Washington - Weyerhaeuser has announced a supply chain preference for certified material sourced from the American Tree Farm System (ATFS).

For more than 89,000 family forest owners managing 27 million acres of forestland in America, the preference for their certified wood can help the viability of the Tree Farms and the economic health of rural communities.

Weyerhaeuser certifies at least 99 percent of its timberlands in North America to sustainable forestry standards like those of ATFS.

“Most of our customers want certified wood. There’s a widespread understanding of the value of certification—encouraging corporate best practices remains by far the most important role for certification. Buyers want to know their wood comes from sustainably managed forests,” said Dan Fulton, President and CEO of Weyerhaeuser Company.

Weyerhaeuser also will support the use of internationally accepted sustainable forestry standards, including the use of independent, external auditors that verify a company's commitment to responsible sourcing.

The preference for ATFS wood will be implemented at Weyerhaeuser through a number of measures, including different incentives, procurement decisions, policies and support for the expansion of the American Tree Farm system.