Wildlife & Biodiversity

Sustainable and responsible forest stewardship is much more than trees: West Fraser’s approach manages for biodiverse and vibrant ecosystems

Awarded for Innovation and conservation leadership
Biodiversity Collaborations: Member of the Wetland Stewardship Initiative and a conservation partner for the Reconnecting Canada program

Within the Company’s managed forests, we consider a whole range of biodiversity "forest values". These values include wildlife, fish, plants, water, visual qualities (like scenery and special places in the forest), wilderness recreation, forest vitality, hunting or trapping, and the effects of other industrial uses.

Our forestry approach is called ecosystem-based forest management, and it incorporates and it incorporates the mitigation, restoration and renewal of habitats and protection of sensitive sites. Examples of this work include:

managing for plants significant to Indigenous communities
owl population surveys,
improving fish habitat in recreational trails and near forestry roads,
and investigating changes to harvest planning to improve grizzly bear habitat.

Our environmental management approach recognizes the full array of interactions within an ecosystem, including humans, rather than considering single issues, species, or ecosystem services in isolation.

This is what responsible stewardship is about, balancing all the values for natural forest environments and developing comprehensive plans to address them. West Fraser’s natural resource professionals work closely together to conduct environmental assessments and plans to manage for many attributes of a healthy forest. We implement these plans through forestry operations. We monitor and report on this activity, while looking for ways to continually improve our approach.

Where we manage forestland in Western Canada, our operations are subject to federal, provincial, and local environmental regulations, including industry-specific environmental regulations relating to reforestation, reclamation, and the protection of endangered species and their habitat. Our forest practices also meet or exceed voluntary, independent and audited certifications.

Biodiversity & Wildlife Objectives
Strategic Intent	Highlights on Progress
Outline and share the sustainable management practices that address habitat and biological diversity objectives embedded in adaptive management plans	West Fraser practices climate-smart, ecosystem-based forestry. Our forest management planning incorporates biodiversity objectives in short, medium, and long-term management planning. Responsible stewardship balances all the values for natural forest environments and develops comprehensive plans to address them. Our plans incorporate mitigation, restoration, and protection of forest features to support connectivity. That includes retaining stands of trees, stream sides and wetland areas to maintain long-term ecological diversity and meet defined management objectives. Ecosystem management as a forestry approach models harvesting according to natural disturbance patterns and works towards a healthy ecosystem and habitat for all species, with added fine-tune strategies employed when needed for individual species with conservation concerns.
Fund and participate in research to advance science-based, sustainable forest management knowledge and practice	This year, West Fraser and the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) were awarded recognition for innovative conservation leadership by defining objective recognition for effective conservation measures in West Fraser’s working forest areas. Real-world case studies provided the evidence to demonstrate conservation values can be fully consistent with sustainable forest management while increasing protected and conserved areas. We fund and actively support innovative research to support species recovery efforts and are particularly active supporter and participant in fRI Research. fRI develops evidence-based knowledge and land management tools based on peer-reviewed science. One recent example is how West Fraser has leveraged two decades of fRI research from the grizzly bear program in timber tenure areas, the result is increasing bear populations where we operate. We are also a member of the award-winning Forest Management Wetlands Stewardship Initiative working with Ducks Unlimited Canada and other industry partners to create shared resources that provide guiding principles and best management practices to conserve wetlands and waterfowl in forest management planning and operations.
Identify indicators that inform ongoing adaptation of management approaches to forest ecosystems, including carbon stocks, water systems, forest health and resiliency	We conduct assessments to address the conservation of biodiversity at both the local and landscape level. West Fraser has deferred lands to support the habitats of species at risk. When species occur on our landscapes, we address their needs with tailored management, working with stakeholders and the government to inform our best practices. There are three lenses through which we implement adaptive management approaches for biodiversity. First are the core forest management practices that are inherently beneficial for wildlife and biodiversity. The next layers are enhanced practices designed to support wildlife and biodiversity and the incorporation of additional programs and projects to support wildlife. Under the updated 2022 SFI Fibre Sourcing guidelines, fibre sourced under the SFI Fibre Sourcing guidelines requires the protection of Forests with Exceptional Conservation Value (FECV), which are defined as forest areas harbouring species and ecological communities that are imperiled or critically imperiled.

