Description
90% of all of forests in the South are owned by either individuals or corporations. These forests lack any legal protections at all.
The Southern US is currently the largest wood producing region in the world, accounting for approximately 60% of the wood and paper products produced in the US and 15% of the paper products produced worldwide. Large producers of paper and wood products hold broad economic, social and political influence over the management of the South's forests (as well as the world's). These large industrial paper companies are engaged in unsustainable forestry practices such as large-scale clearcutting, the conversion of natural forests to sterile tree plantations and the heavy use of chemical fertilizers and herbicides. These practices not only destroy the region's rich biological heritage but also degrade the socioeconomic well-being of rural communities.
Companies communicate with you all the time using advertising and PR. With Dogwood Alliance you can talk back. Dogwood Alliance brings together the voices of thousands of individuals, local and regional grassroots partners, and national and international organizations. Together we create powerful leverage on companies whose practices destroy millions of acres of Southern forests every year.
Effective strategy
Large corporate customers (such as Staples and Office Depot) can directly influence the paper producers whose forestry practices wreak such havoc on the forests of the South. By organizing high profile campaigns focused on these large corporate customers, Dogwood Alliance educates the public about the impact of industrial paper production on our forests and increases demand for sustainably produced paper products in the marketplace .
We bring skilled negotiators into corporate boardrooms to pursue win-win solutions that ensure the future of natural and native Southern forests. We also work to create financial incentives for positive change by creating market demand for environmentally sound paper products.
A Record of Success
We have convinced Fortune 500 companies such as Staples and Office Depot to change their paper purchasing practices, increase recycled paper and phase out products coming from endangered forests in the Southern United States. In 2005, along with our partner, NRDC, we secured a groundbreaking forest conservation agreement with Bowater, Inc.--the largest newsprint manufacturer in the U.S. and the largest producer operating on the Cumberland Plateau.
Long term vision
Dogwood Alliance's long term goals are to protect and restore the South's endangered forests, end unsustainable forestry practices, and increase the industry's use of post-consumer recycled and other environmentally preferable sources of fiber in the production of paper. We promote forestry practices that meet high standards of environmental responsibility, such as those exemplified in the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification standards.
