Sep 14, 2005. /Lesprom Network/. Tom Stephens, Boise chairman and CEO, made the commitment at a meeting he initiated with the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) in San Francisco to get input on Boise's environmental policy. It is Stephens' philosophy to solicit feedback on how the company can improve its wood procurement and environmental methods from a variety of stakeholders. "One of our core values is to manage our businesses to sustain environmental resources for future generations," Mr. Stephens said. "To ensure we do so, we feel it is important to seek input from environmental organizations, government agencies, academia, and others on how to sustain and restore forest resources." "Our conversation with RAN made it clear that there is a need for more scientific facts about the impact on forest health of removing dead trees from forests destroyed by wildfires and replanting those forests," Mr. Stephens said. "Utilizing salvage logging to help restore burned and diseased forests is an area Boise and some environmental groups have differing opinions about," said Mr. Stephens. "We believe a study by technical forest experts will give us the quantified science we need to improve our ability to make responsible timber purchase decisions." Boise implemented a policy of not harvesting from old-growth forests in 2004. But the company also committed to support public forest managers in their efforts to maintain and restore forest health, which often leads to harvesting in overstocked areas at high risk for catastrophic fire and areas destroyed by wildfires. These areas are typically replanted after harvest. Some environmental groups have filed lawsuits to stop two separate salvage harvests from proceeding on timber sales made by the U.S. forest service to Boise. These lawsuits have not yet been resolved by the courts. "We feel comfortable that the U.S. Forest Service practices rigorous science," Mr. Stephens said. "However, getting additional opinions from forest experts will help all parties better understand how to restore forests that have been burned, are overgrown, or are infected with disease and susceptible to fire." Boise, headquartered in Boise, Idaho, manufactures engineered wood products, plywood, lumber, and particleboard and distributes a broad line of building materials, including wood products manufactured by the company. Boise also manufactures a wide range of specialty and premium products, including imaging papers for the office and home and papers for pressure- sensitive applications, as well as printing and converting papers, containerboard and corrugated boxes, newsprint, and market pulp.