Twenty-five years after Mount St. Helens erupted to spew ash worldwide, level whole forests and leave behind a wasteland of ash and mud, Weyerhaeuser's active forest management has returned this part of the Cascade Mountain Range to a healthy, productive working forest.

  (Logo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040116/WYLOGO-a
          http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040116/WYLOGO-b )

Weyerhaeuser (NYSE: WY) will celebrate the return of this forest beginning May 18 -- 25 years after one of the most powerful volcanic eruptions in North America -- by welcoming visitors to enjoy hands-on environmental learning, outdoor fun and spectacular mountain vistas.

From Seedlings to Healthy Trees Ready for Harvest

Striking evidence of the success of Weyerhaeuser's active forest management is found in the dense stands of towering Douglas Fir trees flanking the mountain. The 1980 eruption destroyed 68,000 acres of Weyerhaeuser forest. Company foresters were quick to plant new seedlings, 18 million in all, each planted by hand.

Today the trees are 70-feet-tall and growing so densely that selective thinning is needed to ensure the heartiest will have room to grow to maturity. The thinning project, which has just begun, marks a major milestone: the first harvest of trees planted after the 1980 blast. The thinning will allow the remaining trees to soak up more sun and nutrients until they are ready for harvest. Weyerhaeuser foresters will then plant new seedlings and the cycle will begin again.

Forest Learning Center

Weyerhaeuser's Forest Learning Center, located inside the volcano's 1980 blast zone, is a key source of anniversary information. The free, family-oriented educational center tells the story of how active forest management has jump-started the renewal of this forest ecosystem.

The Center's hands-on, interactive exhibits, hiking trails, picnic area and playground make it a popular day-trip destination for families, seniors and tour groups. Located in southwest Washington at the foothills of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, the Center is a two-hour drive from either Portland or Seattle. Weyerhaeuser operates the Center in partnership with the Washington State Department of Transportation and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

Plant-A-Seedling

From May through October, Center visitors will have a special opportunity to help plant the next working forest at Mount St. Helens. The Plant-A-Seedling program allows visitors to select a tree species to be planted here in 2005 - 2006. Tree planters can later check the Center's web site to watch seedlings grow into trees and ultimately, into the next Mount St. Helens forest. In years to come, these trees will provide lumber and paper products for people worldwide.

Elk Viewing Station

See herds of Roosevelt elk as they forage along the North Fork of the Toutle River at the foothills of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The 1980 eruption killed 1,500 elk.

  Forest Learning Trail
  Experience the forest close-up on this easy, one-mile trail.

  Bird Watching

Scientists estimate millions of birds perished in the 1980 blast. Bird watchers who frequent the Center have since spotted more than 100 different species, from cliff swallows to bald eagles.

  Exclusive Media Opportunities

  -- Interviews with Weyerhaeuser forester Dick Ford, who worked at Mount
     St. Helens before the 1980 eruption and led reforestation efforts after
     the blast.  Ford now manages the Forest Learning Center, which tells
     the story of the eruption, the aftermath and the return of the working
     forest.
  -- Helicopter tours for media inside the 1980 blast zone.
  -- Guided forest tours showing the first trees being harvested since the
     eruption.
  -- Special event on Wednesday, May 18, exactly 25 years later, to mark the
     return of the working forest.  The program will include a major
     announcement to benefit communities in North America.  This is an
     invitation-only event for dignitaries and media.

  For more information, visit www.TheForestReturns.com.

Weyerhaeuser Company, one of the world's largest integrated forest products companies, was incorporated in 1900. In 2004, sales were $22.7 billion. It has offices or operations in 19 countries, with customers worldwide. Weyerhaeuser is principally engaged in the growing and harvesting of timber; the manufacture, distribution and sale of forest products; and real estate construction, development and related activities. Additional information about Weyerhaeuser's businesses, products and practices is available at http://www.weyerhaeuser.com/ .

     For more information contact:
     Jackie Lang
     360-636-6812
     cell:  503-705-0007

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040116/WYLOGO-a
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040116/WYLOGO-b
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

SOURCE: Weyerhaeuser Company

CONTACT: Jackie Lang of Weyerhaeuser Company, +1-360-636-6812, or cell,
+1-503-705-0007

Web site: http://www.weyerhaeuser.com/