Plum Creek gains sustainability recertification on Maine lands

    GREENVILLE — Plum Creek Timber Company today announced that all of its Maine lands have been recertified under the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) following an intensive review by independent auditors.

    “Certifications like SFI are important in our industry as they promote and enforce best management practices and help ensure a vigorous, sustainable forest products industry,” said Scott Henker, general manager for Plum Creek’s Northern Hardwood Region. “Plum Creek is committed to running our business in this manner every day, but being recognized by SFI recertification for doing so is a great honor.”
    Plum Creek, which has been operating in Maine since 1998, was the first company to have all of its lands nationwide achieve SFI certification. The SFI standard is updated every five years so it can continue to reflect the latest science and input and Plum Creek undergoes recertification on a rotating basis by region every three years. The independent audit of Plum Creek’s land in Maine, approximately 878,000 acres, was conducted in August 2013 and the results were just announced.
    “This is a significant accomplishment for our dedicated team in Maine,” said Henker. “This audit intensely examines our forest management practices, and we are proud that our commitment to the environment and the health of our forestlands was recognized once again.”
     The SFI forest management standard is the single largest sustainable forest certification standard in the world with nearly 200 million acres of certified lands across North America. 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 third-party auditors.
    Plum Creek’s audit report specifically commended the company for its robust forest management program, which was recognized by the auditor as one of the best; its proactive and strong wildlife management program and its employment of wildlife biologists; its active support of research, including its own strong wildlife and silviculture research efforts; and, its continued involvement with and commitment to the local community.
    In Maine, Plum Creek received notable practices recognition for its Intervale Brook stream enhancement project and its work with the Maine Natural Areas Program to identify and protect unique sites. The report called the Intervale Brook project “an innovative and unique project to improve fish habitat.”
    “Plum Creek is committed to protecting Maine’s environment, and we demonstrate that commitment in how we approach our business,” said Henker. “Recertification through SFI shows that we can practice environmental responsibility while meeting the public’s need for wood and paper products.”
    The audit also included the Moosehead Lake Region Conservation Easement, which includes 363,000 acres of Plum Creek working forest that is permanently conserved. The report noted that in this area, “Plum Creek is doing an excellent job protecting riparian areas … and has an excellent process for identifying and determining the ecological significance of vernal pools.”
    Plum Creek and Sewall Co. have been working together since 2012 to identify and map vernal pools in and around the conservation easement to help detect potential aquatic breeding areas and guide forest management practices.
    The SFI standard is a comprehensive system of principles, values, performance measures and indicators developed by professional foresters, conservations and scientists. The SFI 2010-2014 Standard is based on 14 core principles that address economic, environmental, cultural and legal issues, in addition to a commitment to continuously improve sustainable forest management.