The Tembec and Kruger joint venture, Marathon Pulp., has received Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification for its forestry practices on the Big Pic Forest in Ontario, Canada.

“This certification demonstrates our desire to expand Tembec’s 2001 commitment to seek third-party FSC certification for all of its forest operations by working with external supply partners to further extend the forest areas under certification,” James Lopez, President and CEO of Tembec said. “With 10.4 Mha of FSC-certified forestland under our management, Tembec offers the largest range of FSC-certified products in the marketplace and is a leading supplier of FSC-certified pulp.” The Forest Stewardship Council is recognised worldwide as the Gold standard for well-managed forests for its unique regional, multi-stakeholder approach to the development of standards. “Achieving FSC certification is the culmination of months of hard word and represents a well-deserved recognition of the efforts of our team and that of partner companies,” Marc Barrette, Vice President and COO of Marathon Pulp added. “Marathon is committed to the continuous improvement of forest management and strengthening partnerships, notably with local First Nations”. Marathon Pulp received its certification from the Rainforest Alliance SmartWood Program, a Forest Stewardship Council accredited certifier, following an in-depth audit process that found that the company’s forest management practices comply with FSC’s rigorous standards for environmentally and socially responsible forestry practices. Founded in 1993, the Forest Stewardship Council is an international, NGO that has developed the only forest certification system recognised worldwide by native peoples, environmental groups, labour organisations and industry. The certification system requires consultations with all forest users and stakeholders, and guarantees the independent evaluation of forest management practices used by companies.