Stuart Clarke, chairman of the Hardwood Forestry Fund's award program presented the Gifford Pinchot Award to Brad Thompson, Columbia Forest Products CEO.

The Hardwood Forestry Fund (HFF) recently announced that Columbia Forest Products is a 2010 recipient of the Gifford Pinchot Award. Columbia Forest Products accepted the award at its booth (1670) during IWF 2010 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Ga. 

The HFF’s Gifford Pinchot Award recognizes significant corporate achievements in promoting sustainable forestry. Gifford Pinchot (1865 - 1946) was a forester, conservationist, first Chief of the US Forest Service and Society of American Forester founder and president. Pinchot’s lasting legacy to forest management and conservation (wise use of resources) is mirrored in the goals of the Hardwood Forestry Fund. The Gifford Pinchot Award is designed to go to a company that shows leadership in forest sustainability.

HFF Award Chairman Stuart Clarke of Clarke Veneers & Plywood presented a plaque to Columbia Forest Products CEO Brad Thompson in front of an audience of media and invited guests. “Columbia receives this special award for their tremendous environmental and conservation focus and leadership,” Clarke said. “On behalf of the Hardwood Forestry Fund board of directors, I am proud to share the Gifford Pinchot Award with Columbia Forests Products and commend them on their leadership and award winning efforts to support sustainable forestry.”

The HFF commended Columbia Forest Products for making significant investments in:

 • educating people about America’s vast and renewable forest resources, including Columbia’s personnel and staff of professionally licensed foresters, logger safety training programs, private landowner education and web-based forest management outreach;

• raising the bar on the sourcing of legal and certified products by connecting forest woodland owners, distributors, fabricators and consumers to the hardwood resource through certification;

• leading efforts to expand tree replacement on public forests with a focus on the management and health of public and private hardwood timberlands.