SAVANNAH, Ga., Sept. 9-- For its innovative conservation efforts with threatened and endangered species, International Paper received the U.S. Department of the Interior's "2002 Conservation Service Award." The award is the highest honor the Department can bestow on private organizations, recognizing contributions toward the cause of conservation. IP was presented the award at the 61st Departmental Honor Awards Convocation in Washington, D.C., last week. "I am pleased to recognize private citizens and organizations who have contributed to the mission of the Fish and Wildlife Service," said U.S. Interior Secretary Gale Norton. "The success of our conservation work depends on the contributions of our partners. They exemplify what I call the Four C's -- communication, consultation and cooperation, all in the service of conservation." International Paper is an active participant in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Habitat Conservation Plan and Safe Harbor Agreement programs for species like the threatened Red Hills salamander and the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. IP protects more than 20 percent of the remaining Red Hills salamander habitat and established the first mitigation bank for red-cockaded woodpeckers on private forestland. The company also played a key part in efforts to restore longleaf pine habitat for the Louisiana pine snake. Additionally, International Paper helped develop a program with the USFWS to bring together interested professionals to focus on endangered species management on private forestlands, and company personnel help teach at the USFWS's National Conservation Training Center about the power of partnerships between government and private landowners. "International Paper is honored to receive this award. It's important to us to have a third-party, like the U.S. government, acknowledge that our company's forest resources managers take their conservation responsibilities seriously," said Dr. Sharon Haines, IP's manager of Sustainable Forestry and Forest Policy. "Our ground-breaking partnerships with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have made a real difference for species and their habitats. We have clearly demonstrated the value of conservation partnerships between government and private organizations." International Paper (http://www.internationalpaper.com) is the world's largest paper and forest products company. Businesses include paper, packaging, and forest products. As one of the largest private forest landowners in the world, the company manages its forests under the principlesof the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI(SM)) program, a system that ensures the continual planting, growing and harvesting of trees while protecting wildlife, plants, soil, air and water quality. Headquartered in the United States, at Stamford, Conn., International Paper has operations in nearly 50 countries and exports its products to more than 130 nations.