How West Fraser actively manages for habitats and biodiversity

West Fraser manages many different types of forestry licenses in Canada, including volume and area-based tenures. We invest in forest management and silviculture practices to renew and support sustainable, responsible, and long-term working forest operations. Ecological landscape-level plans and biodiversity assessments help to identify and inform harvesting approaches that mitigate issues of concern. For example, harvesting during certain seasonal periods can reduce disturbance and mitigate impacts on the highly diverse soil communities of microbes, bacteria, fungi, plants, and bryophytes.

To maintain forest habitats within the natural range of variation produced by mother nature, anAn ecosystem-based management (EBM) approach uses practices intended to approximate landscape-level natural disturbance rates and patterns, like historical wildfire sequences, to maintain forest habitats within the natural range of variation. It means we aim to harvest and regrow forest cover that supplies natural forest habitats in amounts and patterns similar to what would result from a natural disturbance pattern on the landscape, whether through forest fires or pest outbreaks.

A second major approach is to take additional steps to help recover species at risk. While our “coarse filter”, ecosystem management works towards a healthy ecosystem and habitat for all species, finer-tuned strategies are deployed where needed for individual species with conservation concerns. West Fraser has deferred harvest on lands to support the habitats of species at risk. We fund and actively support innovative research to support species recovery efforts. When species occur on our landscapes, we address their needs with tailored management, working with stakeholders and the government to inform our best practices. Continually improving our forestry practices is a key component of our sustainability. An example of this is a collaboration of foresters and biologists on a research project to learn the effect of changing the order of planning steps to put grizzly bears first or supporting research that will help define the best cut block designs for caribou.

We write about West Fraser’s work in our blog, In the Loop, and Stories of Responsibility on our website, and there you will find examples of how we address the protection of caribou and grizzlies and other species of concern around our operating areas.
We are proud to support science-based approaches to improve our forest practices:
We support research at the fRI Research Healthy Landscape Program, which operates a "Lessons From Nature" site and the newly launched “Ecosystem-Based Management in the Boreal Forest” to educate people about the Healthy Landscapes approach for improving forest management.
In collaboration with Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) and other partners, West Fraser is a member of the award-winning Forest Management Wetland Stewardship Initiative (FMWSI). It is a visionary project to share knowledge and resources to advance sustainable forest management and wetland stewardship in the working forests of Canada’s boreal.
We invest in multi-decade research to support wildlife in working forest landscapes such as:
Awarded for Innovation in Conservation Leadership, in collaboration with the Nature Conservancy of Canada
Harvest Planning: Putting Grizzly Bears First
Protecting bats in Hinton, Alberta
Designing Cut blocks for Caribou
Growing Lichen for Caribou in the Working Forest
Sundre's Water Work: Connecting waterways
Improving fish habitats in Alberta
Indigenous Plants Study in Alberta
More Grizzly Bears: Alberta Sees Results
Fly by Night—Surveying Owls in Alberta’s FMAs
Harlequin Duck Migration & Connectivity Project
$1 million pledge to the Alberta Regional Caribou Knowledge Network

304-1 Operational sites owned, leased, managed in, or adjacent to, protected areas and areas of high biodiversity value outside protected areas

West Fraser’s forest management activity is assessed as low risk to eco-regionally significant, high conservation value (“HCV”) areas under both the FSC Controlled Wood and PEFC Chain of Custody certification schemes.

Conservation areas, protected parks, and resource exclusion zones in Canada do not allow harvesting activity. In addition to these specifically protected areas, other designations support conservation objectives. Conserved areas might include buffer zones, retained trees, wetlands, and set-asides for important ecological features.

