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SFIŽ Strengthens "Biodiversity" Criterion On July 2, the independent Sustainable Forestry Board, that governs the Sustainable Forestry InitiativeŽ standard, announced that it had strengthened the standard at several points, most conspicuously in taking specific steps to identify and establish conservation guidelines to promote biodiversity on lands governed by the standard. The Sustainable Forestry Board derived the changes in the standard for North America in consultation with NatureServe, a non-profit scientific organization, establishing "conservation status ranking" information for biodiversity indicators on lands throughout the U.S. and Canada. The standard allows a variety of options for landowners to work with other stakeholders to develop and implement plans "for protection of sites containing imperiled plants, animals, and ecological communities." Other new features of the revised standard address international wood procurement policies to help prevent illegal logging and to promote conservation of "biodiversity hotspots" and major tropical wilderness areas in places where organizations governed by the SFI standard do business. The Sustainable Forestry Initiative has launched a consumer-oriented web site, www.aboutsfi.org, which provides key information about the program. It presents the history and goals of SFI, including the 2002-2004 Standard, Principles and Objectives; recognition and awards that the SFI program has received; and provides a special section containing "Forest Facts." The American Forest & Paper Association's web site at www.afandpa.org will continue to present more technical and comprehensive information on the SFI program, including information about its licensing program, and on the SFI Implementation Committees.
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