N.B. Forestry Company Certified For Conservation Practices, Relationships With Indigenous Communities
NACKAWIC – A New Brunswick forestry company is the first in the province to receive world-class certification for its privately-owned and managed land in York County.
AV Group NB is the province’s first recipient of the newly revised Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) Forest Management Certification on a tract of forest land it owns and manages.
Mike Legere, director of government relations and communications with AV Group, said the certification is an important accomplishment.
“We think this is bringing some value to our company because that’s what the market is demanding from us,” said Legere.
AV Group is the first forestry company in New Brunswick to be awarded certification under a new, revised standard from 2020. The certification was awarded for its management of a 40,000-hectare freehold parcel of Acadian forest in near the community of Nackawic.
“It’s truly an Acadian-type forest, with a mix of hardwood and softwood, and a lot of tolerant hardwoods like sugar maple, yellow birch – and a lot of spruce and fir,” said Legere.
The new certification required AV Group to abide by 10 overarching principles, with a heavy focus on stronger engagement with First Nations, conservation disputes and landscape management, climate change and ecosystem services.
Of the principles AV Group had to prove it abides by, Legere said AV Group is most proud of its healthy engagement with First Nations, as the freehold land for which they were awarded certification is near several Wolastoqey communities.
“That’s important to us because we actually have to show we’re making progress in furthering consideration of First Nations on how we manage the land. Everything from considering historical cultural uses, and traditional uses like hunting, and fishing to a management plan,” he said.
“The standard requires us to move towards a more wholesome and comprehensive agreement with them, so they’re aware of what we’re trying to accomplish.”
“It’s really being driven by our downstream supply chain – consumers that are buying our final product and products made with our final product.
AV Group has a sophisticated supply chain and relationship with other forestry entities in the province, supplying wood to 40 other forestry companies and managing just shy of 800,000 hectares of Crown forest land.
One of AV Groups’ biggest customers is the textile and garment industry, with industry giants like H&M, Tommy Hilfiger, Under Armor and Van Heusen using products made with New Brunswick’s man-made cellulose fibre materials to make clothing.
“When people think of our industry, they tend to think of lumber, plywood and tissue and paper, but we actually make the primary input for viscose staple fibre – the old term for that would be rayon,” said Legere.
That material is spun into thread, woven into fabric and processed in the apparel business to make clothing for various brands.
“People are going into the store, looking and demanding more accountability, and transparency with regards to where their shirts or dresses or blouses come from,” he added.
AV Group, a subsidiary of global forestry giant Aditya Birla Group, is one of the largest employers in New Brunswick, with more than 1,500 employees.
Legere said AV Group is looking at opportunities to extend its FSC certification to some of the Crown land it manages as well.
Sam Macdonald is a Huddle reporter in Moncton. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].