WOOD AND FOREST BASED PRODUCT PROCUREMENT POLICY
POLICY STATEMENT
The Wood and Forest Based Product Procurement Policy outlines Boise Cascade Company’s (Boise Cascade) commitment to sourcing legally harvested and transported wood and forestbased products.
SCOPE
The Wood and Forest Based Product Procurement Policy extends to all procurement activities for primary and secondary wood and forest-based products used in our production facilities, and to the purchase of wood and forest-based products through our distribution facilities. This policy defines the expectation to avoid the purchase of illegal wood and forest-based products as required by regulatory authorities.
DEFINITIONS
Forest certification programs: third-party audited standards that define responsible forestry practices and requirements for tracking forest wood and fiber through harvesting to manufacturing and to the end product, such as the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®), Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®), and the Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification™ (PEFC™) Standards.
FSC definition of conversion: irreversible “rapid or gradual removal of natural forest, seminatural forest or other wooded ecosystems such as woodlands and savannahs to meet other land needs, such as plantations (e.g. pulp wood, oil palm or coffee), agriculture, pasture, urban settlements, industry or mining. Exceptions exist for conversion that: a) affects a very limited portion of the area of the management unit, and b) will produce clear, substantial, additional, secure long-term conservation benefits in the management unit, and c) does not damage or threaten High Conservation Values, nor any sites or resources necessary to maintain or
enhance those High Conservation Values.
FSC definition of High Conservation Values: forests that possess one or more of the following High Conservation Values (HCVs):
- HCV forest areas containing globally, regionally or nationally significant concentrations of biodiversity values (e.g., endemism, endangered species, refugia);
- HCV forest areas containing globally, regionally or nationally significant large landscape level forests, contained within, or containing the management unit, where
viable populations of most if not all naturally occurring species exist in natural patterns of distribution and abundance; - HCV forest areas that are in or contain rare, threatened or endangered ecosystems;
- HCV forest areas that provide basic services of nature in critical situations (e.g., watershed protection, erosion control);
- HCV forest areas fundamental to meeting basic needs of local communities (e.g., subsistence, health); or,
- HCV forest areas critical to local communities’ traditional cultural identity (areas of cultural, ecological, economic or religious significance identified in cooperation with such local communities).
FSC definition of plantation: a forest area established by planting or sowing with using either alien or native species, often with one or few species, regular spacing and even ages, and which lacks most of the principal characteristics and key elements of natural forests. FSC certification creates guidance for plantation owners to manage plantations responsibly.
Supplier Code of Conduct: clarifies the expectations we have of each of our suppliers, vendors, contractors, consultants, agents, and any others who provide goods and services to Boise Cascade.
POLICY
Boise Cascade is a wood products and building materials distribution company that is committed to the legal trade of wood and forest-based products. As such, we expect the same commitment from our suppliers (Supplier Code of Conduct). Boise Cascade has implemented and utilizes a due care program designed to prevent purchases of wood and forest-based products that originate from illegal sources. Boise Cascade will not knowingly purchase wood and forest-based products for production or distribution from illegally harvested or traded sources. Boise Cascade’s commitment extends to all procurement activities for
primary and secondary raw materials used in our production facilities, and to the purchase of wood and forest-based products through our distribution facilities. Our procurement personnel are responsible for tracking and documenting the geographic origin, legality, and certification status of wood and forest-based products.
Boise Cascade is committed to compliance with all applicable national and international environmental, forestry, worker protection, and other relevant laws and regulations (Environmental Policy). Boise Cascade expects all of its wood and forest based product suppliers to comply with all applicable laws and regulations pertaining to their operations and to provide information regarding wood and forest origin, species identification, and certification status of the wood and forest based products they supply to Boise Cascade. Consistent with our values, Boise Cascade seeks to eliminate any sources and suppliers that do not meet the spirit of our policies and values.
Boise Cascade is committed to implementing internationally recognized forestry certification programs, including the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and the Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) Standards and the requirements addressing responsible wood procurement from sustainably managed forests.
Where Boise Cascade locations are certified to FSC standards, in addition to utilizing our due care program designed to prevent purchases of forest based raw materials and wood products that originate from illegal sources, we will source wood that is low risk for:
- wood harvested in violation of traditional and civil rights,
- wood harvested in forests where High Conservation Values are threatened by management activities,
- wood harvested in forests being converted to plantations or non-forest use (according to FSC definitions and standard requirements), and
- wood from forests in which genetically modified trees are planted.
Boise Cascade encourages landowners from whom we directly purchase wood to reforest following harvest. Boise Cascade’s contracts for SFI certified locations require the use of best management practices (BMP), and we help to identify and protect important habitat elements for wildlife, including Forests with Exceptional Conservation Value. When conducting harvesting operations in forests that contain threatened and endangered species and rare plant communities, Boise Cascade is committed to complying with all applicable laws and regulations that protect these species and rare plant communities. Boise Cascade encourages the expertise of direct suppliers and all wood producers through ongoing education and training. Boise Cascade requires independently trained logging professionals on all harvest operations to minimize negative impacts to the environment.
Boise Cascade cooperatively works with governmental and non-governmental organizations that are dedicated to the sustainable use of forest resources, and we seek constructive solutions to environmental issues and challenges. Through partnerships, Boise Cascade maintains its leadership position in the business community to ensure an environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable future.
Approved: March 12, 2021
Nate Jorgensen
Chief Executive Officer