Sustainable Forestry and Pollinator Conservation at PotlatchDeltic
On a mild spring morning, a native bumblebee drifts above a recently harvested patch of PotlatchDeltic forest, pausing to collect pollen before moving toward a cluster of young pines. What seems like a simple act is part of a much larger story—one that highlights the close connection between sustainable forestry and the protection of pollinators.
Pollinators - including bees, butterflies, and moths—are critical to forest health. They enable the reproduction of many trees and understory plants, which in turn provide food for wildlife such as deer, turkeys, and songbirds. In this way, pollinators help support the broader forest food web.
Their role extends beyond forests and into agriculture. Research shows that crops grown near woodlands benefit from improved pollination services, with yields of apples, almonds, and coffee increasing by as much as 20% when native pollinators from adjacent forests and grasslands are present.
For PotlatchDeltic, sustainability is not limited to producing timber—it also means creating environments where pollinators can flourish. Forestlands supply essential habitats for a variety of pollinator species by offering foraging resources and safe spaces for reproduction.
One of the most beneficial habitats for pollinators emerges naturally in managed forests: early successional habitat. After a harvest, sunlight reaches the forest floor, encouraging the growth of wildflowers, shrubs, and grasses that provide nectar and pollen.
Each year, PotlatchDeltic harvests about 3% of its timberland, ensuring a continual supply of landscapes where these early successional habitats can form. This creates new foraging opportunities for butterflies, native bees, and other pollinator species—showcasing how working forests can actively contribute to biodiversity.
The company’s forestry practices are guided by science and designed to support both productivity and ecological health. These include:
Pollinators - including bees, butterflies, and moths—are critical to forest health. They enable the reproduction of many trees and understory plants, which in turn provide food for wildlife such as deer, turkeys, and songbirds. In this way, pollinators help support the broader forest food web.
Their role extends beyond forests and into agriculture. Research shows that crops grown near woodlands benefit from improved pollination services, with yields of apples, almonds, and coffee increasing by as much as 20% when native pollinators from adjacent forests and grasslands are present.
For PotlatchDeltic, sustainability is not limited to producing timber—it also means creating environments where pollinators can flourish. Forestlands supply essential habitats for a variety of pollinator species by offering foraging resources and safe spaces for reproduction.
One of the most beneficial habitats for pollinators emerges naturally in managed forests: early successional habitat. After a harvest, sunlight reaches the forest floor, encouraging the growth of wildflowers, shrubs, and grasses that provide nectar and pollen.
Each year, PotlatchDeltic harvests about 3% of its timberland, ensuring a continual supply of landscapes where these early successional habitats can form. This creates new foraging opportunities for butterflies, native bees, and other pollinator species—showcasing how working forests can actively contribute to biodiversity.
The company’s forestry practices are guided by science and designed to support both productivity and ecological health. These include:
- Strategic harvest scheduling: ensuring a consistent supply of early successional habitat across the landscape.
- Green-up and adjacency planning: maintaining a patchwork of habitat stages.
- Forest edge retention and daylighting roads: letting more sunlight reach the ground to stimulate pollinator-friendly plants.
Through these strategies, PotlatchDeltic ensures that working forests serve as both economic resources and vital habitats.
To strengthen its conservation efforts, PotlatchDeltic also partners with the Wildlife Conservation Initiative (WCI). Together, they support research that tracks pollinator diversity, habitat use, and population trends—knowledge that is increasingly important as many pollinator species face decline. The findings help guide conservation strategies tailored to vulnerable species.
By integrating sustainable forest management with pollinator conservation, PotlatchDeltic is ensuring its lands remain resilient, productive, and ecologically rich for future generations.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements under federal securities laws. Terms such as “annual,” “continue,” “ongoing,” and “regular” are intended to identify such statements. These include comments about forest management practices, harvest levels, and related outcomes. Such statements reflect management’s expectations but are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. For more information, please see the Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information on page 32 of PotlatchDeltic’s 2024 Corporate Responsibility Report.
To strengthen its conservation efforts, PotlatchDeltic also partners with the Wildlife Conservation Initiative (WCI). Together, they support research that tracks pollinator diversity, habitat use, and population trends—knowledge that is increasingly important as many pollinator species face decline. The findings help guide conservation strategies tailored to vulnerable species.
By integrating sustainable forest management with pollinator conservation, PotlatchDeltic is ensuring its lands remain resilient, productive, and ecologically rich for future generations.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements under federal securities laws. Terms such as “annual,” “continue,” “ongoing,” and “regular” are intended to identify such statements. These include comments about forest management practices, harvest levels, and related outcomes. Such statements reflect management’s expectations but are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. For more information, please see the Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information on page 32 of PotlatchDeltic’s 2024 Corporate Responsibility Report.
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