Like a smart long-term investment, proper forest management is about protecting the balance and withdrawing only the interest. The forest is the balance and forest growth each year is the interest. After accounting for natural disturbances (like wildfires), we harvest the remainder of the available annual growth.
Our company has a long and proud history of environmental conservation, preservation, and responsibility. To date, we have deferred or relinquished harvesting rights on over half a million hectares (1.24 million acres). That’s almost 100 times the size of Manhattan. West Fraser doesn’t own or manage any forestland in Ontario, the United States, or Europe, where the fibre for our mills is sourced from third-party certified sources where available.
Where we manage forestland, our operations are subject to regulation by federal, provincial, state, and local environmental authorities. It includes industry-specific environmental regulations relating to air emissions and pollutants, wastewater (effluent) discharges, solid waste, landfill operations, forestry practices, site remediation, and the protection of endangered species and critical habitat.
West Fraser Sustainable Forest and Wood Procurement Policy
West Fraser views forests, ecosystems, biodiversity and local communities as crucial for the wood products industry. Being aware that climate change and poor forest practices endanger the future of our forests and natural ecosystems, we commit to follow sustainable forest and climate-smart practices, adapting as we learn more about best approaches, all while responsibly balancing the need for timber with the health of the forests and the life they support.
Deforestation, conversion and forest degradation directly jeopardize the long-term sustainability of our business which is reliant on the renewability of a natural resource. This leads to our commitment to tracking and improving how we manage these challenges across our supply chain, aiming for transparency. We support initiatives that counter forest degradation and ensure our forests stay resilient over the long term, using methods that mimic natural disturbances and minimize the impact of climate-related disruptions.
View the West Fraser Sustainable Forest and Wood Procurement Policy here.
Read more about our sustainable forest management planning and reforestation of the lands we harvest.