Skeena Sawmills has been certified for sustainable practices through the independent, non-profit Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and the international Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).
Independent auditors from KPMG, an accredited certification body, inspected Skeena Sawmills’ planning, procedures and processes in both its woodlands operations and its mill before recommending certification.
Skeena Sawmills president and CEO, Teddy Cui, said in a press release that the certification demonstrates their commitment to good practice.
“One of our core commitments is to consistently improve our sustainable forest practices,” he said. “Certification to the SFI and PEFC standards is proof that we are delivering on that promise and meeting the highest environmental, social and economic standards possible.”
He added that it’s also important for their global customers and goes in line with plans to double capacity and invest $40 million in the mill over the next few years.
SFI gives certification based on a standard of protecting water quality, biodiversity, and wildlife, and the mill’s woodland manager Greg DeMille said they are proud to achieve the standard.
“SFI and PEFC are rigorous standards that have requirements to protect biodiversity, wildlife habitat, First Nations values; and to ensure public engagement,” said DeMille. “We are proud to achieve this certification in the region and join a growing list of sustainability leaders around the globe.”
Third-party certification provides a link between sustainable forest management and responsible purchasing, notes the press release, explaining that both sustainable practices and responsible sourcing are included in the certification.
The SFI 2015-2019 Forest Management Standard promotes sustainable forestry practices, and the SFI Fibre Sourcing Standard ensures all fibre is from legal and responsible sources.
