Our Global Impact: Forestry Highlights
Originally published in International Paper's 2021 Sustainability Report
Conservation and Restoration of Southern U.S. Forests
We invested $2 million in habitat restoration in 2021 through our Forestland Stewards Partnership with U.S. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to protect and enhance ecologically important forestlands and coastal savannahs in 10 Southern U.S. states. Our contributions to the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley, historic Longleaf Pine Range and Cumberland Plateau ecosystem leveraged $13.7 million in matching funds and helped enhance or restore 224,686 acres.
Mogi Guacu River Basin Restoration
Since 2018, we have partnered with WWF to restore 250 acres of tropical forestland in the Mogi Guacu River Basin. With the project on pace to restore 250 acres by the end of 2022, we are exploring a new financing fund to extend our restoration model in this high-impact landscape.
Partnership with the American Bird Conservancy
International Paper and American Bird Conservancy (ABC) continued our partnership in 2021 — a shared commitment to forest sustainability as the foundation for providing critical goods and services for people and habitat conditions necessary for recovery of at-risk bird species. We effectively engaged IP fiber supply teams, wood suppliers and landowners with a focus on mill basins in southern U.S.
Specifically, in the Georgetown Mill basin, with expertise from scientists with Avian Research and Conservation Institute, we captured three swallow-tailed kites that were outfitted with GPS transmitters. Data on kite movements enhanced data layers already in ForSiteTM and directly influenced harvest plans on tracts associated with kite activity centers. Kite trapping engaged people throughout the IP fiber supply chain including IP foresters, external wood suppliers and corporate partners.
