WFPA - Washington Forest Protection Association

Forest certification is designed to communicate to customers, consumers and the general public that sustainable forest management practices are being followed. Often verified by an independent third-party, it is a way to measure sustainable forestry against a set of performance-based standards. Forest certification is also a new way of doing business. In some cases, it is the way to stay competitive in certain markets. While there are a variety of certification systems, they all achieve to demonstrates that wood products were produced in sustainable, well-managed forests.

Forest Certification is a Voluntary Process

Forest certification is voluntary so individual companies can choose to participate in the certification process that matches the needs of their customers and markets. A large majority of WFPA members are certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI®).

SFI is the Most Common Forest Certification for
WFPA Members

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI®) is a forest certification program that was created based on principles, objectives and performance measures that combine the growing and harvesting of trees with the long-term protection of plants, soil, wildlife and water quality. SFI® is a membership program that was adopted by American Forest & Paper Association in 1994.

Many WFPA members choose SFI® certification because keeping our forests healthy is important to providing wood and paper products. This ensures that we have forests and wildlife for the future generations. Currently, there are more than 150 million acres of forestland in North America enrolled in the SFI program, with nearly 5.4 million acres enrolled in Washington State.