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Independent Audit Certifies Sustainable and Responsible Forestry Practices and More
TOMAHAWK, Wis. — Plum Creek today announced that all of its Wisconsin lands have been recertified under the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) following an intensive review by independent auditors.
“SFI certification is important in our industry. It ensures the protection of timberland and wildlife habitats and ensures the legacy of our forests,” said Scott Henker, senior resource manager for Plum Creek’s Lake States Region. “We are honored to have our lands recertified by SFI and look forward to ensuring environmental sustainability.”
According to Henker, SFI continually enhances its requirements and standards, raising the bar for landowners and the industry. And, once SFI certified, landowners must regularly undergo an audit in order to be recertified. Plum Creek’s audit for its approximately 197,000 acres of land in Wisconsin was conducted in 2010, and the company was recently notified of its recertification.
“It is an accomplishment for our team of dedicated staff here in Wisconsin to gain SFI certification again,” said Henker. “These audits hold our forestry practices to the highest standard of sustainability, and we are proud that our commitment to the environment and dedication to maintaining healthy forestlands is recognized.”
SFI is the nation’s largest sustainable forestry certification program with more than 181 million acres of land under its umbrella. An independent audit is required for all SFI certifications. These audits are rigorous, on-the-ground assessments of an organization’s operations conducted by highly qualified and accredited auditors. Plum Creek was the first company to have all of its lands nationwide achieve SFI certification, and that commitment continues today.
The audits examine Plum Creek’s responsible forestry practices, including its replanting of more than 800,000 seedlings in Wisconsin in 2010, planning for the natural regeneration of trees, and creating effective log merchandising and marketing programs.
“Plum Creek has a strong commitment to Wisconsin’s environment and demonstrates that commitment in how we approach our business,” said Henker. “Recertification proves how we can still meet the public’s need for wood and paper products while not compromising environmental protection practices.”
The SFI program is a comprehensive system of principles, objectives and performance measures developed by professional foresters, conservationists and scientists, among others, which combines the perpetual growing and harvesting of trees with the long-term protection of wildlife, plants, soil and water quality. For more information on SFI, visit http://www.sfiprogram.org.
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Plum Creek is the largest and most geographically diverse private landowner in the nation with approximately 6.8 million acres of timberlands in major timber producing regions of the United States and wood products manufacturing facilities in the Northwest.
