Mercer Holz Launches Program to Support German Forest Owners

Mercer recently announced the launch of its program “Growing forests – Growing a future” to support forest owners in Germany. Mercer Holz, the wood purchasing organization of Mercer, is committed to partnering with forest owners in Germany to sustain the longevity of their forests, according to a press release.

Over the next several years, Mercer will provide participating forest owners across Germany with a careful selection of seedlings to help replenish their forests. Forests all over the world are facing threats like the bark beetle, climate change, natural disasters like floods, wildfires, and soil degradation, Mercer said. These threats pose a serious risk to the future of forestry, the livelihood of forest owners and their families, as well as the planet.

Mercer is one of the first companies within the German wood industry to take on such a large-scale tree-planting endeavor. According to the press release, the program is a step towards replacing and regenerating that which has been lost from the bark beetle and other natural disasters that have impacted forests.

This program is a collaborative one, as Mercer acknowledges the expertise of foresters and the place other stakeholders within the supply chain. “Growing forests – Growing a future” also looks to address the perception of forestry at a large scale: for example, to reeducate the public that when areas within the forest a clear cut, it is not necessarily for profit, but a recognized way to mitigate the threat of the bark beetle.