Tuesday, 15 April 2003
5-Million Acre Tembec Certification Will Bring New FSC Paper, Wood to the U.S.
Tembec’s 5-million acre Gordon Cosens Forest, located in Northeastern Ontario, has been certified by the Smartwood program of the Rainforest Alliance. The forest is approximately twice the size of Yellowstone National Park, and is now the largest FSC-certified forest in North America.
A mix of private and public land, Gordon Cosens, named after its first forester, is in a region dominated by expansive spruce and fir forests. Its use is regulated under a public timber license, managed by Tembec on behalf of the government of Ontario. The harvests that occur at Gordon Cosens are based on emulation of historic fire disturbance patterns, are structured to reduce road construction and road presence, and retain high levels of individual trees and uncut patches to help create habitats for critical species such as marten, lynx and wolves.
Tembec is using the FSC system because it is supported by aboriginal people, environmental groups, labor unions and business. Tembec’s list of FSC-certified products already includes hardwood flooring and paperboard, but with the FSC certification of the Gordon Cosens Forest it will soon include lumber and newsprint for the U.S. market.
In January 2001, Tembec and World Wildlife Fund Canada signed a historic accord addressing sustainable forest management. By 2005, Tembec intends to certify all 32-million acres of Canadian forest under its management.
“I am extremely pleased to report that we are moving towards accomplishment of our common goal," said Tembec’s President and CEO Frank A. Dottori. “Certifying the Gordon Cosens Boreal Forest, that’s five million acres, is a remarkable accomplishment, but it is just the beginning." The Gordon Cosens certification represents the most significant certification in North America to date.
“Tembec has made an enormous commitment to the FSC and to managing its land to a high standard. It will set an example for forest management in the Boreal region and provide the potential for new sources of FSC-certified fiber and lumber for the U.S. market," said Roger Dower, FSC-U.S. President.
“Gordon Cosens represents a significant step in Tembec’s ongoing leadership in good forest management and the support of FSC Principles and Criteria. On behalf of the 17 Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, the hundreds of song birds and the woodland caribou, lynx and pine marten that live in this forest we congratulate and thank you for this accomplishment," said Jim McCarthy, Executive Director, FSC Canada.
Tembec is an integrated Canadian forest products company principally involved in the production of wood products, market pulp and papers. The company has sales of approximately $4-billion with over 55 manufacturing sites in Canada, France, the United States and Chile. The Smartwood program of the Rainforest Alliance joined FSC, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Canada and Tembec in Toronto to announce the certification.