Columbia Forest Products Awarded Gifford Pinchot Award
Updated: Friday, October 1st, 2010
August 27, 2010 Atlanta, GA – The Hardwood Forestry Fund announced today that Columbia Forest Products is a 2010 recipient of the Gifford Pinchot Award. The formal presentation occurred at 11:00am on Friday, August 27, 2010 at Columbia Forest Products’ booth (#1670) during IWF2010 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA. HFF Award Chairman Stuart Clarke of Clarke Veneers & Plywood (pictured right) presented the plaque to Columbia Forest Products CEO Brad Thompson (pictured on left) in front of an audience of media and invited guests.
The HFF’s Gifford Pinchot Award recognizes significant corporate achievements in promoting sustainable forestry. Gifford Pinchot (1865-1946) was a forester, conservationist, first Chief of the US Forest Service, and Society of American Forester founder and president. Gifford Pinchot’s lasting legacy to forest management and conservation (wise use of resources) is mirrored in the goals of the Hardwood Forestry Fund. The Gifford Pinchot Award is designed to go to a company that shows leadership in forest sustainability.
Stuart Clarke said, “ Columbia receives this special award for their tremendous environmental and conservation focus and leadership. Columbia has made significant investments in:
• educating people about America’s vast and renewable forest resources –this includes Columbia’s personnel and staff of professionally licensed foresters, logger safety training programs, private landowner education, and web-based forest management outreach.
• raising the bar on the sourcing of legal and certified products by connecting forest woodland owners, distributors, fabricators and consumers to the hardwood resource through certification
• leading efforts to expand tree replacement on public forests with a focus on the management and health of public and private hardwood timberlands.
On behalf of the Hardwood Forestry Fund Board of Directors I am proud to share the Gifford Pinchot Award with Columbia Forests Products and commend them on their leadership and award winning efforts to support sustainable forestry.”
HFF Volunteer Board members were on hand to answer media questions about Hardwood Forestry Fund programs that create sustainable forests by replacing hardwood trees on quality public sites and managing these emerging forests for wildlife habitat, water quality, soil conservation, timber products, and natural resources education.
