Boise says it won't buy endangered forest wood

By Associated Press, 9/4/2003

BOISE, Idaho -- Boise Cascade Corp. will no longer buy wood products from endangered or old-growth forests and will encourage its suppliers to follow suit, company officials said yesterday.

The forest products company has felt pressure from groups such as the Rainforest Action Network to adopt more environmentally sound policies. The new policy was developed with input from that group, the American Lands Alliance and the National Forest Protection Alliance.

Boise Cascade will stop cutting timber from old-growth forests in the United States in 2004, and will stop buying wood from endangered forests in places such as Chile, Indonesia and Canada as they are identified.

Boise Cascade will also give purchasing preference to suppliers who use wood from certified forests, and will track the origin of the wood products it receives.

"We are proud of the progress we've made," vice president John Bender said.

The company first said in 2002 that it would stop harvesting the ancient trees in coming years. But industry analysts questioned whether the move would bring back customers who cut ties because of public sentiment against the practice.

Some customers, including Kinko's paper products and sportswear companies Patagonia and L.L. Bean, have stopped buying Boise Cascade products. On the New York Stock Exchange, Boise Cascade shares lost 22 cents to $27.83.