Duke Forest Wins Sustainability Leadership Award

Image of DF staff leading a tour to students in Forest with FSC logo and text about Duke winning the 2021 Award

DURHAM, NC – OCTOBER 14, 2021

The Office of the Duke Forest is delighted to share the news that the Duke Forest Teaching and Research Laboratory at Duke University is one of the 21 winners of the Forest Stewardship Council United States 2021 Leadership Award celebrating “forest owners, builders, architects, retailers, paper mills, manufacturers, environmental organizations and many others who contribute to the movement toward responsible sourcing and forest management.” We have been audited to FSC® standards since 2001, and we are honored to be recognized for our team’s hard work and dedication in managing a sustainable and dynamic land base.


The Duke Forest is owned and managed by Duke University.  It consists of over 7,000 acres of forested land and open fields in Durham, Orange, and Alamance counties.  It has been managed for teaching and research purposes since 1931.

The mission of the Duke Forest is to facilitate research that addresses fundamental and applied questions across a variety of disciplines and to aid in the instruction of all students in their pursuit of knowledge, especially regarding the stewardship of our natural resources.

Management of the Forest is guided by a comprehensive plan that promotes the Forest’s academic mission while ensuring the protection of its natural resources.  The Duke Forest also provides education and outreach through tours and volunteer events and offers nature-based recreation opportunities that do not conflict with its mission and management.

Read our 2017 – 2022 strategic plan here.


The announcement below is from the Forest Stewardship Council® website:
https://us.fsc.org/en-us/newsroom/newsletter/id/1202


2021 FSC Leadership Awards Winners Announced

Forest Stewardship Council, the world’s most trusted forest certification system, announced its 2021 FSC Leadership Awards, recognizing uncommon excellence that advances responsible forest management and forest conservation.

“The depth and breadth of the award winners this year is truly inspiring,” said Chris McLaren, Chief Marketing Officer of FSC US. “With growing concerns about climate change and biodiversity, these leaders show that responsible forest management and sourcing are critical parts of any sustainability initiative.”

FSC Leadership Awards celebrate forest owners, builders, architects, retailers, paper mills, manufacturers, environmental organizations and many others who contribute to the movement toward responsible sourcing and forest management. Winners of the 2021 FSC Leadership Awards are as follows:

  • Del Fuerte, a brand of Grupo Herdez for being the first sponsor of the FSC Ecosystem Service Procedure in North America to ensure the forested watershed supplying water for their tomatoes is protected.
  • Duke Forest Teaching and Research Laboratory at Duke University for 20 years of FSC certification to protect High Conservation Values and educate professionals.
  • EcoTensil, Inc. for offering innovative cutlery to consumers and food retailers looking for a sustainable alternative to plastic cutlery.
  • Michael Ferrucci for nearly 40 years of forestry leadership and deep expertise in FSC certification, driving positive outcomes in forests across four countries and 33 states.
  • Finch Paper LLC for supporting responsible forest management since 1910 – and FSC certification since 2003 – in the “Jewel in the Crown” of the Adirondacks in New York.
  • The Forestland Group for being the first Timber Investment Management Organization (TIMO) to earn FSC certification on its entire US portfolio of more than two million acres.
  • GreenFirst Forest Products for maintaining FSC certification across nearly five million acres of complex landscapes in Ontario and Quebec for more than 15 years.
  • Hemlock Printers for becoming the first FSC-certified printer in the Pacific Northwest in 2004 to raise awareness about the importance of intact forest biomes and biodiversity.
  • Mattel for achieving at least 95 percent recycled or FSC-certified fiber and wood use across its entire portfolio of iconic toy products and packaging.
  • Swanton Pacific Ranch at California Polytechnic State University for using their FSC-certified forest as a teaching tool for generations of forestry professionals.
  • Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue for using FSC certification as a tool to teach ecosystem management in Quebec’s boreal mixed-wood forest.
  • Wagner Forest Management, Ltd. for offering FSC certification to its clients across the eastern US and Canada and participating in more than 80 conservation initiatives.
  • Yale Forests at The Forest School at Yale School of the Environment for 20 years of FSC certification at Yale-Myers Forest on lands they have stewarded for 100 years.

In addition, the following construction and building projects were awarded a 2021 FSC Leadership Award:

  • Block Architects and Facing Homelessness for creating sustainable, affordable housing solutions in Seattle with the Block Project, using 90% FSC-certified wood.
  • Crown Pointe Estates for using more than 90% FSC-certified wood and pursuing Zero Carbon certification in the luxury home Zero 1 at MariSol Malibu.
  • Epsten Group, Inc. for using 100% FSC-certified cabinetry, booth seating and wall elements in their new headquarters in Atlanta.
  • Mahlum Architects for using 100% FSC-certified wood in their office remodel, including structural lumber, nearly all of it sourced from within their home state of Oregon.
  • Michigan State University, Granger Construction Company, Integrated Design Solutions, LLC, Ellenzweig, and Les Chantiers Chibougamau Ltee for using 99% FSC-certified wood in the 120,000-sqaure-foot, mass timber structure MSU STEM Teaching and Learning Facility as a demonstration of innovation and leadership.
  • MSR Design and Distinctive Cabinet Design for earning FSC certification and using 100% FSC-certified millwork in the remodel of MSR Design’s office at 510 Marquette.
  • Natural Resources Defense Council for using 100% FSC-certified wood in the remodel of its Washington, D.C. office and including FSC in design guidance to contractors.
  • The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology’s Green Building Team, Woodpecker European Timber Framing, and the Molenaar Family for working tirelessly to source wood responsibly for a small, remote home pursuing Living Building Challenge certification.
  • University of California San Diego and the Miller Hull Partnership for communicating the positive life cycle impacts of extensive FSC wood sourcing in the UCSD Center for Coastal Studies project.

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