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Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) is the stewardship and use of forests and forest lands in a way, and at a rate, that maintains their biodiversity, productivity, regeneration capacity, vitality and their potential to fulfill, now and in the future, relevant ecological, economic and social functions, at local, national, and global levels, and that does not cause damage to other ecosystems.

In simpler terms, the concept can be described as the attainment of balance - balance between society's increasing demands for forest products and benefits, and the preservation of forest health and diversity. This balance is critical to the survival of forests, and to the prosperity of forest-dependent communities.

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The best way to ensure sustainable forestry works is through third-party certification. Third-party certification is a system by which an organization checks on the sustainable forestry practices of a timber producer. If the practices are acceptable, products made by the producer can carry a label that lets consumers know the products were made following sustainable forestry practices. There are several third party certification programs in existence in the world. The largest certification group in North America is the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI).

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SFI Inc. is an independent, non-profit organization responsible for maintaining, overseeing and improving a sustainable forestry certification program that is internationally recognized and is the largest single forest standard in the world. The SFI Standard is based on principles and measures that promote sustainable forest management and consider all forest values. It includes unique fiber sourcing requirements to promote responsible forest management on all forest lands in North America. For more information about SFI please visit www.sfiprogram.org

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Our timberlands principally grow yellow pines trees, one of the most important timber trees of the United States. In fact, the highest rates of growth for southern yellow pine in the United States occur in the southeastern states from North Carolina west to Texas. The wood has a fine, smooth, compact grain and is the heaviest, hardest, strongest, stiffest and toughest of the softwoods. It is especially durable and able to bear great weights. Therefore, it main use is for beams, joists and other timbers for heavy construction. It is also an important source of fiber for the paper industry as pulpwood.

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Forestar is a real estate and natural resources company dedicated to the stewardship of our real estate and natural resources with a long-term commitment to environmental sustainability. A few examples of our protection of wildlife and distinctive sites include:

• Placing conservation easements on more than 1,000 acres along the Neches River, located in in East Texas. The river and associated hardwood bottomlands are Texas' largest contiguous and most pristine riverine habitat.
• Setting aside a 750-acre bird habitat to protect an endangered species in San Antonio, and then acquiring another 1,200 acres as a bird sanctuary.
• Managing thousands of acres of forest in certified voluntary compliance with the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, an internationally recognized standard for responsibly and sustainably managing woodlands.

The management efforts on these lands have resulted in multiple awards from various organizations and environmental groups, including the Environmental Protection Agency (Environmental Excellence for Watershed Protection), Department of Interior (Conservation Service Award), Georgia Department of Natural Resources (Partnership for Wildlife), and the Nature Conservancy(Conservation Leadership).