P. H. GLATFELTER COMPANY 

and

THE GLATFELTER PULP WOOD COMPANY

June 1, 1995

PRINCIPLES FOR SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY

Members of the American Forest & Paper Association support the following principles:

I. Sustainable Forestry

To practice sustainable forestry to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs by practicing a land stewardship ethic which integrates the reforestation, managing, growing, nurturing, and harvesting of trees for useful products with the conservation of soil, air and water quality, wildlife and fish habitat, and aesthetics.

II. Responsible Practices

To use in its own forests, and promote among other forest landowners, sustainable forestry practices that are economically and environmentally responsible.

III. Forest Health and Productivity

To protect forests from wildfire, pests, diseases, and other damaging agents in order to maintain and improve long-term forest health and productivity.

IV. Protecting Special Sites

To manage its forests and lands of special significance (e.g. biologically, geologically, or historically significant) in a manner that takes into account their unique qualities.

V. Continuous Improvement

To continuously improve the practice of forest management and also to monitor, measure and report the performance of our members in achieving our commitment to sustainable forestry.

IMPLEMENTATION GUIDELINES FOR SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY

I. Managing Company Woodlands

Objective 1. Broaden the practice of sustainable forestry by employing an array of scientifically, environmentally, and economically sound practices in the growth, harvest, and use of forests.

Performance Plan:

a. The Company, through its professional forestry staff, will continue to manage its forest lands and wood procurement operations according to policies, programs and plans as defined in the Company's Forest Management Plan, and Policy and Procedure Manual, both of which are revised as necessary.

b. The Company will, individually or through cooperative efforts, support forest research to improve the health, productivity, and management of forests in its operating area. This support may take the form of direct funding, in-kind manpower and equipment, or availability of study sites.

Objective 2. Promptly reforest harvested areas to ensure long-term forest productivity and conservation of forest resources.

Performance Plan:

a. The Company will reforest after final harvest by planting or direct seeding within two years, or by planned natural regeneration methods within five years.

b. The Company will promote state-level reporting of the overall rate of reforestation success.

Objective 3. Protect the water quality in streams, lakes, and other waterbodies by establishing riparian protection measures based on soil type, terrain, vegetation, and other applicable factors, and by using EPA-approved Best Management Practices in all forest management operations.

Performance Plan:

a. The Company will conduct its operation in compliance with the Forestry Best Management Practices established by the states in its operating area, and will meet the requirements of the Clean Water Act for forestland.

b. The Company will implement riparian protection measures for all perennial streams and lakes in accordance with the Forestry Best Management Practices and wetlands regulations established by the states in its operating area. These measures will include appropriate buffer areas and operational limitations.

c. The Company will, individually or through cooperative efforts, support water quality research, by direct funding, in-kind manpower and equipment, or availability of study sites.

Objective 4. Enhance the quality of wildlife habitat by developing and implementing measures that promote habitat diversity and the conservation of plant and animal populations found in forest communities.

Performance Plan:

a. The Company will continue to manage its woodlands on a sustained yield basis, thereby providing a balanced diversity of habitats for plant and animal populations.

b. The Company, individually or through cooperative efforts, will support wildlife research by direct funding, in-kind manpower and equipment, or availability of study sites.

Objective 5. Minimize the visual impact by designing harvests to blend into the terrain, by restricting clearcut size and/or by using harvest methods, age classes, and judicious placement of harvest units to promote diversity in forest cover.

Performance Plan:

a. The Company's land holdings average fewer than 300 acres per tract. The average size of clearcut blocks is less than one-half the AF&PA target average of 120 acres. When management considerations necessitate clearcut blocks larger than 120 acres, the visual impact of the harvested area will be minimized by the design of the harvest area and/or the retention of forested buffers where appropriate.

b. In order to minimize the cumulative visual impact of clearcut areas, the Company will postpone adjacent clearcuts until the initial area has trees 3 years old or 5 feet high.

