Finch Paper Launches Consulting Forestry Service

Glens Falls, N.Y. based-Finch Paper is expanding its century-long commitment to sustainable forestry by launching a new consulting forestry service to help private and public forest owners keep their lands healthy and growing for generations to come.

“We’re extremely proud to make FSC- and SFI-certified papers, but our commitment to sustainable forestry cannot stop there,” said Roger Dziengeleski, a company vice president and certified forester. “It’s not enough to simply use certified wood in our products. We’re working to ensure that our nation’s forests remain as forests for generations to come.”

Most forest owners today are private families, many of whom find themselves under unprecedented financial pressures that threaten the future of their forests. Rising property taxes in particular make the cost of owning forestland increasingly burdensome. Faced with these pressures, forest owners often opt to sell their land for commercial or residential development, removing the forest forever. In other instances, landowners resort to high-grading, a timber harvesting practice that removes all of the healthiest, highest quality trees and leaves a stagnant, non-productive, lower-value forest that takes decades to recover.

For landowners facing these challenges, the professional foresters employed by Finch Paper can prepare a long-term management plan that includes responsible timber harvesting on a periodic basis to generate much-needed income while keeping the forest in good health. Finch foresters can also work with forest owners to identify opportunities to lease their lands for recreational purposes or for commercial uses that have no negative impact on forest health.

In addition, Finch foresters can assist forest owners in earning the prestigious forest management certifications of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) program.

“Sustainable forestry is a science, not a slogan,” Dziengeleski said. “Our foresters have the educational background and on-the-ground experience to help landowners make the right decisions for their long-term interests and the long-term health of their forests.”