FEDERAL WAY, Wash., Nov. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Weyerhaeuser Company this week joined 25 of the world's leading forest products companies in announcing the need to significantly scale up sustainable forest management.

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Weyerhaeuser and the 25 other members of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Forest Solutions Group are responsible for nearly 40 percent of annual global forest product, paper and packaging sales. These companies are committed to transforming forest-related challenges into forest-based opportunities and solutions.

The companies endorsed the announcement following an international discussion including three forest certification systems – the Forest Stewardship Council, the Sustainable Forest Initiative® and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification – at WBCSD's Council Meeting in Istanbul, Nov. 4. The Leadership Statement on the Value and Future of Forest Certification recognizes that reducing forest loss is a global societal priority requiring immediate and concerted action.

Earlier this year, Weyerhaeuser attained international stakeholder membership in the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification, the world's largest forest certification system and the certification system of choice for small, non-industrial private forests. PEFC, which is made up of large forest owners and hundreds of thousands of family forest owners around the world, has endorsed two North American certifications standards, including the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. In the United States, PEFC also endorses the American Tree Farm System, which means landowners certified to SFI and Tree Farm also comply with the PEFC's internationally-recognized sustainability benchmark.

"Our collective statement today and our stakeholder membership in PEFC aligns with our commitment to responsible fiber sourcing, especially from family-owned forests," said Weyerhaeuser Vice President for Sustainable Forestry Cassie Phillips.

PEFC promotes good practice in the forest and across the supply chain to ensure that forest products are sourced with respect for the highest ecological, social and ethical standards. Today, PEFC has recognized certification systems in 30 countries. Together these account for more than 593 million acres of certified forests. The PEFC and SFI labels help customers and consumers identify products from responsibly managed forests.

Weyerhaeuser owns, leases or licenses 20.5 million acres of forests in North America certified to SFI, and more than 300,000 acres in Uruguay certified to FSC and PEFC. Learn more about certification at Weyerhaeuser.

Phillips continued, "Having wood come from sustainably-managed forests is important to our customers and consumers. This commitment is shared by the more than 13,000 Weyerhaeuser employees who work and serve our customers worldwide."

If you would like more information on Weyerhaeuser's statement in support of sustainable forest management and membership in PEFC, please contact Lee Keller at 206-799-3805 or lee@thekellergroup.com.

About Weyerhaeuser
Weyerhaeuser Company, one of the world's largest private owners of timberlands, began operations in 1900. Weyerhaeuser owns or controls nearly 7 million acres of timberlands, primarily in the U.S., and manages another 14 million acres under long-term licenses in Canada. Weyerhaeuser manages these timberlands on a sustainable basis in compliance with internationally recognized forestry standards. Weyerhaeuser is also one of the largest manufacturers of wood and cellulose fibers products, and it develops real estate, primarily as a builder of single-family homes. The company is a real estate investment trust. In 2012, Weyerhaeuser generated $7.1 billion in sales and employed approximately 13,200 people who serve customers worldwide. Weyerhaeuser is listed on the Dow Jones World Sustainability Index, and the company's common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol WY.

About WBCSD's Council Meeting in Istanbul
The WBCSD 2013 Council Meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, Nov. 4-8, brings together CEO council members, senior executives, and members of the organization's 60 regional network partners to generate leading business solutions to some of the most pressing global sustainable development issues of our time.

About the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification
PEFC is an international non-profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting sustainable forest management through independent third-party certification. PEFC's mission is: "To give society confidence that people manage forests sustainably." Learn more at www.pefc.org.

Contacts:
Lee Keller - (206) 799-3805 lee@thekellergroup.com

SOURCE Weyerhaeuser Company