Recognized for Promoting Sustainable Forest Management for Landowners 

Washington, D.C. – The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) recognized Domtar with the 2019 AF&PA Leadership in Sustainability Award for Sustainable Forest Management for their Promoting Sustainable Forest Management for Landowners project. This is the second consecutive year AF&PA has honored Domtar for theirsustainability advancements. The award was presented at AF&PA’s annual meeting on Friday, Nov. 8 in Bluffton, South Carolina.

“By bridging the gap between customer demand for certified fiber and limited forest certification in the U.S. South, Domtar is demonstrating leadership and resolve,” said AF&PA President and CEO Heidi Brock.

Through their project, Domtar addresses certification challenges for small landowners in their southern U.S. wood procurement region, ensuring a greater supply of certified fiber to their pulp and paper mills to meet growing customer demand. As a founder and supporter of the Appalachian Woodlands Alliance, the company engages hundreds of small landowners in Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia in responsible management of their woodlands. Domtar also helped 220 landowners across Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas achieve certification for 628,000 acres of woodland through the Four States Timberland Owners Association. 

“We are proud to invest in certification programs and associations to help landowners and meet the needs of our customers,” said Domtar President and CEO John Williams. “Thank you to AF&PA for recognizing our efforts to increase and improve responsible fiber sourcing.”

The 2019 AF&PA Sustainability Award winners were selected by a judging panel of sustainability experts from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy; the College of Natural Resources at North Carolina State University; GreenBlue; Quad Packaging; Two Sides; and the U.S. Department of Energy.

AF&PA’s annual awards are designed to recognize exemplary sustainability programs and initiatives in the paper and wood products manufacturing industry and are given based on the merit of entries received across multiple categories.

Projects that support progress toward the Better Practices, Better Planet 2020 sustainability goals qualify for recognition in the “Leadership” category, which has five subcategories that correspond to the goals: Energy Efficiency/Greenhouse Gas Reduction, Paper Recovery for Recycling, Safety, Sustainable Forest Management and Water. The “Innovation in Sustainability” award is reserved for projects that merit recognition for their contribution to sustainable business practices, not one of the goals specifically.

AF&PA’s 2018 Sustainability Report showed that the U.S. pulp, paper, packaging, tissue and wood products manufacturing industry has made significant, measurable progress toward achieving its Better Practices, BetterPlanet 2020 sustainability goals. For more information, visit afandpa.org/sustainability.

Tom Howard