Sustainability

Operating out of the heart of beautiful British Columbia, we know how essential our forests are for the continued health and well-being of our communities. That is why we take pride in balancing our business practices with our continued commitment to a productive and sustainable future.

Most of our timber is sourced from the Merritt and Lillooet Timber Supply Areas (TSAs) with additional operations in the Kamloops, Okanagan and Fraser TSAs. These areas are home to rich, bio-diverse ecosystems that we protect and conserve through our Forest Stewardship Plan (FSP). We empower our employees and contractors to meet our commitment to maintaining sustainability goals in all our operations and therefore maintain a thriving environment and community.

First Nations

For over twenty-five years, we have been working closely with First Nations’ bands in Merritt, Chase, Kamloops, and Lillooet to develop Cooperative Forest Management Agreements that not only protect the land we work on but support the communities we work in. We strongly encourage the mentoring and involvement of First Nations communities in all phases of our operations, whether it is planning, harvesting, road development and maintenance, silviculture, post-harvesting activities or mill production operations such as lumber, veneer, sheathing and Pourform.

We are a strong advocate and member of the Nicola Similkameen Innovative Forestry Society, which exemplifies cooperative First Nations management in the forest industry.

We have also developed successful forest management partnerships with Stuwix Resources Joint Venture Ltd. that includes planning, silviculture, harvest, and road building programs.

Our Coldwater Post and Rail facility, located on the Coldwater Indian Band reserve just south of Merritt, employs almost exclusively local First Nations Band members.

Health and Safety

Producing the highest quality lumber is made possible by our highly-trained and competent work force. Just as we strive to protect our land base, we are committed to promoting a culture of safety and respect at all levels of our business.

Please visit our Resources page to learn more about our commitment to the health and safety of our workers.

Environmental Policy

Aspen Planers is committed to manage to the SFI principles:

  • Sustainable Forestry
  • Forest Productivity and Health
  • Protection of Water Resources
  • Protection of Biological Diversity
  • Aesthetics and Recreation
  • Protection of Special Sites
  • Responsible Fiber Sourcing Practices In North America
  • Legal Compliance
  • Research
  • Training and Education
  • Community Involvement and Social Responsibility
  • Transparency
  • Continual Improvement
  • Avoidance of Controversial Sources including Illegal Logging in Offshore Fiber Sourcing

Forest Certifications

Aspen Planers operates in accordance with their Environmental Management System (EMS), a third-party audited management system that guides compliance with standards as well as legislation, regulation, principles and policy.

For more information visit the links below:

Sustainable Forestry Initiative Website

Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC)

As part of our ongoing commitment to Sustainable Forest Management, we are proudly certified by the following:

Aspen Planers is committed to implementing and achieving the Sustainable Forestry Initiative ® (SFI) Forest Management and Fibre Sourcing Standards in our supply of wood to manufacturing facilities. Aspen promotes sustainable forestry practices that are based on science and manage for the environmental, social and economic needs of the communities where they operate.

Aspen Planers Ltd. SFI Policy

Aspen Planers Ltd. SFI Fibre Sourcing Standard Certificate

Aspen Planers Ltd. SFI Forest Management Standard Certificate

The Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification

Many of our customers want to know that the products they buy are sourced from legal and sustainably managed forests. With the PEFC Chain of Custody certification, our customers are provided with third-party verified assurance.

The Chain of Custody is the documented process and procedure which tracks logs from the geographic location where they originated to the company scales and log yard to the milling processes and to their final destination with Aspen Planers customers. By tracking where our lumber originates, we can determine which logs are certifiable under the standards and which are deemed un-certifiable (non certified sources). By tracking our log deliveries, we can provide our customers with an accurate percentage of certified wood products.

Aspen Planers Ltd. PEFC Chain of Custody Certificate