Tree Farming Guidelines for Private Growers

 

More than a decade has passed since the first edition of the 'Tree Farmers Manual' was published in 1997. Important developments in legislation as well as advancing research and technology, and the increasing importance of sustainable forest management made it necessary to publish the second edition in 2004 titled 'Tree Farming Guidelines for Sappi Outgrowers'.

 

We are pleased to introduce this third edition of the guidelines. It presents a step forward in our aim to provide a practical guide to the timber industry. We once again cover topics such as species selection and planting through to harvesting and extraction, but now also provide much needed information on fundamental issues such as safety and proper planning and scheduling processes.

 

The importance of sourcing timber in a responsible manner is also covered in this edition. A large portion of timber supplied by Sappi Forests is Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC™) certified, and Sappi only sources timber that comes from sources that:

Our objective remains to provide consistent and clear guidelines and assistance to Sappi’s contracted growers, to ensure the sustainable development and protection of our forests for future generations. The new edition is also in keeping with Sappi’s commitment to continuous improvement, and also to its vision of creating value and growth in a sustained manner for their shareholders, employees, customers, suppliers and the communities in which we operate.

 

The manual is divided into four sections and the different chapters in each section can be downloaded in PDF-format by clicking on the relevant links below: