Management: Finding and Using Best Practices For Working Forests
Northampton, MA
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August 18, 2021 11:21 AM Eastern Daylight Time
The fiber used to make our products comes from working forests. These are forests that are harvested sustainably and then replanted over and over. More than 90 percent of International Paper’s fiber supply in the United States comes from privately-owned forests, many of which are small and family-owned. We work with landowners to ensure the responsible management of those forests.
More than 36% of U.S. forests are family-owned
According to The Nature Conservancy, sustainable forestry, and keeping forestlands forested, can be an important low-cost natural lever for carbon storage. This is one way we’re contributing to carbon sequestration and to the future of forests.
The supply of timber also provides steady jobs for people and communities who depend on forests for their livelihoods. We’re making sure both diverse forests and sustainably sourced products exist for future generations.
90% of U.S. forest products come from privately owned working forests 6
2.4 million U.S. jobs supported by working forests 6
Here's How:
Take a walk in the woods to learn what defines a sustainably managed forest and how International Paper plays a role in helping private landowners enhance the environmental values of the forests from which we source our fiber.
Fast Facts: Take a virtual forest tour.
International Paper developed an innovative mapping system that guides our responsible fiber procurement on non-certified forestland in the United States. This tool builds on our commitment to transparency in fiber sourcing and ensures our procurement activities maintain or enhance the environmental values of the forests from which we source.
What's On Our Map:
- Rare plant and animal species
- Areas of high biodiversity
- Areas that provide Important landscape connectivity
- Rare forest types
In 2019, we joined American Forest Foundation (AFF) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in supporting the Family Forest Carbon Program to enhance carbon sequestration in family owned forestland across the U.S. This innovative program addresses climate change through family-owned forestland.
Fast Facts: In the U.S., families and individuals own the largest portion - 36% - of all forests. The Family Forest Carbon Program, once fully scaled, will open 290 million acres of forestland to additional carbon sequestration potential.
We've teamed up with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to focus on the expansion of Reduced-Impact Logging for Carbon (RIL-C), a set of practices pioneered by TNC that balance the economic needs of forest-based communities and businesses with environmental goals.
Fast Facts: RIL-C cut up to 50 percent of CO2 emissions in a commercial forest.
International Paper is among one of the first five U.S. companies to join World Wildlife Fund's , a global program that engages with companies and other stakeholders to deliver effective nature-based strategies for forests.
Fast Facts: International Paper collaborates with WWF on three projects as part of the Forests Forward program:
- Growing the availability of fiber from sustainably managed forests
- Atlantic Forest restoration in the Mogi Guaçu River basin of Brazil
- Developing science-basedd targets for forests
We're committed to 100% sustainably sourced fiber, including those certified by independent third-party organizations including the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI).
Fast Facts: 20 percent of timberland in the U.S. is certified by reputable third-party verified systems7
About International Paper
International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a leading global producer of renewable fiber-based packaging, pulp and paper products with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, Europe, North Africa and Russia. We produce corrugated packaging products that protect and promote goods, and enable worldwide commerce; pulp for diapers, tissue and other personal hygiene products that promote health and wellness; and papers that facilitate education and communication. We are headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., employ approximately 48,000 colleagues and serve more than 25,000 customers in 150 countries. Net sales for 2020 were $21 billion. For more information about International Paper, our products and global citizenship efforts, please visit internationalpaper.com.
