Urgent Request for Norske Skog to Change Their Old-Growth
Policies
3/12/97
*******************************
RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Headline: Urgent Request for Norske Skog to Change Their Old-
Growth Policies
Source: Nature and Youth
Date: 3/12/97
Dear forest activists!
On Monday Nature and Youth and other European environmentalists
blocked all the entrances of one of Norske Skog's largest
factories. All truck deliverance of timber were stopped for one
day. The Norske Skog company is a threat to the bio-diversity
since their old-growth policy is inandequate. The pressure
against Norske Skog should be increased.
There follows a backgrounder and proposal for letter to Norske
Skog. Please act as soon as possible. Thanks a lot!
PRESS RELEASE MONDAY 10 MARCH 8.00 A.M.
On March 10. 1997, at 8.00 a.m., international
environmentalists will close the main entrance of Norske Skog's
factory at Follum in Honefoss, north of Oslo. All truck
deliverance of timber will thereby be stopped. The Norske
Skog company is a threat to the bio-diversity, since they buy
timber from areas valuable for protection. Therefore we are
closing the main entrance to one of their largest factories,
says Frode Pleym of Nature and Youth.
30 environmentalists from Norway's Nature and Youth, Britain's
Reforest the Earth and Forest Action Network, Germany's Robin
Wood and ProRegenwald and the Finnish Nature League and
Greenpeace Finland, will be taking part.
The issues raised by the environmentalists are of significant
importance for the industry's trade with Germany and United
Kingdom. German publishers and the public were mislead to
believe that Norske Skog is a responsible company, says Rudolf
Fenner of Robin Wood. We are in contact with the main German
buyers and we will inform them of the true facts of the
continuing destruction of bio-diversity, continues Bettina
Heilmann of ProRegenwald.
Half of the Norwegian forest has been turned into even-aged
stands. The bio-diversity is the looser. Nearly 900 species
dependent on the forest are on the Norwegian Red List over
threatened species. The last areas worthy of protection is
disappearing fast
The majority of the annual timber harvest in Norway is
processed by Norske Skog's factories. In addition Norske Skog
is buying timber from other countries. Because of its size,
Norske Skog has a tremendous responsibility to live up to
Norway's international commitments. By demanding old-growth
free wood, Norske Skog could prevent the devastation of those
few remaining areas still left. Norske Skog has not taken this
responsibility.
Norske Skog is the third largest manufacturer of paper in
Europe, and most of its output is exported. An increasing
number of their international customers are now demanding old-
growth free products which are sourced only from forest areas
that are managed in an ecologically sound manner.
Consumers in the UK do not want to be associated with the
destruction of Norway's last precious remnants of bio-
diversity. It is a disgrace that Europe has still not
adequately protected its natural heritage, says Angie
Zelter of Reforest the Earth.
The action comes after an on-going campaign by the Taiga Rescue
Network to protect the last old-growth forest areas in
Scandinavia. Since 1995 Norske Skog has been targeted as a
worst offender in the destruction of these forest areas. At
our recent meeting in Oslo, campaigners concluded that
Norske Skog has still not taken any significant steps in the
right direction towards responsible forestry. The pressure will
therefore continue, says Anne Janssen of the Taiga Rescue
Network.
For more info: 94 10 79 19/ 94 38 88 76
For background information: Call Nature and Youth's office at +
47 22 36 42 18 from 09.00. Before 09.00 and after 17.00 please
replace the last two numbers with 19.
BACKGROUNDER
Norske Skog is Europe's third largest producer of paper, and
most of its output is exported. To their customers, the company
claims they have a good environmental policy. However, this
backgrounder shows that the policy is inadequate and that it
continues to destroy valuable forest habitats. Nature and Youth
will now co-operate with international environmental
organisations in order to increase the pressure on Norske Skog.
Half of the Norwegian forest has been turned into even-aged
stands. Biodiversity is the looser. Nearly 900 species
connected to the forest are on the Norwegian Red List over
threatened species. The last areas worthy of protection are
disappearing fast. Only 0.84 percent of the productive forest
land is protected in the protection plan for coniferous forest.
UNECOLOGICAL PRODUCTION ENDANGERS EMPLOYMENT
Norske Skog produces paper, fibre and timber-based building
materials. In addition to being a big exporter of paper, a
large amount of the fibre and the building materials is also
exported.
Western Europe, and especially UK, Germany and Holland, are key
markets for Norske Skog. Several big publishing houses are
among the company's customers. Among Norske Skog customers are
The Times, The Observer, Axel Springer Verlag, Burda, de
Telegraaf and Parool.
The European market is demanding paper from ecologically
managed forestry. In spite of this, Norske Skog continues its
ecologically destructive practices by not insisting upon a
minimum set of ecological standards from their suppliers.
Because of this they risk losing market shares and their
employees risk losing their jobs. European environmentalists
now want to show Norske Skog's customers the gap between Norske
Skog's propaganda and their actual deeds.
RAW MATERIAL SUPPLY
Norske Skog uses the bulk of the annual Norwegian timber
harvest. In 1995 the company had to import over a third of its
timber requirements. Much of this imported timber came from
Sweden and the Baltic states. Deciduous timber, including
eucalyptus for one of the plants, Tofte Industrier, accounted
for 0.6 million cubic metres of the imports.
