When managed appropriately, forests can yield many economic, climate, water, and other benefits, including forest products. And placing forests under sustainable certification can help ensure these benefits into the future. However, only a small portion of the 214 million acres of Southern U.S. forests are currently certified to sustainable forest management standards. Many woodland owners lack information about certification and are uncertain of its financial benefits, and the limits on harvest volumes required to meet the guidelines often limit the size and revenue from timber harvesting.

The institutions in the Carbon Canopy partnership provide the technical and business expertise necessary to do actual project development, and Carbon Canopy acts as an important facilitator between the landowners and the corporate buyers of the carbon offsets and wood products.

Andrew Goldberg, Director of Corporate Engagement at Dogwood Alliance, views the development of the Carbon Canopy and the broader ecosystem services marketplace as a critical opportunity to protect Southern U.S. forests:

“The Carbon Canopy is building a new paradigm for landowners, one in which they can actually profit from improving forest management practices that protect our climate, water and biodiversity.”

Carbon Canopy leverages the greening of the US marketplace into a source of revenue for landowners that manage working forests for long-term carbon sinks under Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) forest management and Climate Action Reserve (CAR) carbon accounting protocols.  By building the FSC infrastructure and endorsing certified sustainable management where appropriate, Carbon Canopy also supports the greening of the forest products industry which is critical for rural economy.

Mark Buckley, VP of Environmental Affairs at Staples, believes that the Carbon Canopy approach offers a win-win solution:

“Staples and other buyers can purchase carbon offsets and the fiber supplied by engaged woodland owners and, in turn, woodland owners are financially compensated for providing valuable benefits to society, which helps protect forests.”

Currently, the Carbon Canopy has projects under development that span approximately 26,000 acres including both large and small private landowners in the Southern Appalachians of North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. View the new WRI report Insights from the Field: Forests for Climate and Timber here. For more information, please contact: Andrew Goldberg.

Rare high elevation spruce forest on parcel being conserved under Carbon Canopy

15 For the Forests: Changing the Office Supply Industry, Starting with Staples

After sinking its roots into organizing work with a campaign to stop chip mills in Southern forests, Dogwood Alliance decided to refine its approach in 2000 with a targeted effort to influence the paper marketplace. As it’s first target, Dogwood chose office supply leader Staples.

“Our Staples campaign marked the first time that the paper industry had been challenged in the marketplace,” recalls Doug Sloan, then board chain of Dogwood Alliance. Over two years, beginning with a national Day of Action on November 15, 2000, Dogwood Alliance organized more than 600 protests nationwide.

“We mobilized student groups, individual activists and other environmental groups in a national partnership with Forest Ethics,” says Scot Quaranda, Campaign Director.  “We got the band REM to do public service announcements for us on MTV and VH1. Our executive director, Sarah Hodgdon was interviewed on The News Hour with Jim Leher, CNN Headline News and Marketplace on NPR. It was the first time we were able to engage people across the U.S. and in Canada in our work.”

Dogwood staff and volunteers also maintained a constant pressure on Staples’ leaders. “We would bring up the issues of forest conservation and Staples’ sourcing practices at shareholder meetings, publicly challenging their policies and requesting that they fly over our Southern forestlands to see the impacts of their actions. They agreed, which was a good sign.”

Dogwood Alliance first met with Staples’ leaders in person in January 2000. “They were receptive,” says Danna Smith.  “It took two years of meetings, but they did finally adopt a policy. I remember sitting side-by-side with the vice chairman of their board to announce the end of the campaign and Staples’ groundbreaking new environmental policy. It was a great moment for Dogwood.”

Initially, Staples committed to sourcing paper that was at least 30% post-consumer recycled fiber and to sourcing nothing that is produced from endangered forests. Now their goal is to carry at least 50% post-consumer recycled content or FSC certified content for all of its paper products, making the company the environmental leader for its industry.

Major Responsibilities

Fundraising & Development

Administration & Management

• Work with the Donor Relations Coordinator to establish protocols and systems for managing the  database, gift processing and donor contact.
• Develop and implement systems for cultivating existing and potential donors.
• Work with the Donor Relations Coordinator to generate, analyze and present regular updates to the Executive Director and to the Board of Directors on fundraising progress and special reports as needed.
• Coordinate and manage staff and board engagement in fundraising, including managing the Executive Director’s fundraising schedule.

