U.S. Procurement

Forest Resources Environmental Initiative

Smurfit-Stone Forest Resources is committed to supplying our mills with wood fiber in an environmentally responsible manner.  That is why we have certified our United States wood procurement system to both the ISO Environmental Management Standard (ISO 14000) and the American Forest and Paper Association Sustainable Forestry Initiative Standard (SFIS).  We do not own timberland in the U.S. and, therefore, purchase all our wood fiber from numerous forest landowners.

Our policy is to protect the environment by conducting United States wood fiber procurement operations in a manner that ensures forest productivity and conservation of forest resources, including forests in areas outside of North America identified as biological hotspots and major tropical wilderness areas and protection of legally designated conservation areas.  We commit to pollution prevention and to implement measures:

• Assuring our compliance with applicable environmental laws, rules and regulations, including the elimination of illegal logging.
• Meeting or exceeding the applicable Sustainable Forestry Initiative Standard (SFIS).
• Continuously improve our environmental performance.

We strive to support sustainable forestry on the lands of other owners. We support and promote the training of wood producers and the use of qualified resource professionals.  We seek to implement the following principles by encouraging landowners to:

• Use sustainable forest practices that are both scientifically credible and economically, environmentally and socially responsible.
• Provide for regeneration after harvest.
• Maintain and improve long-term forest health and productivity.
• Protect and maintain long-term forest and soil productivity.
• Protect water bodies and riparian zones.
• Protect special sites and biological diversity.
• Incorporate aesthetic considerations into activities where visual impacts are a concern.
• Manage lands of special significance (biologically, geologically, historically or culturally) in a manner appropriate for their unique features.

We commit to meeting landowner’s objectives and expectations while broadening the practice of sustainable forestry as the pathway to our vision, which is to enhance our competitive position and establish the company as a preferred wood buyer.