Industrial Timber and Lumber’s significant landholding represents a substantial
investment. We take personal responsibility for sustaining the timberlands, wildlife
habitat and ecosystems in which we work, because a healthy forest and environment
mean a healthy future for all of us.
Presently, ITL employs six full-time forest resource people. All six have a minimum
of two-year forest products related degrees and three have four-year professional
forestry degrees. Two are active members of the Society of American Foresters. ITL
maintains that it is in its best interest to adhere to and practice the principles
of Sustainable Forestry using Best Management Practices.
Best Management Practices (BMP’s) are “scientific tools and methods designed to
help forest landowners, foresters, and timber harvesters practice good management.”
The BMP’s represent state of the art knowledge on how trees should be harvested
for timber production, while enhancing wildlife, preserving aesthetics, ensuring
future forest regeneration, and protecting soil and water quality wetlands and area
of special concern. BMP’s are then used to practice Sustainable Forestry, which
is a concept for managing renewable forestry resources. According to the American
Forestry and Paper Association (AF & PA), Sustainable Forestry means managing forests
to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs. This is done by practicing a land stewardship ethic, which
integrates the growing, nurturing, and harvesting of trees for useful products with
the conservation of soil, air, water quality, wildlife and fish habitats. Both ITL’s
forest resource staff and ITL’s contracted harvesting and hauling contractors have
completed the Sustainable Forestry Core Curriculum.
The certified wood movement also adheres to the practice of Sustainable Forestry.
The difference, however, is that in order to be “certified”, there is a “certified”
third party evaluator. The question then becomes who certifies the certifier? Due
to the nature of the hardwood industry, there are few producers who have become
“certified” and of those, a limited volume of lumber can be classified as certified.
In addition to company owned timberland, ITL, as well as most hardwood companies,
procures timber from private landowners. It then becomes the mission of ITL and
its representatives to employ sound harvesting techniques to protect the landowner’s
investment and its own reputation. ITL has third party certification through the
SmartWood organization at all of its facilities. ITL’s Ridgway, Pennsylvania sawmill
has been FSC certified since 2000. All harvesting from National and State forest
sales in Pennsylnavia qualify as certified.
It should be also noted that the timber harvesting is not done without regulation.
The states provide regulation, which require that a soil and erosion plan be available
for every timber harvest. Water pollution is highly monitored and regulated by local
and state environmental enforcement agencies who impose substantial penalties for
non-compliance. OSHA regulations apply to both forest harvesting and lumber manufacturing.
In Pennsylvania for example qualifying for Workers’ Compensation insurance requires
that forestry contractors practice safety. For your information, Endeavor Lumber
is located adjacent to a state stocked trout stream and ITL, in partnership with
the Pennsylvania Conservancy (the Purchasing Agent for the State’s Public Gamelands)
purchased approximately 10,000 acres of timberlands. ITL is harvesting the timber
from this area and as can be imagined, such harvesting is highly scrutinized. Representatives
from the Pennsylvania Congress have personally visited this site and acclaimed the
logging practices being performed.