Objective 6. Manage Company lands of ecologic, geologic, or historic significance in a manner that accounts for their special qualities.

Performance Plan:

a. The Company will identify and manage areas of special historical, cultural, or ecological significance according to specific needs, and in a manner consistent with sound stewardship of these resources. When necessary, consultation will be sought with experts in these fields.

Objective 7. Contribute to biodiversity by enhancing landscape diversity and providing an array of habitats.

Performance Plan:

a. The Company will support research to improve the science and understanding of ecosystem functions and conservation of biological diversity as it relates to fiber production. The Company will use this knowledge and its own field experience to continue to maintain forests which provide a wide array of diversity.

b. The Company's 380 woodland tracts, spread over four states, ranging from 20 to 3,300 acres, contribute substantially to enhancing landscape diversity. Our sustainable forest management will ensure this contribution continues.

Objective 8. Continue to improve forest utilization to help ensure the most efficient use of forest resources.

Performance Plan:

a. The Company will manage its forest harvesting and processing operations to achieve the maximum utilization of trees harvested, within reasonable economic and efficiency limitations.

Objective 9. Continue the prudent use of forest chemicals to improve forest health and growth while protecting employees, neighbors, the public, and sensitive areas, including streamcourses and adjacent lands.

Performance Plan:

a. The Company will meet or exceed all applicable label requirements, laws, and regulations concerning the use of fertilizers, herbicides and other forest chemicals needed to establish plantations, increase growth, and to protect forest health.

II. PROCUREMENT OF WOOD AND FIBER FROM LOGGERS AND OTHER LANDOWNERS

Objective 10. Broaden the practice of sustainable forestry by further involving non-industrial landowners, loggers, consulting foresters and Company employees who are active in wood procurement and landowner assistance programs.

Performance Plan:

a. The Company will continue to promote the use of Forestry Best Management Practices by loggers and landowners who provide wood for the Company and will encourage landowners to reforest following harvest. The Company will provide landowners with information on the environmental and economic advantages of these practices.

b. The Company will work closely with state forestry associations and others to further improve the professionalism of loggers by promoting training and education with a goal of having such programs underway at each state level by January 1, 1996.

The logger training and education curriculum will include the following:

1. Professional Business Management for Logging Contractors

 

2. Environmental Considerations for Sustainable Forest Management

 

3. Timber Harvesting and Transportation Safety

 

4. Emergency Medical Response and First Aid

 

The Company's commitment to logger training and education will take several forms.

1. A leadership role by staff in state organizations established to implement logger training and education.

 

2. Encourage loggers who serve the Company to take available training.

 

3. Assist with co-sponsorship of specific training events.

 

4. Provide funds to assist in the cost of training for individual contractors who serve the Company.

c. The Company will, to the best of its ability, collect the information requested by AF&PA concerning loggers and landowners including the following:

1. The number of landowners supplying wood who receive information about forest regeneration.

 

2 The number of these landowners who made an informed decision to apply Best Management Practices and regenerate their forestlands.

 

3. The number of loggers who cut or supply wood who have completed training and education programs.

 

4. The percentage of roundwood and roundwood chips delivered to the Company by loggers who have completed logger training and educational programs.

d. Sustainable Forestry Principles, and the Company's commitment to them, will continue to be communicated throughout all levels of the Company, and to suppliers, landowners, customers, stockholders of the P. H. Glatfelter Company, and the general public.

e. The Company will support and promote efforts to educate and assist non-industrial landowners and to encourage them to apply principles of sustainable forest management. This will be accomplished through support of the State Extension Service, Stewardship Committees, American Tree Farm System, and other interested parties.

f. The Company will implement strategies to ensure that mill inventories and procurement practices do not compromise its adherence to the Principles of Sustainable Forestry. These strategies will include the following:

1. An adequate inventory of wood and chips will be maintained in order to meet expected operating rates and cope with historic winter/spring weather patterns.

 

2. Areas of suitable Company stumpage will be reserved as emergency logging sites to sustain the production of wood during periods of low mill inventories and adverse weather or soil conditions.

