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UKWAS Woodland Certification - UPM Tilhill breaks through 100,000 hectares

Woodlands owned by The London Borough of Bromley have become the 100,000th hectares to join UPM Tilhill's UKWAS Group Certification Scheme. In total the Borough added 552ha of sustainably managed woodlands to the rapidly expanding Group scheme.

Members of the Group have to manage their woodlands to the high standards of the UK Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS). In turn UKWAS is endorsed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC); the internationally recognised badge of sustainable forest management, encompassing environmental, social and economic sustainability.

Benefits of certification are two fold. It can be used to endorse the quality of existing management and, secondly, certified timber usually achieves a premium price in the market place as discerning customers, including the UK government, demand timber products from sustainable woodlands.

UPM Tilhill\'s Group Certification Scheme is open to all woodland owners who have their own management. Members range from Councils and National Parks, where the emphasis is on social and environmental values, to commercial organisations with upland conifers where the main focus is on economics. All members have to meet the same UKWAS standard.

"Many of us enjoy walking in the Borough\\\'s woodlands, taking in the very special, but changing environment that they offer us across all four seasons of the year. This standard provides us with a practical and strategic framework with which to manage our woodlands. The accreditation endorses our approach to conserving the diverse number of tree species and woodland we have so that this joy can be passed down to future generations," said Councillor Colin Smith, Executive Councillor for Environment and Leisure.

Peter Middleton, Director, UPM Tilhill said: "The success of UPM Tilhill\'s group scheme reflects the increasing commitment of woodland owners in the UK to clearly demonstrate their desire to manage woodlands in sustainable and responsible manner - the integrity of the UPM Tilhill group scheme helps provide woodland owners with a simple and credible process to evidence that their woodlands are managed in an appropriate manner - providing users of woodland and wood products with the confidence that their purchase has originated from a sustainable source. We are delighted that the London Borough of Bromley has brought the 100,000th ha to the scheme - it reflects their responsible attitude to the management of their woodlands."

UPM Tilhill also certifies some 60,233 hectares of client owned woodland through the companys Resource Manager Scheme. UPM Tilhill\'s total certified area is 160,708 ha which makes up some 35% of the private certified area in the UK.

For further information on UPM Tilhill's certification service please contact Simon Hart on 01786 435000.

Press for further information contact:
Ruth Roy, Head of Marketing, 01892 861008/07771 940494, ruth.roy@upm-kymmene.com

UPM Tilhill Marketing. October 2007