About UsPlum Creek

A legacy of Customer Focus and Environmental Responsibility

When author Laura Ingalls Wilder moved as a child with her family to Minnesota, she lived along a sparkling creek-- Plum Creek. That streamlet provided the name for a timber company that built its first lumber mill along the banks of the meandering Plum Creek. Since that time, Plum Creek has built a legacy of customer focus and environmental responsibility, producing some of the world's finest lumber, plywood and medium density fiberboard, while striving to protect environmental values and maximize the use of its forest resources.

Today, Plum Creek is the nation's sixth largest private forestland owner with operations in the Pacific Northwest and the South. With the timberlands and mill facilities in Washington, Idaho and Montana, Plum Creek became a separate entity from Burlington Resources in 1989. In 1996, they expanded their operations to the Southern Region by purchasing acreage in Louisiana and Arkansas. Their commitment to being the industry's premier forest products company is stronger than ever.

Leaders in Environmental Forestry

Plum Creek's diligence and hard work have achieved a national, award-winning reputation for excellence in protecting forest resources and wildlife. Their foresters and scientists follow a written code of environmental principles that balance timber harvest, water quality, air quality, soil productivity, wildlife needs and aesthetics.

Their science-based approach, called Environmental Forestry, focuses on which stands of trees to leave for future growth and to protect environmental values. Environmental Forestry maintains forest ecosystems and forest diversity while providing for the maximum utilization of every tree harvested. They use tools such as watershed analysis to mitigate impacts to water and fisheries resources on a site-specific basis. The productivity of the soil is protected by minimizing ground disturbance and by recycling harvest residue back into the forest. Plum Creek's forest management operations meet or exceed state and federal standards and voluntary guidelines.

In addition to their own Environmental Principles, Plum Creek is committed to the American Forest and Paper Association's Sustainable Forest Initiatives (SFI). SFI is a comprehensive system of principles, guidelines and performance measures designed to successfully integrate the growing and harvesting of trees with protection of wildlife, plants, soil, air and water quality.

Further, whether through natural regeneration or planting, Plum Creek ensures reforestation on all its lands. Each year, they plant approximately 15 million seedlings specifically grown to maximize growth and resist diseases. In early 1997, Plum Creek planted its 100 millionth seedling.

The application of Environmental Forestry ensures that environmental values are being protected on our lands. It is their commitment to the future growth, productivity, diversity and health of Plum Creek's forests.

Environmental Principles Manufacturing

Plum Creek practices stewardship that protects and enhances the environmental values of the forests while providing for economical timber growth and harvest. Plum Creek is responsive to public expectations for water and air quality and for wildlife and ecological diversity. Plum Creek practices forestry on sound scientific and economic principles, and is dedicated to the future growth, productivity, diversity and health of its forests.

Manufacturing activities are conducted according to the following environmental principles:

Environmental Management: Strive to be an industry leader in managing our facilities in an environmentally, socially and economically responsible manner that meets the needs our customers, employees, surrounding communities and owners.
Air, Water and Soil Quality: Meet, and when appropriate exceed, state and federal regulations to protect air, water and soil quality. Establish measurable standards and conduct regular internal and third-party audits to ensure that they meet or exceed their criteria.
Safe Workplace: Provide a safe and healthful work environment free of recognized hazards.
Wood Fiber Recovery: Identify economically viable means to enhance wood fiber recovery. Reduce, reuse or recycle wood fiber to generate minimal waste. Dispose of any waste generated in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.
Good Neighbor: Recognize and manage our impact in neighboring communities to ensure public health and safety by controlling noise, minimizing or preventing pollution and maintaining aesthetic values.
Minimize Use of Hazardous Materials: Minimize the use of hazardous materials in the manufacturing process where possible. Identify and substitute non-hazardous materials in processes where an economical and functional substitute exits.
Minimize Energy Consumption: Continually examine and adopt means to maximize energy efficiency and provide internally generated energy where economically feasible.
Research and Development: Learn, experiment, innovate and respond to changing scientific knowledge, public concerns and economic conditions to optimize both financial and environmental performance.

Environmental Principles Resources

As one of the largest private timberland owners in the United States, Plum Creek is committed to being the leader in environmentally responsible forest resources management. They believe the stewardship of forest resources is fundamental to economically prudent timber growth and harvest. Their forest management practices are based on sound scientific and economic principles and they abide by all legal and regulatory requirements.

All elements of Plum Creek's forest management activities, including site preparation, road building, harvesting and reforestation, are conducted according to the following principles:

Sustainable Forest Management: Manage our forests in a sustainable, socially responsible, economical manner. Work with others to foster the concepts of land stewardship and environmental responsibility.
Ecological and Structural Diversity: Enhance ecological and structural diversity where feasible and prudent by using a variety of silvicultural techniques and by retaining a diversity of vegetation and unique structural features.
Water Quality: Meet or exceed state and federal standards by employing Best Management Practices for the protection of water quality and aquatic resources, including the retention of buffers along streams, lakes and wetlands.
Air Quality: Protect air quality by burning only when prescribed burning is an appropriate silvilcultural technique for the improvement of forest conditions or aesthetics in visually sensitive areas or when required by law for hazard abatement.
Reforestation: Ensure future forest growth and sustainable productivity by reforesting all harvested areas in a timely manner consistent with ecological conditions -- within two years in the Cascades and Southern Regions, and five years in the Rocky Mountain Region.
Soil Conservation: Maintain soil and site productivity by minimizing soil disturbance and by recycling harvest residues for soil nutrient enhancement.
Fish and Wildlife Resources: Conserve fish and wildlife resources through judicious control of road access, timber harvest management and cooperation with state and federal fish and wildlife agencies.
Visual Quality: Recognize and manage for aesthetic value near communities and major travel corridors by using appropriate design standards and harvest methods.
Adjacent Land Management: Cooperate with adjacent landowners to address and minimize potential impacts of forest management activities.
Research and Development: Apply new scientific, social and economic information to improve silvilcultural practices and enhance environmental and financial performance.
Performance Audits: Conduct regular performance audits to ensure that environmental commitments have been met or exceeded through the application of these environmental principles.

Land Use Principles

Plum Creek's primary business is managing the forest resources on its ownership in a balanced, socially responsible and economical manner in accordance with its established Environmental Principles. In addition, certain of its lands have a higher value for their non-timber amenities for which Plum Creek promotes responsible Land Use Principles. These principles will maintain or improve those non-timber amenities while providing for economic stability and accommodating future population growth.

As a landowner and employer, Plum Creek recognizes the need for land use guidelines that promote and provide for clean water and air, aesthetic values, fish and wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities, which at the same time provide the ability to capture economic values.

Plum Creek's activities are conducted in accordance with the following Land Use Principles:

Support comprehensive land use planning as a means of establishing certainty and predictability in the land use process in order to protect community values while accommodating sensible development. Base planning decisions on an appropriate level of physical, environmental and economic analysis.
Balance implementation of land use plans and zoning regulations with the maintenance and protection of private property rights.
Work with other landowners and community members to understand and address land use related issues and potential impacts.
Encourage consideration of creative and innovative land use concepts that lead to environmentally responsible development.
Meet, and when appropriate exceed, local, state and federal standards for protection of air and water quality, and fisheries and wildlife habitat.
Encourage and support productive natural resource management and responsible development that is consistent with sound land use and environmental principles

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