Columbia Forest Products has launched a new web portal with resources to help forestland owners manage and improve the performance of their forest land holdings. Columbia maintains an FSC forest management certificate and invites forestland owners to Contact a Columbia forester to learn more about their markets for logs and the group forest management opportunities under the Forest Stewardship Council’s guidelines and principles that Columbia now offers.

 

Jim Sitts, Columbia’s Appalachian Timber Manager said “Presently, forest land owners located in the Southern Appalachian region can really benefit from this program.  In the ten years since the inception of this program Columbia has enrolled over 35,000 acres of forest land.  Even gentlemen farmers, hunting clubs and conservation organizations which maintain forestlands for multiple uses.  Many folks who thought a detailed forest management plan, let alone an FSC Certified forest management plan was unobtainable due to the size of their ownership or issues with the expense were surprised and pleased with the results of working within Columbia’s sourcing group to secure the benefits of long term professional forest management.”

 

Sitts also added “Columbia provides a professional forest management plan document at no charge to qualifying forest land owners in exchange for the first right of refusal when the timber is ready to harvest. There is no risk to inquire and learn more so we hope timberland owners respond and give us a call.”

 

Planning is underway to expand this program to other wood baskets located around our other plywood and veneer mills and more notices on progress will be forthcoming as the legwork is completed. The demand for FSC wood is increasing as FSC-certified wood products are now required by many green building programs, FSC-certified fabricators within our PureBond Fabricator Network and environmentally conscious consumers who demand wood certified to the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council.  According to Jim, “the idea is to supplement our timber purchases with wood from many smaller tracts. Over time, this will translate into a lighter, local footprint in the sourcing radius of each Columbia plywood mill where the program is in place.”