Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd. (President: Masatomo Nakamura) has completed acquisition of a forest certification from the Sustainable Green Ecosystem Council (SGEC), Japan's unique forest certification system, for all 89,891 hectares of its Company-owned forests in Japan on October 1, when granted certification for its remaining 20,271 hectares of the forests located in the Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu and Kinki areas.

 

Obtaining its first SGEC forest certificate in 2003 for a 673-hectare Company forest located in Kitayama, Shizuoka, the Company has gradually expanded certified forests around the country: in Kyushu (18,317 hectares, in 2005), Hokkaido (43,674 hectares, in 2006) and Chugoku, Shikoku and Kinki (6,956 hectares, in 2006).

 

The Nippon Paper Industries' newly certified forests in Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu and Kinki consist of half artificial forests of mainly cedar and cypress, and half natural forests of hardwood trees. These forests are used to not only produce lumber but also to contribute to environmental conservation in their respective areas. In particular, the Company-owned forests in Ho-oh (1451 hectares, Yamanashi) and Suganuma (4915 hectares, Gunma) are partly designated as national park and suchlike. The two forests also cover two of Japan's 100 most famous mountains: Ho-oh Sanzan (Kannondake: 2840 meters) and Nikko Shirane-san (2578 meters). Both mountains attract climbers from all around the country. In addition, Nikko Shirane-san is the venue of the School of Friendship for Forests and Paper, the Nippon Paper Group's Natural Environment Workshop.

 

In 2005, the Company developed what it calls "houses with SGEC forest certification" in collaboration with Shizuoka-based Kikuchi Kensetsu Co., Ltd. From the end of this year, a Kumamoto-based home builder, Shinsan Jyutaku Co., Ltd. will start to use Nippon Paper Industries' SGEC-certified wooden materials. The Company will continue its efforts to promote the use and development of the materials derived from its certified forests in Japan throughout the country, as well as to manage the forests on a sustainable basis with a commitment to biodiversity.

 

Note 1:

The Sustainable Green Ecosystem Council was established in June 2003 as a system to improve Japan's forest management and to guarantee the sound cultivation of forests in which sustainable lumber production is compatible with a rich natural environment.