British Columbia has a largely volume-based tenure system, with designations that contribute to conservation on approximately 50% of the land base. 28% is protected parks or resource exclusion zones that do not allow harvesting activity and are therefore not a part of the timber harvesting landbase. The remainder is referred to as “Spatially Managed Areas” in sustainable harvesting plans. These include buffer zones, set-asides or other important ecological features including retained tree patches, riparian areas, mineral licks, and special wildlife habitats.

Alberta has a different harvest licensing regime than B.C. It’s predominantly an area-based tenure system with required values set out in public land use zones. Provincially recognized protected areas are not part of area-based tenures. On average, about a third of West Fraser’s managed areas are retained in tree patches, riparian areas, mineral licks, special wildlife habitats, and other areas outside the forest area available for harvest.

304-2 Significant impacts of activities, products, and services on biodiversity

No deforestation: West Fraser does not convert natural forest to non-native tree plantations. We manage all of our harvest sites so they return to natural, diverse forest cover.
Harvest practices are designed to mimic natural disturbances occurring in forest ecosystems and benefit species at risk, such as woodland caribou.
West Fraser directly manages 8.2 million hectares of forests, less than 1% of this area was harvested in 2020

Canada has about one-tenth of the world’s forests and about 40% of the world’s boreal forests. The circumpolar boreal forest is the world’s most extensive biome: a large, naturally occurring community of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat. Naturally, this ecosystem provides important habitat for many of the world’s animals, plants, fungi, insects, and single-celled organisms that are fundamental to our planet’s biodiversity.

Thoughtfully managed forests can contribute to supporting ecosystem resilience to disturbance impacts. West Fraser’s sustainable forest management practices aim to protect and maintain boreal forest biodiversity. It’s a philosophy that seeks to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

The natural world’s ability to sustain its life forms, its ability to transform or regenerate itself, and its ability to be resilient is vital. Climate change brings challenges and opportunities for forest management, and changing patterns of temperature, wind, precipitation. These effects have implications for forest health, resiliency, balancing of competing for land use priorities. These factors also have impacts on our operational environment and wildlife habitat. The IPCC has recognized that sustainable management approaches can generate positive effects for forests in a world affected by climate change, including additional growth and more diverse age class distribution on the land base.

Here is how West Fraser approaches forest management to support wildlife and biodiversity success:

Core Practices

Enhanced Practices

Additional Programs

Core forest management practices that are inherently beneficial for wildlife and biodiversity

Enhanced practices designed to support wildlife and biodiversity

Additional programs and projects to support wildlife and biodiversity

Such as:

Collaborative landscape planning with other industries to address cumulative effects
- Long Term Access Plans
- Foothills Stream Crossing Partnership
Seasonal restrictions of harvesting to reduce impact (learn about Winter harvesting)
Favouring harvesting activity to the control or salvage of insect-damaged timber
Applying the principles of ecosystem-based management (EBM) to manage for a forest that meets wildlife needs
- Use of natural range of variation (NRV) in harvest planning
Voluntary protection of important habitat
Survey and record locations of bird nests to protect and buffer from harvesting activity
Voluntary protection of important habitat
Identification of areas of use through habitat assessments, surveys and monitoring, like our owl program
Fostering forest resilience by favouring harvesting activity to the control or salvage of insect-damaged timber

Including:

Designing retention plans and cut blocks for species’ needs, such as cut blocks designed for caribou or support grizzly populations
Participation in scientific research
Access controls, road deactivation and restoration of seismic lines ,and linear features to regenerate more continuous forest (338km of linear features in reforested since 2008)
Forestry road planning, including restoring fish passage where past poor practice has blocked it. In Sundre, 30 kilometers of fish habitat has been improved
Annual training of foresters around the recognition of species at risk
Identification of areas of caribou use through habitat assessments and collar monitoring
Extensive migratory bird protection, risk assessment, and mitigation strategies

We support and participate by:

