PEFC invites stakeholders globally to nominate candidates for the permanent PEFC Chain of Custody Working Group. To nominate a candidate to participate in the working group, please fill out the nomination form. The nomination deadline is 31 January 2020. This working group is responsible for the development of the PEFC chain of custody, including the maintenance of the following standards, which have been recently revised: *PEFC ST 2001, PEFC Trademarks *PEFC ST 2002, PEFC Chain of Custody *PEFC ST 2003, Certification Body Requirements – Chain of Custody. The PEFC Chain of Custody Working Group will work on the further implementation and interpretation of these standards and the development of new tools. It will also ensure the PEFC chain of custody is up-to-date regarding stakeholder needs, technology developments and certification demands.

Weyerhaeuser Company plans to commit up to 3 million acres of private timberland in Washington and Oregon to support a variety of conservation efforts focused on reintroducing the North American Fisher (Fisher) throughout the West. The Fisher reintroduction and conservation effort is being led by a variety of partners including: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), state wildlife agencies, conservation organizations and private forestland owners, like Weyerhaeuser. Today, the USFWS took a constructive step by recognizing the positive benefits of working forests when it determined the Fisher is not warranted for listing as a threatened or endangered species in the Northwest. Instead, it will cooperatively work with private landowners to encourage Fisher conservation. "Weyerhaeuser's working forests are perfect partners for wildlife conservation efforts because they are continually managed," said Rhonda Hunter, Weyerhaeuser's senior vice president for timberlands. "Private timberlands held by companies like Weyerhaeuser are attractive habitats for animals, like the Fisher. Sustainability is a core value at Weyerhaeuser, and we're proud to be part of this program." The Fisher is one of the larger members of the weasel family and is found only in North America's boreal and temperate forests. Fisher populations in Washington and Oregon were reduced dramatically in the 1800s and early 1900s through trapping, and predator and pest control.

The world of the future must run on renewable raw materials instead of fossil fuels. Wood is the best renewable raw material, and in Finland it grows faster than it is used. Digitalisation is transforming the Finnish forest industry, providing unprecedented solutions that make forests more intelligent. Data can be collected from forests using innovative methods, and modern data can be used to optimise forest use and management. Virtual forests are also emerging. Metsä Group, a Finnish forest industry company, has developed innovative digital services for forest owners and leads the way in the industry. Finland is the most forested country in Europe: forests cover more than 75 per cent of the country’s area. As a result of sustainable forest use and management over the decades, the amount of wood that grows every year exceeds clearly the amount used. Click Read More below for additional information.