Qualifications

• 10 years of successful experience in all aspects of non-profit development, including 5 years in a leadership position involving management of staff and/or volunteers
• A proven track record in direct solicitation and in setting and achieving annual revenue targets
• A demonstrated excellence in fundraising planning, strategy and management
• A working knowledge of Salsa or other equivalent fundraising database program
• A working knowledge of environmental campaign strategies, grassroots organizing, environmental justice and/or corporate campaigns
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and attention to detail
• Experience building an organization-wide culture of philanthropy that is well-integrated with programs
• Nonprofit volunteer experience

In addition, candidates should have strong leadership capabilities, be solution-oriented, work well in a team and with diverse partners, have a sense of humor, bring a high degree of initiative, creativity and professionalism to their work and demonstrate a passion for and commitment to forest conservation.

Salary 45,000-50,000/year DOE plus competitive benefits

To apply for this position, please call: 828.251.2525 x20
Once you have completed your call, please fill out this brief contact form.

The second place drawing was by Keegan, age 9, who attended Fletcher (NC) Day Camp.  The third place drawing came from Alex, age 10, who attended day camp at the Reid Center in Asheville, NC.  All three children received one of the new t-shirts and an award certificate.

The T-shirts bearing Anne Hope’s artwork were unveiled at Dogwood Alliance’s 15^th Anniversary party on November 5^th at Highland Brewing in Asheville.

The contest was judged by Asheville area artists Ursala Gullow, Kathryn Temple, and Satellite Gallery Owner Bill Thompson.

T-shirts are available in kids, women’s and men’s styles. Your purchase helps extend the work of Dogwood Alliance for another 15 years!

Help us celebrate in style!

Order today! You can order a t-shirt by becoming a member of Dogwood Alliance and making a $25 or greater donation.  Please email Amanda and indicate your t-shirt size preference (Men’s American Apparel Brown/Tan Ringer S, M, L or XL; Women’s Blue S, M, L, or XL; Youth White Size 8, 10, or 12).

1st Place Winner, Anne Hope, Raleigh, NC, Age 11

2nd Place Winner, Keegan, Fletcher, NC, Age 9

3rd Place Winner, Alex, Asheville, NC, Age 10

Today, Colonel Sanders and various woodland creatures made appearances at over 150 KFC restaurants across the country and various locations in Europe to deliver a message, “Stop destroying Southern forests for your throwaway packaging.”  The iconic KFC bucket and other KFC paper packaging comes from critical wetland forests and some of the last remaining special places on the southeastern coast.

The Colonel and crew were part of a national day of action, #OccupyKFC, organized by the Dogwood Alliance as part of the Kentucky Fried Forests campaign.  Following on the heels of America Recycles Day, the organization is challenging KFC to use less paper, increase the use of post-consumer recycled paper in all of its packaging, recycle more and to adopt a sector-leading policy that ensures its packaging is made from paper from well managed forests and not contributing to the destruction of endangered forests or the replacement of natural forests with industrial tree plantations.

“Today, we stepped it up a level and hundreds of concerned citizens across the U.S. demonstrated at KFC restaurants demanding change,” said Scot Quaranda, Campaign Director at Dogwood Alliance.  “KFC’s fast food packaging is destroying our forests but it doesn’t have to be that way.  McDonald’s has shown leadership on these issues and it’s now time for KFC to be a responsible corporate citizen and do its part to end the rampant destruction of the special forests in the South to make its chicken buckets.”

For years, Dogwood Alliance has utilized their expertise in the sustainable sourcing of paper products to be a resource for major companies who are interested reduce the impacts of their paper and packaging on Southern forests, including Staples, McDonald’s, and Johnson & Johnson. Today, after more than four years of continued efforts by Dogwood Alliance to communicate with KFC and its parent company Yum!, they have demonstrated no meaningful concern for forests and affected communities, and refused to talk substantively about these important issues.

Instead, KFC has chosen to greenwash by slapping the controversial and ill-regarded Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certification label on its packaging.  The conservation community has called the SFI greenwashing, because it allows out-moded business as usual forestry practices including large-scale clearcutting, logging of endangered forests, conversion of natural forests to plantations, and widespread use of toxic chemicals.

Today’s action was inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement which has been in the national spotlight for almost two months now.  Included in the over 150 actions is a demonstration by the environmental solidarity group of Occupy Wall Street housed at Zuccotti Park in New York City until early yesterday morning.  Because of the happenings in NYC, this particular action will happen this weekend or early next week.  Additionally there were demonstrations from coast to coast and at various locations in Europe.  The campaign will continue until KFC adopts a green packaging policy and takes real action to protect the forests of the Southern U.S.

