Northland forests secure sustainability certification

Craigmore Sustainables has underlined its commitment to sustainable forestry management with the certification of its Northland forestry estate.

PF Olsen, New Zealand’s largest forestry provider, has received Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certification for ten of the Craigmore forests under its management. Further forests are planned for certification in the near future.

FSC certification is a robust process which sets the standard for forest managers on responsible forest management and reporting. It allows them to demonstrate that forests are being managed sustainability in line with environmental, social and economic standards.

Craigmore’s Forestry General Manager John Barker says certification by the FSC reinforces the commitment of both Craigmore and PF Olsen to sustainable forestry.

“We’re committed to working with leaders in the forestry sector and receiving this certification gives confidence to our business and investors that we are living up to our sustainability principles. PF Olsen is well-aligned with our principles surrounding forest management, the greater environment and local communities and we are pleased that they have been able secure this external validation of the high standards we operate by.

“The standards set and maintained by this certification demonstrates that we are growing healthy and resilient forests. As a globally recognised mark of trust, it helps to protect and strengthen our reputation and provides us with access to markets where customers are seeking FSC certified timber.”

PF Olsen’s Environmental Manager Heather Arnold welcomed the move by Craigmore to seek FSC certification for the forests.

“The commitment to achieving and maintaining FSC certification is no mean feat. A new FSC Standard for New Zealand has just been embedded, and the bar is now set significantly higher than the previous national standard.”

Craigmore, along with other members of PF Olsen’s FSC Group Scheme, are seeing the value of independent certification, she says.

“Compared to typical forestry in New Zealand, FSC forest management emphasises engagement with neighbours, iwi and local communities, fosters ecological management by maintaining and enhancing ecological values of the forest, and reduces the negative effects soil erosion and chemical usage.

“PF Olsen is proud to have maintained and grown its FSC Group Scheme and we look forward to working with Craigmore on further certifications to expand sustainable forestry in Northland.”

Logan Negus, Regional Manager for PF Olsen Northland, says Craigmore Sustainables has gone above and beyond industry best practice to achieve FSC certification for its forests.

“It’s of huge importance to domestic processing plants in Northland to be able to source sustainable supplies of FSC logs for their individual supply chains that ultimately finish with end users in Asia, Australia, Europe and the US. The certification gives these end users the confidence that all aspects of the supply chain comply to the highest environmental and social best practices.”

Visit Forest Stewardship Council for more information on FSC in Aotearoa New Zealand or PF Olsen.

Learn more about Craigmore’s forestry business.