Weyerhaeuser says it will act “immediately” on changes made to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI).
Its announcement follows the completion of the Sustainable Forestry Board’s year-long review of the SFI standard.
Revisions include stronger requirements for forest product companies to support conservation of old-growth forests, protect against invasive species and participate in regional conservation planning.
Weyerhaeuser chairman and chief executive Steven Rogel said the company already had policies covering the issues but its efforts would be stepped up to comply with the changes.
This will include dedicating staff, continuing surveys for pests and disease and increasing its programme to prevent the spread of invasive, exotic species. The company will also boost regional conservation planning efforts – it has already begun discussions with the Nature Conservancy to understand the group’s eco-regional plans and how they fit in with Weyerhaeuser’s goals.
The revisions affect all Weyerhaeuser’s 6.8 million acres of US managed forests and about 500,000 acres of forests in Canada managed to the SFI standard.