KFC’s largest supplier in the South, International Paper (IP) has long been associated with destructive forestry practices.  Notable has been the impact the company has had on the southeastern coast in places like North Carolina’s Green Swamp, where forested wetlands have been ditched and drained and converted to monoculture pine plantations, impacting endangered species such as the Venus Flytrap and causing flooding in nearby communities.  As a major purchaser of paper products from International Paper, KFC has the ability to influence industry-wide change by committing to stop sourcing products from these damaging practices.

The Southern US is the largest paper producing region in the world providing 20% of the globe’s paper.  Every year an area larger than the state of New Hampshire is clearcut. Yet the region is home to a large number of endangered plants and animals which hang in the balance.  While other fast food companies, including McDonald’s, have introduced standards for sustainably sourced paper products from suppliers, KFC and its’ parent company, YUM! Brands, have been a slow mover in adopting practices.

# # #

Dogwood Alliance is increasing protection for millions of acres of Southern forests by transforming the way corporations, landowners and communities value them for their climate, wildlife and water benefits. Dogwood Alliance has revolutionized the environmental practices of some of the world’s largest corporations. To support Dogwood Alliance’s call for KFC to adopt sustainable packaging practices send a letter to KFC leadership via www.kentuckyfriedforests.com, for more information on the organization visit www.dogwoodalliance.org.

To read the letter delivered today to store managers, visit here: http://pressroomda.greenmediatoolshed.org/sites/default/files/Dear%20KFC%20Restaurant%20Manager%20Occupy%20-%20final.pdf

To watch a video Colonel Sanders released from the great yonder in support of #OccupyKFC visit here: http://youtu.be/GDFzdqsW_rg

To read more about McDonald’s recently announced environmental paper packaging policy, visit: http://www.dogwoodalliance.org/2011/03/mcdonalds-adopts-industry-leading-forest-standards-for-its-packaging/

We’re already off to a great start! On Saturday, November 5th, Dogwood Alliance and several hundred friends and supporters honored 15 years of revolutionizing forest protection with a big birthday bash at Highland Brewing Company in Asheville. Since the party, with birthday gifts, donations and our silent auction, we’ve raised over $5,000 toward our $15,000 goal!

The event included something for everyone to commemorate our successes and to say a very special “Thank You!” for the enthusiasm, commitment and ongoing support we’ve received over the years from our members, donors, volunteers and activists of all ages. It also featured the world premier of Dogwood Alliance’s new video!

Click here to view the embedded video.

The celebration was made possible by a number of generous sponsors, including Black Dome Mountain Sports, Short Street Cakes, Ultimate Ice Cream, A Divine Event, and ImageSmith Communications.

Check out our Facebook album of the awesome pictures we took at the party.

“Dogwood Alliance has covered some serious ground over the past 15 years, increasing protection for over 90 million acres of Southern forests through changing the business practices of some of the world’s largest companies like Staples, McDonald’s and Georgia-Pacific ” said Danna Smith, Executive Director. “With an even stronger base of support, we can continue to successfully hold the paper industry accountable while also stopping the next big threat: utility companies that want to burn our forests for energy. Most importantly, we can move beyond pushing back the threats to also focus on building a new future where protected forests are truly valued for all their benefits.”

Please donate today to help us raise $15,000 in new funds by the end of the year. Your gift will help Dogwood Alliance — and Southern forests — thrive for years to come.

We at Dogwood Alliance are proud to receive this recognition from our colleagues and fellow activists working to change negative corporate behavior. Dogwood Alliance is a longtime member of BEN, a project of Corporate Ethics International, which is the largest network of non-profit, marketplace advocacy activists and organizations in the U.S. and includes activists from such notable organizations as ForestEthics, Greenpeace, Healthcare without Harm, the Humane Society of the United States, Rainforest Action Network, and the Teamsters.

The Business Ethics Network Executive Director Anne Pernick has said, “The American public is calling for corporate accountability and limits on corporate power. The activists in these campaigns are working to benefit us all, and they are winning incredible victories against powerful foes.” We agree! In this time of Occupy Wall Street, we are glad to do our part for the common good.

