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The Nature Conservancy Teams up with Partners to Protect More Than 100,000 Acres in New York’s Adirondacks104,000-acre deal protects jobs, traditional land uses and ecological resourcesAlbany, New York—January 4, 2005—Domtar Industries Inc. today announced the sale of more than 100,000 acres—an area greater than seven times the size of Manhattan—to The Lyme Timber Company and The Nature Conservancy. The deal includes agreements with New York State that will conserve ecologically-significant natural resources, sustain forestry jobs, preserve traditional land uses such as hunting and fishing and create new public recreation opportunities. The project conserves critical habitat for wide-ranging mammals such as moose, black bear and fisher. Also preserved are 220 miles of permanent and seasonal streams, some of which harbor native brook trout and other aquatic species, and 20 lakes and ponds with 16 miles of undeveloped shoreline. This newly-protected area also contains important habitat for the Bicknell’s thrush, a species listed as of special concern by New York State. “With today’s announcement, we are well on our way to fulfilling the ambitious goal I set in 2002 to protect more than one million acres within ten years,” said New York Governor George Pataki. “Our success has been made possible through innovative partnerships with the private sector and numerous land conservation organizations. I’d like to thank our partners at The Nature Conservancy, Domtar and Lyme Timber for making this landmark agreement a reality.”
The Nature Conservancy purchased 20,000 acres from Domtar and will hold the land on behalf of New York State. The entire project adds a vital piece to the Conservancy’s Northern Forest Protection Initiative, an ambitious plan to preserve the extensive and diverse forests that spread across northern New England and on into Quebec, New Brunswick and the Adirondack Mountains. The area is a priority site for the Conservancy due to its rich concentration of flora, fauna and natural communities, its values as a major wildlife corridor and its symbolic and geographic significance in defining the character of the northeastern United States. “The Adirondacks have long been a haven of serenity and beauty for New Yorkers and visitors from around the world,” Henry Tepper, director of The Nature Conservancy of New York. “The Nature Conservancy is delighted to be a part of a project that will ensure that people will continue to have a place to retreat and recall their connection with nature.” The New Hampshire-based Lyme Timber Company purchased more than 84,000 acres from Domtar, the third-largest maker of commercial and printing papers in North America. The entire property is certified under the Forest Stewardship Council’s (FSC) sustainable forestry guidelines, which is considered the “gold standard” for sustainable forestry management. Lyme will maintain this certification and uphold the high standards it requires. “We’ve owned and managed these lands since 1962,” said Raymond Royer, president and CEO of Domtar Industries Inc. “It is clear how important these lands are to the local people. With this in mind, Domtar and Lyme have entered into a 20-year fiber supply agreement that guarantees continued timber harvests and the jobs associated with them.” Royer added, “Domtar is pleased that Lyme will continue to maintain the FSC certification that Domtar had achieved in 2000.” The land preservation agreement that New York State will purchase from Lyme will also retire development rights, provide the state with recreational rights and give New York’s residents and visitors access to lands never before open to them. Tom Morrow, Lyme Timber Company’s director of forestland investment, said, “The Lyme Timber Company is pleased to be the new owner of this substantial timberland holding. Lyme will continue sustainable forestry operations and regular timber harvests, which are important to the local economy. We also have a great deal of experience managing conservation easement lands and look forward to working with The Nature Conservancy and New York State to ensure public access to a portion of the lands, while also keeping intact the long tradition of leasing to hunt clubs.” ### Domtar Inc., based in Montreal, Canada, is the third largest producer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America. It is also a leading manufacturer and distributor of business papers, commercial printing and publication papers, and technical and specialty papers. Domtar manages according to internationally recognized standards 22 million acres of forestland in Canada and the United States, and produces lumber and other wood products. Domtar has more than 10,000 employees across North America, including 3,000 working at five pulp and paper mills in the United States. The company also has a 50% investment interest in Norampac Inc., a producer of containerboard. Find out more about Domtar on the Web at http://www.domtar.com/. The Lyme Timber Company is a twenty-nine year old limited partnership which invests in timberland, commercial real estate and other rural real estate for its own account and in partnership with clients. The firm specializes in the acquisition of large forest tracts with identified conservation values and has an extensive track record of investments in New England, the Midwest and the Southeast. In 2002, the Company organized the Lyme Northern Forest Fund, LP. This conservation-oriented timberland investment fund will purchase the Domtar property and owns other high conservation value forest in New Hampshire, Maine and Pennsylvania. Visit http://www.lymetimber.com/ to learn more. The Nature Conservancy is a leading international, nonprofit organization that preserves plants, animals and natural communities representing the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit us on the Web at nature.org For more information:
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