AR-News: (US) Forest Defense Victory

[Adam Weissman, Wetlands Preserve]

From: "Liz Butler" <liz at forestethics.org>


Office Depot Announces Commitment to protect Global Endangered Forests

When Office Depot released an environmental policy on Earth Day of last year
that failed to provide protection for endangered forests, a grassroots
campaign was launched. The announcement today by Office Depot of a revised
environmental policy is the successful result of a year-long grassroots
effort challenging the company to make a clear policy commitment to protect
endangered forests!

In its revised policy, Office Depot seeks to influence the conservation of
forests and biodiversity through using its purchasing power to influence its
suppliers (the timber companies).  It commits to:

.	Identify endangered forests, including forests that are rare and
vulnerable, contain exceptional biodiversity values, are subject to
unsustainable management, or where illegal logging is occurring
.	Engage in landscape level conservation planning, including the
establishment of ecological reserves
.	Work with its suppliers to end the conversion of natural forests to
plantations
.	Work with its suppliers to prevent the use of genetically modified
trees
.	Increase its overall post-consumer recycled content to at least 30%


Over the past year, activists held over a hundred demonstrations on two days
of actions, made hundreds of phone calls, sent thousands of postcards,
bird-dogged CEO Bruce Nelson, sent the company an international coalition
letter calling for the protection of endangered forests, signed by over 200
organizations, critiqued Office Depot's policy at the Office Products
International conference, engaged in shareholder advocacy led by Calvert,
Green Century Funds, Trillium, and As You Sow, and spread information about
the campaign in a 20 city tour about forest protection.

Office Depot revised its environmental paper policy, and all involved should
take a moment to celebrate your victory for the forests!

The next phase of the campaign is to watchdog the implementation of Office
Depot's purchasing practices to ensure that Office Depot's commitment
results in protections for forests on the ground, including in the Southern
U.S., the Canadian Boreal, and endangered US national forests. We need your
help so we can hold Office Depot to this policy.

The step taken by Office Depot, in combination with many other corporate
commitments, is part of a broader effort to transform the paper industry
away from the destruction of endangered forests, practices of over
harvesting, and the conversion of natural forests to plantations and toward
ecologically sound paper alternatives such as post-consumer recycled content
and agricultural waste.

Thanks again for all of your work for the forests.  Please contact us with
any questions or comments:


Kelly Sheehan, Dogwood Alliance, kelly at dogwoodalliance.org, 828-251-2525
Liz Butler, ForestEthics, liz at forestethics.org, 301-864-3244

The Paper Campaign coalition partners include: American Lands Alliance,
Dogwood Alliance, Katuah Earth First!, ForestEthics, Green Corps, Ecopledge,
Sierra Student Coalition, Southern Appalachian Biodiversity Project, Free
the Planet!, Heartwood,  National Forest Protection Alliance, Kentucky
Heartwood, Rainforest Action Network, Rainforest Relief, ReThink Paper,
Student Environmental Action Coalition, Iowa STEP, Shenendoah Ecosystem
Defense Group, Indiana Forest Alliance and many local groups.


Liz Butler
Organizing Director/ForestEthics
*301-864-3244ph*/ 202-487-4908 cell
309-412-3251 fx/ liz at forestethics.org
***4208 32nd street***
Mount Rainier, MD 20712-1703
www.forestethics.org
****Make note of new street address****


-- 
How can you resist corporate  rule while mortgaging your body to 
their addictive chemicals?
Wouldn't you rather die FIGHTING corporations instead of letting them 
profit off your illness and death?   Fight corporate power-- quit 
smoking!!


Recognizing the common roots of all forms of oppression, The Activism 
Center at Wetlands Preserve fights for human, animal, and earth 
liberation through protest, direct action, street theater, political 
advocacy, and public education.  We always new volunteers and 
interns! For more information call (201) 968-0595 or email 
activism at wetlands-preserve.org

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