GRANDE PRAIRIE, Alta., March 24, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) and Weyerhaeuser Company (NYSE: WY) today announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU), spanning five years and including $250,000 in new funding commitments. The new MOU will provide the framework for both organizations to work together to demonstrate a long-term commitment to support wetland and waterfowl stewardship throughout Weyerhaeuser’s Canadian operating areas located in the temperate and boreal forest regions of Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Saskatchewan.
This conservation agreement marks the continuation of a long and collaborative relationship between Weyerhaeuser and DUC. The MOU will involve several projects over a five-year period, including the continued development of best management practices designed to help protect natural habitat in this important working landscape, an inventory of carbon storage in wetlands for effective carbon accounting, and the creation of a Wetland Stewardship Report which will identify areas for future collaboration and knowledge-sharing.
“This partnership reflects the shared values that both DUC and Weyerhaeuser hold, ensuring that conservation is top of mind and that important habitat is conserved throughout our Canadian landscape,” said Larry Kaumeyer, DUC’s Chief Executive Officer. “Weyerhaeuser embraces the use of best management practices, conservation leadership and knowledge-sharing supporting our common interests, as well as the integrity of the land. We are delighted to enter this agreement with them.”
DUC’s mission is to conserve, restore and manage wetlands and associated habitats for the benefit of North America’s waterfowl, wildlife and people. Canada’s boreal region is a high priority for DUC’s conservation efforts, as more than 85 per cent of the nation’s wetlands are found in the boreal forest. These wetlands filter millions of litres of water, support hundreds of wildlife species and store vast amounts of carbon. To date, DUC has influenced more than 121 million acres throughout the boreal region thanks to the support of many partners such as Weyerhaeuser.
DUC’s conservation work closely aligns with Weyerhaeuser’s corporate mission to promote the involvement of local communities and stakeholders in sustainable forest use, planning and forestry operations, and to harvest and regenerate natural forested landscapes in a manner that supports wildlife habitat and minimizes impacts to forest biodiversity.
"Weyerhaeuser is excited to build on our long-time partnership with Ducks Unlimited Canada,” said David Graham, President of Weyerhaeuser Company Limited, Weyerhaeuser’s Canadian subsidiary. “DUC is a proven and committed partner, and our collaboration will provide invaluable science-based data and information for our foresters to use in enhancing our sustainable forest management practices and help to maintain the habitats we steward across Canada’s great forests.”
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The National Boreal Program of Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) has over 20 years of experience working with governments, Indigenous Peoples, and industry to develop comprehensive, science-based solutions for conserving boreal wetlands. DUC is a registered charity and the leader in wetland conservation.
Established in 1900, Weyerhaeuser Company is one of the world’s largest private owners of timberlands, and one of the largest manufacturers of Wood Products in North America. Weyerhaeuser manages timberlands under long-term licenses in Canada on a fully sustainable basis in compliance with internationally recognized forestry standards.