Funding and participation in scientific research to fill knowledge gaps:
- Alberta Regional Caribou Knowledge Network.
- fRI’s caribou research, grizzly bear and Healthy Landscapes programs
Forest Management Wetland Stewardship Initiative (FMWSI) with Ducks Unlimited Canada
Partner in Trout Unlimited’s Reconnecting Canada Conservation program
Collaborative industry activity: BC, Alberta, and nation-wide.
Monitoring projects for species of concern and locally important species, including Pinto Goat, Harlequin Duck, Trumpeter Swan, and Barred Owl
Funding of a stream temperature modelling project that will assist with conservation planning for native salmonids, including the Athabasca Rainbow Trout and Bull Trout.
Collaborative industry projects in: BC, Alberta, and nation-wide.
Sightings of woodland caribou submitted to the “Caribou Patrol” an Indigenous-led stewardship program that promotes caribou conservation within AWN's traditional territory”

More about West Fraser’s ecosystem-based sustainable forest management
"More than 60 Years Growing Strong in Quesnel's Tree Farm" speaks about a tree farm license first harvested in the 1950's and how it is ready for second harvest, 60 years later.
Click here for more details about how we approach sustainable forest management planning, including environmental protection, biodiversity conservation, road and infrastructure de-activation, reforestation, wildlife habitats, recreation and public involvement.
Find current stories and updates in Stories of Responsibility and our blog, In The Loop.

What’s the difference? Disturbance vs. Deforestation (Canadian Government Resources)
Natural disturbances are not the same as deforestation. Deforestation occurs when forests are cleared and permanently converted to another use. Natural forces such as wildfires, insects, and disease are important for the health of forests where we operate. Learn about the differences and the why disturbance is important for Canada’s forests:
Deforestation in Canada: Key myths and facts, at .01%, Canada has one of the lowest rates of deforestation in the world
Facts about disturbances vs. deforestation
Why forests need fires, insects and diseases
Less than half of 1% of Canada’s managed forestlands is harvested in any year

304-3 Habitats protected or restored

We renew the forest we harvest for future generations. In some cases, we’ve sustainably managed forestlands continuously for more than 60+ years
99.4% of reforested areas meet forest establishment targets within five years of harvest
Harvest less than 1% of the total forest land managed

Vibrant forests provide many environmental benefits such as maintaining biodiversity, ecosystem resilience, water purification, carbon storage, and habitats for many species. It also includes ecotourism, cultural practices, economic opportunity, and other recreational opportunities.

West Fraser’s foresters and biologists work closely together to manage many other attributes of a healthy forest. Within the lands the Company manages, there is a whole range of what we refer to as “forest values." These values consider wildlife, fish, water, visual qualities (like scenery and special places in the forest), cultural and historical use, wilderness recreation, hunting or trapping, and the effects of other industrial uses.

We collaborate with many partners on the landscape in the areas where we operate – some examples are:

One of West Fraser’s many research collaborations has recently yielded critical information for grizzly bear conservation, which is designated as a threatened animal in Alberta. We model the landscapes to create high-quality habitats with reduced mortality risk through harvest planning by putting grizzly bears first. Recent research from fRI has shown that our efforts are making a difference, increasing grizzly bear populations in three of our operating areas.
West Fraser is an active member of the Forest Management Wetland Stewardship Initiative (FMWSI). In conjunction with Ducks Unlimited Canada, this program advances wetland stewardship in the boreal forest through sustainable forest management to enhance and conserve wetlands. The collaboration has created shared resources that provide guiding principles and best management practices to conserve wetlands and waterfowl in forest management planning and operations.
West Fraser’s biologist participated in the Harlequin Duck Migration and Connectivity Project, which tracked migratory patterns of the birds to inform the FMWSI resources.
We are a partner in Trout Unlimited’s Reconnecting Canada Conservation program. The Reconnecting Canada initiative aims to reconnect a million miles of aquatic habitats in the country. The connectivity of streams and river habitats are vital to fish, and so is the proper installation and maintenance of forest access road culverts and bridges crossing these waterways. We have a practice of restoring fish passage where past poor practice has blocked it. In the Sundre management area, West Fraser’s team has improved 30 kilometres of fish habitat within a multi-decade partnership with Trout Unlimited Canada. Read more examples of how we use innovative approaches to restore and protect places like fish habitats near forestry roads and how we collaborate to reclaim sites affected by other industrial activities in our operating areas.
In some cases, we sustainably manage community forests, like the Little Prairie community forest in B.C., which was badly affected by a mountain pine beetle attack. Learn more about how we approached renewing a community forest affected by the mountain pine beetle.
Over the last decade, West Fraser has reclaimed 338 kilometres of linear features in caribou habitat, replanting them to improve continuous forest cover. This is one of many projects to support the recovery of woodland caribou, including the recent investment of $1 million dollars towards multi-stakeholder Alberta Regional Caribou Knowledge Network.
West Fraser has a record for environmental conservation, preservation and responsibility. To date, we have deferred or relinquished harvesting rights on about half a million hectares (1.24 million acres). That’s an area almost 100 times the size of Manhattan. West Fraser voluntarily relinquished harvesting rights to the largest intact coastal temperate rainforest on earth: the Kitlope. Now known as the Kitlope Heritage Conservancy, you can access information on the park through BC Park's: Huchsduwachsdu Nuyem Jees / Kitlope Heritage Conservancy.

