Salem One Joins Two Sides

The American Forest Foundation (AFF) is partnering with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC US) to support the implementation of the FSC US Controlled Wood National Risk Assessment. The partnership's goal is to help companies that source fiber from family forestlands to mitigate sustainability risks identified in the FSC Controlled Wood National Risk Assessment for a specific region, such as threats to High Conservation Values and forest conversion. AFF and FSC are also working together to monitor the impacts of these risk mitigation efforts on family-owned forests. To ensure close coordination on this effort, AFF has become a Member of FSC in the Social Chamber. Family forests, which comprise almost 40% of US forests and provide more than 50% of the wood flowing into supply chains, are a principal source of FSC Controlled Wood. Over the last year, AFF has implemented a range of risk mitigation projects across the Southeast US, in partnership with a handful of FSC Certificate Holders that source Controlled Wood.

Volunteers at the UPM Changshu Mill in China spread green awareness and social wellbeing through youth-driven projects. Wang Feng smiles as she recalls a special moment she experienced while walking down the street one day. “A group of kids came up to me and said, ‘this is the lady who teaches us how to look after our planet,” says Wang, an energy engineer at UPM’s Changshu Mill. Wang is a familiar face to many children in Changshu, as since 2011 she has been regularly visiting local schools to educate kids about low-carbon living and energy saving as part of the UPM Green Future project – an experience she describes as “extremely rewarding”. “I have gained a lot from interacting with young people who are eager to learn. My family and friends are also very proud of what I’m doing,” says Wang, who additionally takes part in organising educational summer camps on the mill site. Click Read More below for additional information.

The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) fully supports the Forest Bioeconomy Framework launched today by Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr and the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM). “The Forest Bioeconomy Framework builds on our sector’s world-leading sustainability practices and our focus on finding environmental and economic value for every part of the tree. It will help position Canada’s forest sector as a solutions provider in our move to a lower-carbon economy,” said FPAC CEO Derek Nighbor. “This framework is a significant move forward to position forestry as a key player in the bioeconomy, will support the creation of new jobs and help us meet Canada’s climate change commitments,” Nighbor added. The Forest Bioeconomy Framework establishes a path that will result in a forest bioeconomy that identifies sustainable bio-based materials from healthy forests available for high added-value manufacturing. The framework highlights innovation, collaboration, and investment and opens the door to further enhancing the sustainability of the forest sector through research, innovation and strong public policy. Click Read More below for more of the story.