Forest Stewardship at HVP

HVP’s Forest Stewardship Policy underpins how we undertake our business and forest operations.

Policy

HVP Plantations strives to manage the forest assets of the Company to deliver optimal value to our investors and responsible stewardship of the forest for economic, environmental and social benefits.

As stewards of the land, the company will:

1. Manage the forest estate according to all statutory requirements including the Code of Practice for Timber Production and other forest management requirements as outlined in the Forest Management System.
2. Incorporate performance indicators into the Forest Management System and Forest Management Plan including a framework for setting and reviewing forest management objectives
3. Promote the development of employees and the use of appropriately skilled contractors with emphasis on scientific excellence in relation to forest management, the environmental quality of the estate and sensitivity to stakeholder views.
4. Maintain forest ecosystem health and vitality by protecting Company forest from fire, pests and diseases through long-term resource sustainability strategies and short-term integrated pest management programs with minimal environmental impact.
5. Consider the public resources of the forest – its water, soil, biological diversity, cultural heritage, landscape amenity and recreational values – and manage them with a long-term sustainable perspective and the prevention of soil and water pollution.
6. Implement programs to better understand the capacity of the forest to act as a net carbon sink and develop practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of forest management activities.
7. Contribute long term social and economic benefits to the community from Company forest management through the use of integrated forest management procedures and planning.
8. Consider the views of stakeholders in the development of the Forest Management Plan and to address social and environmental issues arising from the management of the forest estate.
9. Conduct research to maintain the productive capacity of the forest land and monitor environmental, economic and social aspects of forest management.
10. Provide adequate resources to implement and maintain the system and to facilitate continual improvement of forest management performance.