304-4 IUCN Red List species and national conservation list species with habitats in areas affected by operations

West Fraser’s forest management team considers many species within our forest management planning activities. We manage for all species and habitats over time and across the landscape. Known habitats and range information for all endangered, threatened, or vulnerable species and the local, regional, and national protection requirements are built into West Fraser’s digital geographic information system (GIS) and mapping systems. Adding this layered data to our operations planning helps to ensure wildlife habitats can be appropriately identified and addressed throughout the stages of forest management.

Many species are well-adapted to the landscape where they live, which is created and maintained by the natural patterns created by disturbance (see more detail about ecosystem-based forest management).

For those species with conservation concerns and unique requirements, we implement additional steps to contribute to their recovery. In several cases, West Fraser has deferred lands to support the habitats of species at risk. Our Company funds and actively supports innovative research to continually improve our forestry practices, including wildlife habitat conservation. Read examples of how West Fraser addresses the protection of caribou, grizzlies, and other species of concern on our website.

Our operational plans include approaches to address many habitats, including those related to rare plant and animal species of special concern in certain areas not represented in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN Red List).

The more reliant a species is on forested ecosystems, the more complex our management plans for conserving that species. Our team of natural resource management professionals creates strategies that allow us to address the species needs, threats, and recovery actions that we can control as the land manager.

Examples of our action
Harvest Planning: Putting Grizzly Bears First
Designing Cutblocks for Caribou
The Harlequin Duck Migration & Connectivity Project
Fly By Night—Surveying Owls in Alberta’s FMAs
West Fraser celebrates collaboration with the Wetland Stewardship Initiative

When a species is recognized by scientists as globally at risk of extinction, we increase our efforts accordingly to locate and protect them and to do our part to improve the conservation plans for those species. Protecting biodiversity is important for the world and likewise in forest management; without it ecosystem services that we rely on for healthy and resilient forests would not be possible, such as bats natural management of forests’ pests and bees pollinating plants. As a precautionary approach, we support the habitats for species that are also at risk of becoming endangered or threatened and for species that only use our forests for short periods of time, such as migratory birds stopping in on their way between arctic breeding grounds and southern wintering grounds (such as the Harlequin Duck project).

There is one critically endangered specie in West Fraser’s management areas, Suckley's cuckoo bumblebee, and two endangered species, the little brown bat and a tree, the whitebark pine. (West Fraser does not harvest this species of pine tree.)

