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Healthy Forests, Abundant Wildlife, Conservation Ethic

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Domtar’s 3-year partnership pledge with RGS and the Dynamic Forest Partnership (DFP particularly including American Bird Conservancy and Indiana University of PA; Audubon Mid-Atlantic; and PA Game Commission) 

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Proposal/Agreement Summary: Domtar’s 3-year partnership pledge with RGS and the Dynamic Forest Partnership (DFP particularly including American Bird Conservancy and Indiana University of PA; Audubon Mid-Atlantic; and PA Game Commission)

Primary funder: Domtar ($20k/yr for three years, beginning in June, 2023) 

Location: North-central PA 

Innovations: 1) Audubon Mid-Atlantic (AMA) is a partner, 2) we are working on late-successional habitat and carbon (through AMA enrolling landowners in Family Forest Carbon Program (FFCP)), 3) Domtar’s sourcing is a key part of the program 

Impact:  

1. Improve forest habitat quality and diversity, forest stewardship and resiliency, and increase carbon storage within new or near established ‘Dynamic Forest Restoration Blocks’  

  • RGS will coordinate with DFP and other partners to identify clusters of landowners near established Dynamic Forest Restoration Blocks (see map below), six of which will be within Domtar’s sourcing regions (roughly approximated in blue polygon on map below) 
  • With 3 yrs. of funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), RGS will provide financial assistance through consulting foresters and others to enable regeneration harvests that will: 

1. create early successional and young forest habitats, which will often help restore high-graded tracts and  

2. improve late-successional management, particularly for wood thrush  

 

  1. 2. Expand Domtar’s preferential purchasing of fiber from projects that improve bird habitats  

  • Working with Luke Dillinger at Domtar, RGS will develop ways of tracking and reporting fiber purchased from public and private lands that was part of conservation program or practice intended to improve bird habitats, including from State Game Lands (SGLs), state and national forests, and state and federal conservation programs, and others 
  • With and on behalf of DFP partners, RGS will work with Domtar to develop a system to review and report the habitat benefits of Domtar’s sourcing from such projects 
  • With and on behalf of DFP partners, RGS will work with Domtar to develop and expand a quota preference whereby Domtar could let suppliers off quota if they’re sourcing from our projects or partners’ projects  

  1. 3. Publicize our partnership and share progress 

  • With and on behalf of DFP partners, RGS will work with Domtar to write and release a press release announcing the expansion and extension of our partnership 
  • Add Domtar’s logo as a DFP partner to DFP presentations, reports, etc. 
  • RGS will send quarterly progress reports to Luke Dillinger at Domtar
  • Annually, RGS will write a blog and 2 social media posts describing our partnership and progress toward shared goals
  • With and on behalf of DFP partners, RGS will develop compelling ways to describe and depict progress toward implementing dynamic blocks that RGS will share with Domtar in our annual reports
  • RGS and will develop other publicity and promotions with Luke and Paige at Domtar (TBD) 

Partners and Chapter Contributions:  

  • Audubon Mid-Atlantic will contribute 40% of their forester’s time to the project
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