All 15 of Tennessee’s state forests are now certified to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Forest Management Standard. The Tennessee Dept. of Agriculture’s Div. of Forestry recently announced that all state forests—covering 168,359 acres—passed the third-party audit for forestry management practices. This independent certification assures that forests are managed sustainably, which is essential for clean water, wildlife habitat and market access.
Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher noted that certification is a key tool in helping state forests remain healthy and productive. SCS Global Services conducted the audit required for certification. The company specializes in third-party environmental and sustainability certification with 30 years of experience in forest management assessment.
Certification under the Sustainable Forestry Initiative helps the Div. of Forestry maximize the positive impacts of managed forests and meet high standards to address social, economic and environmental impacts. “The Division of Forestry has a long history of improving degraded lands and making them healthy and productive forests,” State Forest Unit Leader Philip Morrissey said. “SFI Certification is an independent verification that we manage all resources on state forest lands so that those resources are continually evaluated, protected and utilized to best meet the long-term needs of Tennesseans.”