest Operations and Business Research Cooperative, and the McIntire-Stennis Program of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, US Department of Agriculture.

Thanks to this work, scientists and forest sector professionals are now aware of the presence of worms and can begin to consider ways to reduce their impact.

In this article, Lauren Cooper, SFI's Chief Conservation Officer, writes how it can be difficult to see through the smoke and understand that sometimes fire can be beneficial.

Nadine Block, SFI's Senior Vice President of Community and Government Relations, is quoted praising the passage of the bill and the ways it advances climate-smart forestry activities that promote forest health and resilience.

Block also cites the need to provide private landowners with resources to manage their forests with the best-available climate-smart practices.

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe/Food and Agriculture Organization, in its 2009–2010 Forest products Annual Review, says: "Over the years, many of the issues that previously divided the (certification) systems have become much less distinct.

[38][39] For example, SFI allows more tree farming and does not require conservation plans or consultation with local and indigenous stakeholders (except for public lands).

[52][53] The National Wildlife Federation and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) currently serve on the FSC Board.

[55] On September 9, 2009 the Washington State Forest Law Center, on behalf of the environmental protection group ForestEthics, filed complaints against SFI Inc. with the Federal Trade Commission[56] and the Internal Revenue Service.

[57] The complaint asserts that in serving the private interests of wood and paper companies that want a "green" image, SFI is inappropriately granted a nonprofit status reserved for public charities.

[58] The IRS investigated the complaint as well as conducted a thorough examination of SFI's non-profit status and concluded that it was appropriate and that no further action was required.

[62] In late 2022, several environmental organizations in Canada filled a complaint with the Canadian Competition Bureau that the SFI was engaged in misleading advertising practices by falsely claiming that it's certifications did not promote sustainable forestry.