Today The Forestland Group (TFG) issued two reports reviewing the company’s approach to sustainable management of natural forests to create economic and ecological value. These reports represent the company’s efforts to track non-financial performance as well as strategic objectives to set quantitative targets for corporate governance and environmental impact – with a particular focus on climate change mitigation.
The first report, ‘Reflecting on a Quarter Century of Impacts from Investments in Natural Forest Management’, celebrates the company’s 25th anniversary year. It reviews TFG’s core strategic values, large scale outcomes such as climate change mitigation and forest conservation, and leadership in forestland investment. Highlights from this report include:
- Since 2009, TFG has sold more than 15.6M+ tons of forest carbon offsets for $148.6M in revenue for investors from 13 projects across 1.14M acres.
- 41 TFG transactions led to permanent forest conservation across 999,198 acres. 5 TFG-led conservation easements were the largest to date in their respective states at time of execution.
- Since 2005, TFG maintained an average of 99.77% of its acres under sustainable certification. This includes 109 properties certified under Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC® C018151) and 4 properties certified under the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI-01750).
- TFG has enrolled an average of 524,962 acres in New Market Tax Credit annually since 2007 and maintained public access on over 30% of its ownership.
TFG’s CEO Blake Stansell remarks, “From land protection to employee development to certification, our 25 Year Report makes clear that sustainability and impact have been part of our story since we have had one. It also sets direction for a path forward that builds on this legacy.”
TFG also published its inaugural annual impact report. TFG’s ‘2019 Impact Report’ tracks the measurable environmental and social impacts from the company’s investments at a firm level. The report provides this information to stakeholders utilizing the Sustainable Development Goals and IRIS+ metrics as a framework. Some of the most notable reported impacts from TFG’s management in 2019 include:
- 2.7M tons of CO2 stored and 6.2M tons of avoided CO2 emissions
- 1.6M issued credits and 5.1M sold credits from 450,000 acres of forest carbon projects
- 94% of TFG harvest operations utilized silvicultural techniques that facilitate natural regeneration
- 471,684 acres of protected lands managed by TFG contributed to adjacent protected landscapes totaling over 4.8M acres
- 100+ FTE foresters employed across a supply chain that includes 240 logging operations, 491 mills, and 11,660 mill employees
- 79,100 acres were open for research and local partnerships, over 1M acres for public access
- 99.66% of TFG-managed acres certified for sustainable management and 488,287 cords certified timber produced
TFG is a signatory to the Principles for Responsible Investment and is pursuing a B-Corp Certification. The company’s active involvement in groups such as the Forest-Climate Working Group, White Oak Initiative, and National Association of Forestland Owners demonstrate its commitment to cross-sector collaboration. TFG plans to follow this 2019 Impact Report with Impact Reports on an annual basis in addition to other efforts to continually improve corporate governance and sustainability performance.
Blake explains, “Our pursuit of positive impact is central to our business model and woven into our organizational culture. We see an opportunity for creative leadership in the coming decade, and are setting ambitious targets that can guide us forward.”
About The Forestland Group: The Forestland Group’s investment vehicles harness the dynamics of natural forest management to provide environmental impact and stable, long term financial performance. TFG delivers large scale climate change mitigation, strategic conservation outcomes, and non-correlated portfolio returns through the ownership and management of working forests. TFG is an industry-leading seller of forest carbon offsets with a 25-year track record of timberland investing guided by the core value of sustainability. The Forestland Group is proud to earn the certification of the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC® C018151) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI-01750).
Media Contact: Tommie Herbert, Director of Investor Relations, tommie@forestlandgroup.com
