The Tembec Forever Green^® Environmental Management Program aims to promote environmental protection, sustainable forest management, and conformance with the Tembec environmental policy for all forest operations. Tembec is committed to demonstrating responsible stewardship of resources and a continual improvement of environmental performance.

As part of Forever Green^®, Tembec has developed "Guiding Principles" that direct forest managers in the establishment of environmental objectives and targets. The Forever Green^® Guiding Principles represent important environmental values that must be respected in all forest activities.

Forever Green^® also includes the implementation and maintenance of an environmental management system (EMS), in conformance with the ISO 14001 standard. The values identified in the Guiding Principles are respected by setting objectives, and by maintaining an effective EMS.

The Forever Green^® Guiding Principles will be reviewed on an annual basis by the Tembec Corporate Forestry Committee. One of the key roles of this committee is to oversee Forever Green^® progress and provide the necessary direction in order to ensure continual environmental improvement.

The Forever Green^® Guiding Principles:

• Respect all Laws and Regulations
• Sustaining Forest Productivity
• Maintaining Environmental Integrity
• Forest Conservation and Maintenance of Biodiversity
• Sustaining Economic Benefits
• Management Plans
• Developing Relationships with First Nations
• Community Relations
• Public, Employee and Worker Safety
• Monitoring Assessment and Continual Improvement

Tembec operates responsibly while respecting the laws and regulations in effect. In the absence of laws and regulations, Tembec will implement and maintain good forest management practices.

• Adhere to all federal, provincial and municipal legislation related to forest management activities.
• Operate within policies and guidelines and maintain a process of follow-up and evaluation of activities with respect to laws and regulations.
• Maintain monitoring and corrective action processes to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
• Identify the rights and responsibilities of persons and organisations with respect to ownership of land, land use and forest management responsibilities.
• Conform to the Tembec environmental policy.

Establish a management system that maintains and improves the production and renewal capacity of a forested area.

• Maintain and enhance productivity of forest types.
• Minimise loss of productive forestland as a result of forestoperations.
• Identify opportunities for afforestation of marginal agricultural land.
• Improve the utilisation of all harvested tree species.

Plan and implement forestry operations in a manner that maintains the environmental integrity of the forest.

• Maintain an environmental management system to identify, evaluate and act on the environmental impacts of existing operations and new projects.
• Maintain written operating procedures to ensure the environmental integrity of ecosystem resources (e.g. timber harvesting, road construction, site preparation).
• Use chemical pesticides judiciously, and only in the absence of effective and economical alternatives.
• Ensure procedures are in place for the safe transport, storage, use, disposal and minimisation of all waste and dangerous materials.
• Maintain the environmental Integrity of watershed hydrology.

Support a two-pronged approach to forest conservation that includes well-managed forests and the establishment of ecologically representative protected areas.

• Participate with government and non-government organisations in the establishment of protected areas.
• Protect vulnerable, threatened and endangered species and their habitats.
• Manage harvest block characteristics and distribution in consideration of natural landscape patterns and cycles (fire, carbon storage).
• Manage sensitive sites (water: riparian zones, lakes, intermittent streams, wetlands, soil: steep slopes, wet and shallow soils over bedrock) with high priority placed on soil and water conservation.
• Maintain habitat for fish and wildlife species.
• Maintain, enhance or restore ecological functions and values by:
  • Promoting natural regeneration where it contributes to production objectives;
  • Considering natural genetic, species and ecosystem diversity.
• Support measures aimed at reducing the loss of forest productivity to fire, insects and disease while recognising that these natural processes are part of functioning ecosystems.

Encourage the efficient use of the forest's multiple products and services to ensure economic viability as well as environmental and social benefits.

• Make a positive contribution to local, regional and national economies of the timber and non-timber sectors.
• Support the local procurement of supplies, employment, training and other services.
• Sustain, improve and diversify the economic and related social benefits derived from the forest for communities in and near a forest management area.
• Ensure a fair return on investment in order to create a positive economic benefit for the region and its people, employees and shareholders.

A management plan shall be written, appropriate to the scale and intensity of operations, be available to the public and kept current.

• The management plan and supporting documents shall provide:
  • Management objectives;
  • Description of the forest based on inventories;
  • Description of tree silvics and silvicultural systems;
  • Level of allowable harvest and rationale;
  • Description of harvesting and regeneration systems and techniques;
  • Growth and yield information;
  • Maps identifying land tenure and timber operating areas;
  • Provisions for the protection of fish, wildlife and other non-timber values.
• Consider other forest values when developing long-term timber access corridors.
• Undertake forest management planning and related activities in a manner that respects other forest-based businesses (i.e. tourism, trapping, recreation).
• Engage in effective public involvement in forest management planning prior to decisions being made.
• While respecting the confidentiality of information, the general management plan shall be publicly available.
• Use the data and results of research programs to assist in improving overall forest management performance.

Promote long-term and mutually beneficial relationships with First Nations communities based on social and economic needs.

• With the collaboration of First Nations communities, develop a process to address communications, commercial relationships, employment, training, and awareness.
• Sites of special significance to First Nations shall be clearly identified and protected through an effective consultation process with local First Nations groups.
• Establish consultation processes with First Nations in order to incorporate traditional knowledge and values into the company's planning processes.
• Conform to the Tembec First Nations policy.

Maintain a process for receiving and responding to public input and providing information on forestry operations.

• Engage in on-going employee and public education and awareness regarding the company's efforts to undertake sustainable forest management.
• Maintain a record of responses to internal and external reviews and analyses of the company's activities, and any complaints against the company and resulting actions taken to improve performance.
• Communicate company objectives and results to employees and the public.
• Where avenues of consultation and dialogue are unsuccessful, explore alternate mechanisms for resolving disputes.

Ensure that all personnel are properly trained and the health and safety of employees and the public are not compromised by any forestry activity.

• Maintain health and safety policies and an emergency response program.
• Ensure roles and responsibilities of all personnel are properly identified and understood.
• Maintain programs to ensure the health and safety of employees, forest workers and the public.

Ensure that new information is incorporated into existing practices to improve forestry management, as well as environmental, economic and social performance.

• Develop partnerships and other opportunities with governments (Federal, Provincial and First Nations) and other interested parties to develop an increased sustainable forest management knowledge base and public understanding.
• With the aid of indicators, monitor the state of the forest and employ an adaptive management approach to continually improve forestry practices.
• Submit forest areas to independent audits.
• Employ an Environmental Management System to improve performance including, but not limited to:
  • establishment of quantifiable objectives and strategies;
  • internal auditing;
  • documentation of non-conformances;
  • corrective action planning;
  • reporting to senior management.