Norske Skog's forest and uncultivated land properties total
180,000 hectares, of which 81,000 hectares is productive
forest. These forests are located in the Norwegian counties of
Nord-Trondelag, Akershus, Hedmark, Oppland, Buskerud and
Ostfold, and in the Swedish counties of Alvsborg and
Varmland. No more than 2% of the raw material supply of Norske
Skog originates from its own forests. Norske Skog has started
key biotope inventories of their own forests.
Norske Skog has approximately 5,000 employees in Norway and 24
plants in 19 municipalities within 9 counties. The Group buys
and processes raw materials from 35,000 wood suppliers
throughout the whole of Norway south of Bodo.
EXAMPLES OF NORSKE SKOG'S OLD-GROWTH POLICY
In the Autumn of 1996 scientists from the Norwegian Forest
Research Institute discovered that Norske Skog has been logging
in the last remaining fragments of old-growth forest in Norway.
In Grong municipality the company clear-cut the only known
habitat of the endangered specie Usnea longissima (a rare
lichen) in the Trondelag counties. This happened during the
winter of 95/96.
In Solem, also in Grong, two rainforest areas were logged by
Norske Skog in the winters of 1993-94 and 1994-95. The coastal
rainforest on the Norwegian Atlantic shore is a unique forest
type. It grows in coastal areas with a humid climate and occurs
from sea levels to altitudes of approximately 200 meters. The
predominant tree is spruce, but a proportion of deciduous trees
often occur. The coastal rainforest is habitat for a large
number of rare and endangered species, especially fungi, mosses
and lichens, species that Norway has an international
responsibility to take care of.
After heavy pressure Norske Skog started key biotope
inventories in their own areas. However, as mentioned above,
just 2% of the company's wood intake comes from their own
forests, the remainder is purchased from other forest
owners.
Norske Skog underlines in its environmental policy that:
"Norske Skog shall assume environmental responsibility with
respect to the utilisation of raw materials in its production
processes, by imposing requirements on all its suppliers."
Their propaganda and actual deeds differ, and Norske Skog
continues to destroy valuable forests habitats.
DIALOGUE WITHOUT PROGRESS
Spring 1996 FoE - Norway sent a list of all known old-growth
forest areas to environmental NGO's in Germany, Holland and UK,
and through them Norske Skog's main customers. This increased
the pressure against Norske Skog.
Norske Skog stated that they would not buy timber from areas
which were being considered for protection. (The protection
plan for coniferous forest is to be enlarged from 0.84 to 1.06
percent of the productive forest land). In addition to the fact
that this policy is completely insufficient to stop most of the
old-growth logging, it also only covers six of Norway's 18
counties.
The last year has FoE - Norway had a dialogue with Norske Skog,
which Norske Skog actively point out to their customers to
suggest that they have made a great deal of progress. However,
several meetings have taken place without any progress. Old-
growth destruction has continued while the so-called dialogue
has proceeded.
DEMANDS TO NORSKE SKOG
1. To stop all purchases of timber from old-growth forest; both
in Norway and other countries. In Norway this includes timber
from all the areas listed in reports by the Norwegian Institute
for Nature Research and the biologist group Last Chance, and
described as valuable for protection.
2. To conduct key biotope inventories in areas which were found
valuable for protection, but have been excluded from the lists
as they have been clearcut.
3. To state publicly that they will no longer buy wood from key
biotopes and that they demand inventories from all forest
owners before they will make any future purchases.
4. Provide proof that its timber does not originate from old-
growth forests by developing a chain of custody documentation
system.
Until Norske Skog has implemented these demands, no one can be
sure that their forest products are clearcut free nor old
growth free. Nature and Youth will co-operate with
environmental organisations abroad until Norske Skog takes this
responsibility.
PROPOSAL FOR LETTER
"We have been informed that environmental activists closed the
entrances of one of Norske Skog's largest factories on March
10. 1997. All truck deliverance of timber were stopped for one
day. The Norske Skog company is a threat to the bio-diversity
since your old-growth policy is inadequate.
We urge you to implement the following demands in your buying
policy:
1. To stop all purchases of timber from old-growth forest; both
in Norway and other countries. In Norway this includes timber
from all the areas listed in reports by the Norwegian Institute
for Nature Research and the biologist group Last Chance, and
described as valuable for protection.
2. To conduct key biotope inventories in areas which were found
valuable for protection, but have been excluded from the lists
as they have been clearcut.
3. To state publicly that you will no longer buy wood from key
biotopes and that you demand inventories from all forest owners
before you will make any future purchases.
4. Provide proof that your timber does not originate from old-
growth forests by developing a chain of custody documentation
system.
Until Norske Skog has implemented these demands, no one can be
sure that your forest products are clearcut-free nor old
growth free.
We await to your considered response,
Yours Sincerely,"
Please send it to: Norske Skog, fax + 47 67 59 91 97, with a
copy to Nature and Youth, fax + 47 22 20 45 94 or natung@sn.no