Over the last few years, Dogwood Alliance has been working hard to convince the largest users of paper packaging from Southern forests to use less packaging, use more recycled content, and ensure their paper packaging does not come from endangered forests in the South. Most recently our efforts have focused on the fast food industry where we have made great progress raising awareness about the impact of industrial forestry on Southern Forests. Just this spring, fast food giant McDonald’s announced a Sustainable Land Management Commitment that points the company in the right direction. And, of course, our Kentucky Fried Forests campaign against fast food behemoth Yum! Brands has already brought change to the largest restaurant company in the world, but we are still pushing for more protection for our forests!

Please join us for our upcoming day of action November 16th!

“I learned about Dogwood when I was with the Environmental Defense Fund in Raleigh and worked on projects in the western part of the state,” says Kelly, who became a Dogwood Board member from 2005-2008.

“I like Dogwood’s approach to solving problems, the fact that they go at campaigns from multiple angles. They begin relationships with companies using an open, conciliatory approach, but if that doesn’t get results, they don’t hesitate to go a different route.”

As the founder of the Appalachian Center for Wilderness Medicine, Seth appreciates the symbiotic relationship between Dogwood’s work and his own. “Our work focuses on the delivery of healthcare in austere environments — like forests and other places where an ambulance can’t go. As a result, I have a growing appreciation for Dogwood’s work to protect those forest areas.”

Southern forests were a new discovery for this couple, who transplanted to North Carolina after graduating from Yale. Kelly is a native of Missouri, and Seth is a self-proclaimed “true Yankee” from Connecticut.

“I agreed to live in the south as long as we could have some altitude,” he says. The two have since fallen in love with the region and are happy to be raising three sons here, ages 4, 8 and 11.

While Seth serves as an emergency physician in the local hospital and medical director for the county, Kelly focuses on raising the boys and engaging with environmental groups like Dogwood as a board member and volunteer. Her favorite Dogwood “victories” have been the office supply campaign and the Georgia-Pacific agreement.

“The office supply campaign was fun and also turned out to be a defining campaign for Dogwood. It helped target the organization’s work in terms of marketplace campaigns. And as far as Georgia-Pacific goes, that’s such a large corporation and getting them to agree to higher environmental standards is a huge success.”

What would this couple like to see from Dogwood Alliance over the next 15 years? “We’d love to see Dogwood Alliance do its work so well that all companies and private landowners would be using the very best practices in terms of forest protection and conservation,” says Kelly. “That would be a great thing to celebrate.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here’s what Don had to say:

“My favorite forest is the virgin streambottom forest of Cedar Creek Canyon on Petit Jean Mountain in Arkansas. Always cool and damp, locally rare trees like the Ozark chinquapin and vernal witchhazel can still be found here. The gentle scent of the witchhazel is an intoxicating treat in late winter. Like the forest primeval, here one can imagine an earlier forest, 300 million years ago, whose decline formed the sandstones and shales of this steep-walled canyon, here seen mirrored in a waterfall’s pool.”

The contest may be over, but it’s always time to talk about your favorite forest. Visit us on Facebook and add yours today!

P.S. There were many great entries from around the world. Here are a few more of our favorites:

My favorite forests are the forests of the Berkshire Mountains in Connecticut and Massachusetts. My parents owned a vacation place in the Berkshires with some pine forests and hardwood forests. My home in Connecticut also had a strip of forest in back which ran all the way behind my neighbors’ back yards to the end of the block.

The place that stands out the most for me was a time when we were backpacking in the Allegheny State Park in PA. The woods aren’t especially wild, but that time it was late summer and there had been recent rains. The ground was covered, including the trail, with mushrooms, everywhere. It was like a fairyland, and it made it special for us both.

My favorite forest is a nearby wildlife center. Although small it has an up and down winding path that at one and the same time provides a challenging walk and rich varieties of trees, shrubs, grasses, and flowers ever changing with the seasons. Always different, yet always the same, this small “forest” delights the eyes, energizes the body, and feeds the soul.

My favorite is the San Juan National Forest, where you can be absorbed into cool mountain air, shady spruce towering over a mossy forest floor, and wildflower meadows filled with wild strawberries!

My story revolves around the redwood forests north of Arcata, CA in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. My daughter moved to Arcata & I went to visit. It was my first interaction with the redwoods. I walked into the forest & was simply mesmerized by the presence of the big trees. I felt they were a family with grandparents, parents, children.  I had never had that feeling before in a forest. I also felt strongly that I was a part of that family. It was my most spiritual experience up to that point in my life. To just walk amongst them, or sit & absorb their peacefulness, was magical. I have had fantasies of somehow protecting the redwoods from never being logged again.