Enabling Landscapes: INTERHOLCO's Sustainability Report 2017

We harvest an average 0.5 trees per ha, equivalent to 1 football field,
every 30 years. The minimum diameters by law would allow a harvesting volume
of 10-15 m 3 . However, such a high quota would certainly lead
to a much higher impact in the forest and possibly compromise natural regeneration
and sustainable harvesting in future rotations. Actual harvest is below 10 m 3 .
Reduced Impact Logging (RIL)
The impacts of harvesting are
only on 1/30 of the
production area (i.e.: app.
24'000 ha annually of 800'000
ha total production area; app.
300'000 ha are set aside and
fully protected as HCV area).
Harvesting is only carried out
along carefully laid out skid
trails. After harvesting, skid
trails are rehabilitated to
avoid permanent soil
compaction. Harvesting
roads are closed to avoid
poaching and illegal
settlements. Already after
a few months, skid trails
and harvesting gaps are
overgrown by tree
regeneration.
Roads disappear after
few years due to natural
regeneration of pioneer
tree species.
Tackling climate change, using wood
Using sustainably sourced wood products contributes to mitigating climate change.
Of all building materials, wood is one of the few that sequesters significant
quantities of CO 2 , a prime greenhouse gas. CO 2 is absorbed as trees grow, and
stored in the finished product – potentially, for generations. Even better, where wood
is used as a substitute for materials that require enormous energy to be produced,
transported and processed, such as aluminium, steel, concrete or plastic, even more
CO 2 is saved.
56 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2017 INTERHOLCO