 

3. The Company will not knowingly purchase wood from suppliers who habitually violate best management practices, and refuse assistance to come into compliance.

Our goal is uniform and consistent behavior on the part of employees and suppliers so as not to place ourselves in a position which could lead to compromising the Principles of Sustainable Forestry.

III. PUBLIC REPORTING AND INVOLVEMENT IN THE PRACTICE OF SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY

Objective 11. Publicly report AF&PA members' progress in fulfilling their commitment to sustainable forestry.

Performance Plan:

a. The Company will annually report to AF&PA its compliance with the Sustainable Forestry Principles and Implementation Guidelines, using the prescribed forms.

Objective 12. Provide opportunities for the public and the forestry community to participate in the AF&PA membership's commitment to sustainable forestry.

Performance Plan:

a. The Company will continue to support, promote, and participate in appropriate mechanisms for public education related to forest management in its operating area.

b. The Company will work with its respective state forestry associations to monitor the effectiveness of Forestry Best Management Practices.

IV. PUBLIC POLICY GOALS FOR SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY ON ALL PRIVATE AND PUBLIC LAND IN THE UNITED STATES

a. Increase Forest Growth, Quality, Diversity and Productivity by Practicing Sustainable Forestry. AF&PA members will support a national goal of sustainable forestry which seeks to increase growth and timber quality of all forests, so that the volume and quality of domestic timber resources available is adequate to meet public needs now and in the future. To accomplish this goal, AF&PA members will continue to:

1. increase the productivity of the forests they own and manage;

 

2. encourage the establishment of forests on marginal agricultural lands that could more profitably be managed for forestry;

 

3. work with the Forest Service and state agencies to strengthen growth, productivity, and timber quality monitoring programs;

 

4. and support federal, state, and local programs and policies that encourage retention and expansion of the productive forestland base and promote long-term forestry investment.

b. Help to Implement Appropriate Ecosystem Management on Federal Lands. AF&PA members will work with Congress and public agencies to appropriately define and implement active ecosystem management on all National Forest System and Bureau of Land Management lands. This will improve the consistency of land management decision-making and help to accomplish land management goals. To be effective, this effort must include improved accountability for meeting goals. Priority attention should be given to public lands with forest health problems.

c. Reduce the Risk and Occurrence of Wildfires. AF&PA members will support forest fire protection programs to minimize losses from wildfire. AF&PA members will use on their lands and promote on all other lands, appropriate methods, including prescribed fire, to reduce forest fuels, improve regeneration success and wildlife habitat, and minimize the potential for catastrophic wildfire. When prescribed fire is used, sound smoke management guidelines and regulations will be followed.

d. Promote and Utilize Integrated Pest Management. AF&PA members will use on their lands, and promote on all other lands, the principles of integrated pest management in the selection and implementation of pest control programs, including the selective and safe use of pesticides.

e. Encourage Forest Health and Productivity Research. AF&PA members will support research to minimize wildfire, pests, diseases, and other damaging agents affecting U. S. forests. AF&PA members will encourage research and will monitor the work of other scientists studying the potential impact of climate change, atmospheric pollution, and the cumulative effects on forest health and productivity.

f. Encourage Continuing Education. AF&PA members will support continuing professional education in state-of-the-art techniques to integrate the management of all forest resources. AF&PA members will inform all employees involved in forest management of their Company's plans, policies, and programs to implement the AF&PA Sustainable Forestry Principles and Implementation Guidelines.

g. Recognize Excellence. AF&PA members will recognize and promote excellence to improve environmental performance by those engaged in forestry operations.

h. Protect the Ability of All Private Landowners to Manage their Forestland in a Sustainable Manner. AF&PA members will work with Congress, state legislatures, and federal, state, and local agencies to ensure that laws, regulations, tax structures, and policies promote, rather than compromise, the ability of private landowners to sustainably manage their forestland.

Performance Plan:

2001 The P.H. Glatfelter Company