ATFS Group Certification Program Welcomes KapStone Forest Management (KFM) Landowner Assistance Program
01 Julio 2009 - 11:35AM
PR Newswire (US)
WASHINGTON, July 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The American Tree Farm
System (ATFS) announced that the KapStone Forest Management (KFM)
Program's group organization successfully completed an independent
third-party assessment seeking ATFS Group Certification. NSF, an
ANAB-accredited assessment firm, judged conformance to the American
Forest Foundation's 2004-2009 Standards of Sustainability and the
Standard Operating Procedures for Group Organizations Group
Managers and Group Members (SOP-01). At the time of the
certification assessment, KapStone's group organization included
364 group members and 193,461 acres. The KapStone Forest Management
(KFM) Program was created in July of 2008 when KapStone Paper and
Packaging Corporation (NASDAQ:KPPC) purchased the Charleston Kraft
Business from MeadWestvaco Corporation. The landowner assistance
program, started at the Charleston location by MeadWestvaco over 50
years ago, has an award winning history of providing forest
management services and assistance to landowners. The ATFS group
certification recognizes nonindustrial private forest landowners
who are managing their forest land in a manner that promotes
continued and sustained use. Joining landowners committed to long
term sustainable forest management into groups allows access to
third-party certification in an affordable and efficient way.
Individual landowners within the group (group members) voluntarily
agree to manage their forests according to the American Forest
Foundation's Standards of Sustainability. Fiber harvested from ATFS
Group certified land is recognized by the Sustainable Forest
Initiative(R) (SFI(R)) and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest
Certification (PEFC(TM)) systems as coming from well managed
forests. KapStone has sought a way to increase the quantity of
certified fiber in its portfolio. "Participation in the ATFS Group
Certification program is a method to achieve this," said Gary
Hermann, Group Manager, KapStone Forest Management program. "Paper
and lumber customers are increasingly requesting products
containing fiber from certified fiber sources. Timber harvested
from landowners participating in the ATFS Group Certification
Program helps KapStone meet the demand for certified fiber
content." "Group certification gives us another tool to help ATFS
accomplish its mission of getting more good forestry on more
acres," said Bob Simpson, Senior VP Forestry, American Forest
Foundation. "With group certification we now have a means to
outreach to larger numbers of forest owners, certify their forest
management, and continue to feed them timely and current
information regarding sustainable forestry practices." About the
American Tree Farm System (ATFS) ATFS promotes the sustainable
management of forests through education and outreach to private
landowners. Founded in 1941, ATFS covers 24 million acres of family
owned forestland and has 91,000 certified Tree Farmer members who
are committed to excellence in forest stewardship. Tree Farmers
manage their forestlands for wood, water, wildlife, and recreation
with assistance from over 4,000 volunteer foresters. ATFS is a
program of the American Forest Foundation, a nonprofit organization
that works for healthy forests, quality environmental education and
to help people make informed decisions about our communities and
our world. About KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation
Headquartered in Northbrook, Ill., KapStone Paper and Packaging
Corporation is a leading North American producer of unbleached
Kraft paper products and linerboard. The Company is the parent
company of KapStone Kraft Paper Corporation, which includes paper
mills in Roanoke Rapids, N.C., and North Charleston, S.C., a lumber
mill in Summerville, S.C., and five chip mills (includes one
contract chip mill) in South Carolina. The business employs
approximately 1,550 people. For more information please contact
Brigitte Johnson, APR, Director of Communications, 202.463.5163,
Email or visit ATFS at http://www.treefarmsystem.org/ For more
information on KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation, please
visit their website at http://www.kapstonepaper.com/ DATASOURCE:
KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation CONTACT: Brigitte Johnson,
APR, Director of Communications, +1-202-463-5163, for KapStone
Paper and Packaging Corporation; or Larry Cobb, Public Affairs
& Communications Manager of KapStone Charleston Kraft LLC,
+1-843-745-3025 Web Site: http://www.treefarmsystem.org/
http://www.kapstonepaper.com/
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