Relevant SARA Categories by Taxon

	No Status	Special Concern	Under Consideration (Threatened)	Threatened	Endangered	Grand Total
Amphibian		2		1		3
Arthropod (Insects)			2		1	3
Bird		8		2	3	13
Fish		1		1	1	3
Mammal		3		1	4	8
Plant	2	2		4	2	10
Totals	2	16	2	9	11	40

Relevant ICUN Categories by Taxon

	Not Evaluated	Least Concern	Near Threatened	Vulnerable	Endangered	Critically Endangered	Grand Total
Amphibian		3					3
Arthropod (Insects)	1			1		1	3
Bird		8	2	3			13
Fish	2			1			3
Mammal		3	2	2	1		8
Plant	5	2		2	1		10
Totals	8	16	4	9	2	1	40

West Fraser’s Activities Supporting Woodland Caribou Recovery

A portion of West Fraser’s operating areas in Canada overlaps with some woodland caribou range. Woodland caribou are listed as Threatened under the federal Species at Risk Act and under provincial legislation in British Columbia and Alberta. West Fraser has been actively researching, responding, and proactively tackling the management of woodland caribou habitat in our operational areas for more than 30 years.

Our primary goal is to operate in a way that supports the continued health of herds that are stable or growing and to halt or reverse the declines other herds are experiencing.

Three primary approaches guide our action:

core forest management practices that are inherently beneficial for caribou,
enhanced practices designed to support caribou recovery and additional programs
and projects to support caribou recovery, such as the one million dollars we committed in 2019 for collaborative research with the Alberta Regional Caribou Knowledge Network.

External Forestry-Related Collaborations

Our Corporate association memberships include:

Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting sustainable forest management
Federal Forest Resource Coalition, a national non-profit trade association dedicated to improving the management of Federal Forests
Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC), Canada’s national forest sector association
fRI Research, a non-profit research organization providing innovative science to support decisions and policy development for land and resource management

Regional Forestry Association Memberships West Fraser holds include:

Environmental & Research Collaborations include:

SASB Disclosures

SASB CODE

TOPIC

Metric

Location or Response

CG-BF-430a.1

Wood Supply Chain Management

(1) Total weight of wood fiber materials purchased

(2) percentage from third-party certified forestlands

(3) percentage by standard

(4) percentage certified to other wood fiber standards

(5) percentage by standard

(1) Canada: ~13 million cubic metres

U.S.: ~12 million green tons per 2020 Annual Report, Fibre Consumption page 11

(2) Percentage of fibre from third-party certified forest lands:

Canada: 78.5%
United States: 31.4%

(3-5) Fibre sourcing/chain of custody certifications - whole log:

Canada

SFI Sustainable Forest Management: 78.5%
SFI Fiber Sourcing: 14%
FSC Controlled Wood: 6%
Other forest management certification: <1%

Residual fibre certifications:
(Canadian pulp, MDF fibre)

PEFC Chain of Custody: 100%
FSC Controlled Wood: 100%

United States

SFI Sustainable Forest Management: 31.4%
SFI Fiber Sourcing: 68.7%
Other forest management certification: <1%

Additional Relevant SASB disclosures: Forestry Management (Canada only)

SASB table below for forest lands sustainably managed in western Canada (British Columbia and Alberta) only. West Fraser does not manage forest lands in the United States.

