February 5, 2024
(press release)
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FOREST CERTIFICATION Third-party certification confirms that science-based stakeholder developed forest management practices and continual improvement are occurring on all timberland across the Company. Third-party forest certification plays a vital role in fostering an understanding of the value of properly managed working forests, which helps ensure both tangible forest products and numerous quality-of-life benefits sustainably into the future. SFI is an independent non-profit sustainability organization that collaborates on forest initiatives with the forest sector, conservation groups, academia, local communities, Indigenous peoples, and educators. SFI recognizes that forestland owners have a responsibility for stewardship through reforestation and the management, growing, nurturing, and harvesting of trees. However, SFI also requires a much broader involvement in areas such as research, community outreach, education, and climate change. SFI oversees the standards for certification of approximately 363 million acres of timberland in
Our 2023 SFI Forest Management surveillance audits were in
Our 2023 FSC Audit found no non-conformances. INTERNAL AUDITS In addition to third-party certification, we also conduct annual internal audits at every forest district to ensure that our environmental management system is effectively implemented. Internal audits focus on adherence to our environmental management system policies and procedures by foresters and professional staff, application of site-level best management practices on the ground, contract logger understanding and application of policies and practices, employee and contractor safety performance, and understanding of fire risk policies and equipment, among many other areas. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as “annually,” “commit,” “continual,” “every five years,” “expect,” “future,” “initiative,” “long term,” “mission,” “objective,” “ongoing,” “opportunity,” and similar are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management’s views of future events based on assumptions and are therefore subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, and are not guarantees of future conduct, results, or policies. Please view the Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information on page 134 of PotlatchDeltic’s 2022 ESG Report. Distribution Settings Markup Date and Time are ET. We may take up to two hours to approve confirmed content. Content is reviewed for publishing: Monday-Wednesday
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Our third-party forest certification reflects the rigor of our environmental management system, which is based on an ongoing continual improvement process. As new information is discovered, practices are adjusted and improved, whether that be in threatened and endangered species management, forest productivity, water quality or climate change. Forest certification challenges us to think long term, and to invest with research organizations to study and improve the industry’s technical knowledge. In addition, it encourages us to engage with the communities and stakeholders who are connected to us through our timberlands and all they have to offer.
SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY INITATIVE
Certification is a broad effort and encompasses much more than just replanting trees that are harvested. For example, the SFI standard includes a multi-faceted approach for education that includes not only ensuring participant staff and logging contractors are appropriately trained as professionals, but also reaching out to students and families to experience the outdoors and to help others understand the importance of sustainable forestry both now and in the future.
SFI forest management standard updates in 2022 also address the role of forests as a nature-based solution to climate change. SFI’s Climate Smart Forestry Objective requires that climate change risks to forests and forest operations be identified and addressed with appropriate adaptation strategies implemented. In addition, the updates recognize that forest management is an important catastrophic wildfire mitigation tool. SFI certification requires the evaluation of fire risks, management techniques that mitigate fire impacts, and restoration of forests following wildfire damage.
FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL
Our decision to dual-certify some of our timberlands through FSC reflects the specifications of some of our customers who produce paper and packaging that are sold to international consumers who prefer FSC product certification. FSC surveillance audits are conducted annually with a full re-certification every five years.
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