Baar (Switzerland), Darlington, PA (USA), June 2010 – Danzer Forestland has achieved Forest Council Stewardship (FSC) certification for almost 6,500 acres (2,630 hectares) of forests in Indiana, United States. Certification guarantees that the forest areas are managed according to the FSC’s strict social, economic and ecological standards. Danzer Forestland is a subsidiary of Danzer Group, the world’s largest producer of decorative veneer.

FSC certification of Danzer Forestland’s holdings was part of a group certification by the Indiana Classified Forest Program, which is administered by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. This program encompasses several private forest owners and defines standards of forestry management. Danzer Forestland has been taking part in the Indiana Classified Forest Program for seven years. With group certification now complete, all products from Danzer Forestland’s forests in Indiana can be labeled with the FSC seal.

“FSC certification demonstrates our commitment to sustainable forestry,” says Hans-Joachim Danzer, Danzer Group CEO. “As a conscientious timber-processing company, we support the principle of responsible forestry management.” Just last year, Danzer Group’s 2.9-million-acre (1.16-million-hectare) forest concession in the Republic of Congo received an FSC certificate.

FSC certification In Indiana was approved by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), an independent certification company, after an extensive audit. The audit is based on the FSC’s 10 principles and took into consideration the social, ecological and economic aspects of responsible forestry.

“SCS examined, for example, compliance with the laws, consideration of the rights of the population and workers, the effects on the environment and the Forest Management Plan set up by Danzer Forestland,” says Zane T. Brown, Danzer Forestland CEO. “Among other things, our Forest Management Plan contains extensive forest inventories of trees and fauna as well as measures to protect threatened and endangered species.”

Danzer Forestland’s 20 FSC-certified timber tracts are located in southwestern Indiana. The woodlands consist to a large extent of hardwood trees of the species white oak, red oak, yellow poplar, hickory, walnut, maple, ash, cherry and beech. The company harvests approximately 1 million board feet (2,360 cubic metres) of timber annually, primarily for the production of high-quality veneer as well as for lumber production.

About Danzer Forestland

Danzer Forestland focuses on the management and acquisition of timberland in northeastern United States. The company manages its own forests totaling 48,000 acres (20,000 hectares) in the states of New York, Pennsylvania and Indiana. Danzer Forestland practices sustainable and value-oriented forest management. While the focus of management is the production of high-quality logs, emphasis is placed on forest regeneration to provide for a sustained and long-term supply into the future.
www.danzerforestland.com

About Danzer Group

Danzer Group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of hardwood veneers and lumber. The group of companies has operations in Europe, North and South America, Africa and Asia. Danzer Group maintains its own forests and extensive forest concessions, operates five veneer factories and three sawmills as well as its own production facilities to manufacture the product lines Vinterio and Reholz (3d veneer). These facilities primarily process local timber at source to produce high-quality veneers and lumber. A total of 21 sales outlets worldwide take care of customer needs. Danzer Group employs a workforce of approximately 3,000 staff.
www.danzergroup.com