York Region achieves world-first urban forestry certification under SFI standard

The Regional Municipality of York in Ontario, Canada, has become the first municipality in the world to be certified to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative’s (SFI) Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard. Preferred by Nature, accredited by the Standards Council of Canada, served as the independent certification body for this milestone, which marks an important step forward in recognising and managing urban forests through credible third-party verification.

This certification is more than the first of its kind worldwide. It sets a precedent for how cities and institutions can align their green infrastructure efforts with structured and measurable sustainability goals.

The Regional Municipality of York is a large and diverse region located north of Toronto. It is home to over 1.25 million residents in nine local cities and towns. With more than 629,000 people employed across 57,000 businesses, the region plays a key role in the economic and environmental landscape of southern Ontario.

York Region has long prioritised environmental stewardship. Its Greening Strategy has guided reforestation, community engagement and biodiversity efforts across public and private lands. It also manages the York Regional Forest, which has been certified under the Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC™) Forest Management Standard for over 25 years. This new certification under the SFI Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard expands that commitment beyond forest lands to include street trees, road corridors and maintained landscapes across the region.

Expanding certification to urban forests

As an international organisation dedicated to supporting better land management and business practices, Preferred by Nature recently expanded our scope to include the SFI Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard. This addition builds on our existing SFI certification services, which include forest management, fibre sourcing and small-scale forest management for Indigenous Peoples, families and communities.

Supported by our experts, we were able to provide York Region with the necessary guidance to navigate the robust certification process successfully.

“Urban forest certification is a natural extension of our work. It allows us to support sustainability in places where most people live and work, reinforcing the value of trees and green spaces in our everyday environments.” 

James Hallworth

Senior Forestry Specialist at Preferred by Nature

Certification standard for urban realities

The SFI Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard marks a new chapter in forest certification. It recognises that forests are not only found in remote or rural areas. They are also integrated into city streets, parks, campuses, healthcare properties and residential areas. The standard applies to any organisation that owns, manages, or is responsible for urban green spaces, including municipalities, Indigenous communities, educational institutions and private companies.

York Region’s certification covers more than 7,700 hectares of urban and community forests. This includes over 4,600 hectares along road rights-of-way, 416 hectares of properties maintained by regional staff, and more than 2,600 hectares within the York Regional Forest.

Preferred by Nature conducted the certification audit, which included in-depth field inspections, staff interviews and document reviews. The assessment confirmed York Region’s conformance with over 100 indicators that cover topics such as biodiversity protection, public engagement, climate resilience and long-term planning.

“Urban forestry brings its own complexity, especially when managing tree cover across developed and rapidly changing environments. York Region’s ability to align these responsibilities with the requirements of a rigorous sustainability standard reflects strong planning and cross-departmental cooperation,” added James.

Flexible options for different organisations

The SFI Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard offers five certification options. These range from full certification against all 16 objectives to themed certifications that focus on specific areas of interest. 

This flexibility allows different types of organisations to engage with the standard based on their priorities, available resources and areas of focus. Only those certified to all 16 objectives can pass on certified forest content through the supply chain.

“York Region chose to pursue full certification, which is a comprehensive demonstration of their long-term vision. For other organisations just beginning their sustainability journey, the standard offers more focused pathways that can be expanded over time,” explained James.

Why urban forest certification matters

Urban forests play an essential role in supporting climate resilience, biodiversity and public health. Trees help cool cities, reduce flooding, absorb carbon dioxide and provide mental health benefits. However, maintaining these benefits requires consistent management, community involvement and long-term planning. Certification brings structure and transparency to this work, which helps organisations benchmark their progress and demonstrate accountability to the public.

For York Region, certification also complements its existing FSC Forest Management certification for the York Regional Forest. Together, these certifications form a stronger foundation for sustainable land use across the region.

At Preferred by Nature, we continue to expand our SFI certification services to meet growing demand across a range of land use sectors. The successful certification of York Region provides a practical model for municipalities and institutions aiming to demonstrate responsible urban forest management.

As interest in urban and community forestry grows, Preferred by Nature remains committed to supporting organisations through the certification process and contributing to greener, healthier communities.

Learn more about the SFI Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Certification and how we can support you.