REI – Deepening Our Commitment to Public Lands

North Carolina State University is investigating the crucial role that SFI-certified forests play in facilitating landscape connectivity in a changing climate. Landscape connectivity represents the extent to which a landscape supports the ability of plants and animals to move across the landscape. Some species with a limited range, like salamanders or pitcher plants, depend on connected landscapes to maintain healthy populations. Connecting habitats has long been recognized as one of the keys to supporting conservation in landscapes dominated by people. But rapid changes to the earth’s climate and land use patterns mean new research is needed to ensure that conservation potential is maximized, while mitigating climate change impacts and limiting the loss of biodiversity.

Postmark, Inc. has joined Two Sides North America, the non-profit organization that promotes and encourages the responsible production, use, and sustainability of print and paper. “Postmark wants to be a responsible partner in the graphic communications value chain. As an equipment manufacturer, we also want to spread the positive environmental story about print and paper. We look forward to working with the Two Sides network to achieve this,” said Morten Nielsen, President & CEO, Postmark.

A recent World Resource Institute (WRI) report indicates that forest fires have increased in Canada’s boreal forest which puts Canada second on a global list for tree cover loss in 2013. It is important to define what WRI means by tree cover loss. The distinction between natural cycles and man-made land use changes are necessary considerations when calculating tree loss. Permanent forest loss from urbanization and agriculture expansion is vastly different from temporary tree loss caused by harvesting or natural occurrences like forest fires and pest infestations where trees regrow. Forecasts using climate change scenarios suggest that fire and pest activity will increase across much of Canada’s forests. The forest products industry continues to collaborate with governments, academics and other stakeholders on climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies.