Sustainability > Forest Management

FOREST MANAGEMENT

At Stimson we operate working forests. That means we actively conserve forest ecosystem services through our commitment to carbon sequestration, water filtration, flood and fire control, and wildlife and plant habitats.
We intently care for these ecosystems through a 45-year lifecycle with the desire to produce wood products, replant and restart the cycle of nurturing the forest. Though continuous and overlapping, the forestry lifecycle can be viewed in six distinct phases.

1. PLAN THE FOREST
Foresters observe the land prior to harvest to identify sensitive resources and learn about the capability, limitations and challenges inherent to a given location.

2. PREPARE THE FOREST FOR PLANTING
Following harvest, remaining vegetation may impose an unnecessary limitation or risk to the health and productivity of the new forest. This vegetation may be cleared using one or more tools in a forester’s tool bag, including fire, machinery or herbicides.

3. PLANT THE FOREST
After considering the soils, climate, topography and biology of the site, a forester selects species native to the region and best suited for the land. The seedlings are then grown at a local nursery and hand planted.

4. PROTECT THE FOREST
In the first few years, trees are highly vulnerable to adverse weather, damage by animals, and crowding by competing plants. Foresters survey for these impacts and take action to reduce or repair the effects until the trees become well established.

5. EVALUATE FOREST HEALTH AND GROWTH
Periodic checks occur throughout the life of the forest. Removal of excess or inferior trees may be prescribed at certain intervals and fertilizers may be applied to some forests to enhance their productivity.

6. RENEWAL OF THE FOREST

Mature trees are harvested at 40 to 50 years of age. After a lifetime of care and consideration, a forest is locally converted to wood products that are sold to build homes in the Pacific Northwest and across the country.
 

We take pride in over a century of sustainable forestry management. Our commitment to the SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY INITIATIVE® program is ongoing. Our scientifically proven forestry practices are grounded in our vision of investing in the forest to benefit future generations.

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