SASB CODE	TOPIC	Metric	Location or Response
RR-FM-000.A	Area of forestland owned, leased, and/or managed by the entity	Hectares	West Fraser directly manages 8.2 million hectares (20.3 million acres) of forest in western Canada. Relevant to Canada only, West Fraser does not manage forest lands in the U.S.
RR-FM-000.B	Aggregate standing timber inventory		90% of forest lands in Canada are public (crown), aggregate standing timber inventory information is held by government. Relevant to Canada only, West Fraser does not manage forest lands in the U.S.
RR-FM-000.C	Timber harvest volume	Cubic metres	10.05 million cubic metres harvested from directly managed tenures Reporting relevant to Canada only
RR-FM-160a.1	Ecosystem Services & Impacts	Area of forestland certified to a third-party forest management standard; percentage certified to each standard	100% of the forest land West Fraser directly manages (8.2 million hectares) are Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) Forest Management Standard certified (certificate PRI-SFI-FM-010). More: Responsible Fibre Sourcing (Reporting relevant for Canada only)
RR-FM-160a.2	Ecosystem Services & Impacts	Area of forestland with protected conservation status	In Canada, conservation areas, protected parks, and resource exclusion zones do not allow harvesting activity. See: Wildlife and Biodiversity GRI 304-1 Operational sites owned, leased, managed in, or adjacent to, protected areas and areas of high biodiversity value outside protected areas Reporting relevant to Canada only
RR-FM-160a.3	Ecosystem Services & Impacts	Area of forestland in endangered species habitat	West Fraser’s forest management plans address a number of species within our forest management planning activities. More detail is provided under GRI 304-4 IUCN Red List species and national conservation list species with habitats in areas affected by operations in Wildlife, Habitat Management and Biodiversity. Reporting relevant to Canada only
RR-FM-160a.4	Ecosystem Services & Impacts	Description of approach to optimizing opportunities from ecosystem services provided by forestlands	Discussed throughout Forests & Timber and Ecosystem-based sustainable forestry. Reporting relevant to Canada only
RR-FM-210a.1 and RR-FM-210a.2	Rights of Indigenous Peoples	Area of forestland in indigenous land and Description of engagement processes and due diligence practices with respect to human rights, indigenous rights, and the local community	Forest operations in Canada take place within Indigenous Peoples’ ancestral lands and traditional territories. West Fraser respects Indigenous Peoples’ property, tenure, and use rights and supports the United Nations Declaration for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and free prior and informed consent (FPIC), which are explicitly part of the Company’s Indigenous Peoples’ Policy. Our audited, voluntary sustainable forest management certification standards recognize the principles outlined in UNDRIP and FPIC in our forest management activities. Consultation with communities is covered in Forest Management Planning & Consultation, in Ecosystem-based sustainable forestry See also: Indigenous Rights, Human Rights, and 2020 Annual Report, Aboriginal Matters, pages 13-14 Reporting relevant to Canada only
RR-FM-450a.1	Climate Change Adaptation	Description of strategy to manage opportunities for and risks to forest management and timber production presented by climate change	Discussed throughout Forests & Timber, Ecosystem-based sustainable forestry and Wildlife, Habitat Management and Biodiversity. Reporting relevant to Canada only

Additional Relevant SASB disclosures: Pulp and Paper Products (Canada only)

SASB CODE

TOPIC

Metric

Location or Response

RR-PP-430a.1

Supply Chain Management

Percentage of wood fibre sourced from (1) third-party certified forestlands and percentage to each standard and (2) meeting other fibre sourcing standards and percentage to each standard (by weight)

Specific to West Fraser’s Canadian pulp and MDF operations, certification of residual fibre:

PEFC Chain of Custody: 100%
FSC Controlled Wood: 100%

Canadian forest management certification of supply:

SFI Sustainable Forest Management: 78.5%
Other forest management certifications: <1%

Canadian Procurement

SFI Fibre Sourcing: 14%
FSC Controlled Wood: 6.0%

See: Responsible Timber Sourcing

Reporting relevant to Canada only

RR-PP-430a.2

Supply Chain Management

Amount of recycled and recovered fiber procured

West Fraser’s is a primary manufacturer, and extensively reuses the byproducts (residuals) of our primary manufacturing activities to make other wood and energy products.

The fibre necessary for West Fraser-managed pulp operations and MDF mills is largely recovered from West Fraser’s wood processing activities – 5.6 million cubic metres in 2020.

MDF products hold SCS Recycled Content certification affirming that our board contains greater than 85% pre-consumer recycled spruce and pine sawdust and shavings.

See: Fibre Utilization & Recovery

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Wildlife & Biodiversity

How West Fraser actively manages for habitats and biodiversity

We are proud to support science-based approaches to improve our forest practices:

Core Practices

Enhanced Practices

Additional Programs

More about West Fraser’s ecosystem-based sustainable forest management

What’s the difference? Disturbance vs. Deforestation (Canadian Government Resources)

Examples of our action

Relevant SARA Categories by Taxon

3

3

13

3

8

10

Totals

2

16

2

9

11

40

Relevant ICUN Categories by Taxon

Totals

West Fraser’s Activities Supporting Woodland Caribou Recovery