FSC certified wood by Nien Made
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Kolombangara is a spectacular volcanic tropical island rising from the warm crystal waters of the South Pacific Ocean and forms part of the Western Province of the Solomon Islands.The Island's highest peak is at 1770 m above sea level and it hosts many amazing unique fiora and fauna endemic to the Solomon Islands. In 1989 Kolombangara Forest Products (KFPL) established a sustainable plantation estate on Kolombangara Island to reforest the lowland areas logged by Leavers Pacific Timbers from the mid 1970's to the mid 1980's. KFPL is the Solomon Islands' largest sustainable re-afforestation project and has held Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification since 1998. Today KFPL is a joint venture between the Nien family and the Solomon Island Government and our mission is committed to the practice of responsible sustainable forest management, ongoing development of the local indigenous communities and the protection of Kolombangara's unique conservation values and rich biological diversity. Since its establishment, KFPL have invested substantial resources and effort to support the living standards of the local communities on Kolombangara. This includes the provision of essential services and infrastructure for day to day life in the KFPL townships. Most notably we offer the Solomon Islanders secure employment and career opportunities with KFPL representing one of the largest employers in the Western Provence of the Solomon Islands. Kolombangara covers a diverse range of habitats from tropical marine to montane vegetation, which support fiora and fauna of international significance. KFPL have protected forests of higher altitude (above 400 m), more inaccessible forests and those that buffer the streams and rivers providing natural corridors between the higher and lower forest communities. The KFPL plantation area consists of 14,330 hectares planted with mixed indigenous and exotic commercial species including white teak (Gmelina arborea), teak (Tectona grandis) and kamarere (Eucalyptus deglupta) all

which grow well in local conditions. The remainder of the forested area (over 24,000 hectares) has been set aside as protected natural forests and reserves. In terms of sustainable tropical forestry practise, KFPL is a role model for other natural resource companies and organisations within the South Pacific. In the Solomon Islands, where destructive logging over the last 40 years has led to significant environmental degradaͭtion throughout the archipelago, the sustainable approach to forest utilisation and development is now widely recognised as the only viable future for the Solomon...

ne irees White teak (Gmelina arborea) was chosen originally as KFPL's main tree species due to its suitability to the Island's environment, good growth rates and fine quality of the timber. It grows well only on the better sites of the plantation estate. By using modern cloned planting stock and appropriate silvicultural practises, medium sized trees of good marketable quality can be grown sustainably on a 12-year rotation. White teak is from the same botanical family as teak (Tectona grandis). It has excellent market acceptance due to its pale silvery coloured wood, decorative silky...

international wood processing customers who also subscribe to the sustainable utilisation of forest resources (via FSC Chain of Custody program). Currently KFPL export our FSC certified logs to customers in Indo-nesia, Vietnam, China and India. Our marketing strategy has been further strengthened recently by the investment of the Nien family in KFPL. For Nien Made, KFPLwill provide a reliable and ongoing source of sustainable FSC certified premium timber for Nien Made s FSC wood based window covering programs and for KFPL, Nien Made will offer a stable and secure market for KFPL's...