Their biodiversity – the variety of interconnected life forms from tiny bacteria to huge trees and animals – is key to building resilience against environmental challenges and helps ensure long-term survival. Learn about how we manage conservation and biodiversity across our forestland portfolios.
Want to read about the other two pillars of our responsible forest management approach? Learn about community engagement, and regeneration, reforestation and afforestation.
All forestland is managed to at least the FSC excellence standard. Beyond that, over 10% – spanning more than 5,000 hectares – is fully protected from human intervention, in line with the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. Most of this area has been voluntarily excluded from commercial activities, reflecting our strong commitment to sustainability.
We are exceeding regulatory requirements by creating riparian1 setbacks, in many cases at least five times what is required by law. Over 27% of this is being reforested with native species like manuka, totara and beech supporting biodiversity and allowing nature to reclaim its space. 1Riparian: wetlands adjacent to rivers and streams.
We have a system to identify and preserve High Conservation Value Forest on every harvesting site, with over 2,300 hectares identified. We also have 500 hectares set aside (100 hectares more than is required by FSC) as representative sample areas to present and preserve each forest site type.
We suspend activities on more than 20% of our properties between April and July each year, specifically timed to coincide with the critical bird nesting seasons.
We actively protect species of concern on our properties, like the gopher tortoise in Georgia, which supports 300 other species. Habitat conservation efforts include prescribed burning to maintain open, sandy areas and promote native vegetation essential to their diet.
30% of our US forest area (22,000 hectares) is included in the Conservation Area Network1 with 4,000 hectares of this also designated as High Conservation Value Forest.
1Conservation Area Network: a system of protected areas designated for the conservation of natural resources and biodiversity.
As part of our High Conservation Value Forest identification process, our foresters undertaking an evaluation based on defined values, and if a threshold is reached, a biotope specialist1 is engaged, and the area is set aside.
1Biotope: distinct ecological areas or habitats that support specific plant and animal communities.
Nearly 27% of our Romanian portfolio and 13% of our Lithuanian portfolio are Natura 2000 sites, where we collaborate with the National Agency for Protected Areas to protect species and habitats of conservation importance. Our forest management plans reflect these goals. In Lithuania, we also protect EU-listed habitats that are in our forests but fall outside these designated areas.
We always check the sites before any harvesting begins, with innovative digital tools like drones and satellite imagery enhancing our ability to track and protect sensitive ecosystems in real time.
We’ve partnered with the Whakatane Kiwi Project to explore how forestry practices can help conserve the kiwi. Our involvement includes kiwi spotting, tracking, and monitoring, all carried out before any forestry work begins.
We have also joined a three-year intensive pest control program, jointly funded with Whakatane Kiwi Trust, to contribute to kiwi survival and other biodiversity outcomes.
FSC certification ensures no net forest loss, but we want to set higher standards for responsible forestry by aiming to pilot an approach that emphasises minimal intervention and natural regeneration.
We work to protect waterways and enhance water quality by clearing rubbish debris from old farm sites, planting permanent tree species on erosion-prone areas, and designing harvest plans to prevent debris from entering waterways in the future.
Rapid economic growth near our coastal Georgia property shows the need to conserve natural resources in sensitive areas. Our Bryan County forestland is crucial to protect against this changing landscape and is also an officially recognised encroachment buffer for the Fort Stewart military reservation.
By dedicating portions of our forestland to conservation and going beyond certification standards, we are committed to protecting and enhancing forest ecosystems. Through innovation and collaboration, we aim to set new standards for responsible forest management, ensuring forests not only survive but thrive.
Want to read about the other two pillars of our responsible forest management approach? Learn about community engagement, and regeneration, reforestation and afforestation.
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