With SCA’s PLUS services, forest owners receive a quality receipt for planting, final felling and other services.
SCA purchases more timber than ever before from private forest owners in northern Sweden.
“It is an important part of our timber procurement,” says Lars Stefansson at SCA Skog’s timber procurement department. “Production in our mills is being increased constantly and, consequently, the need rises. We purchase significant volymes annually from thousands of private forest owners.”
He adds that SCA has slightly more than two million hectares of its own forestland and, accordingly, knows the importance of quality in the work carried out in the forest – and of systematically following up this work. As a result, all forest owners are now being offered so-called PLUS services within everything from felling, thinning and soil scarification for planting and clearing.
“This means that we conduct a follow-up and provide a written report after we have completed an assignment. Another part of the PLUS concept is that we always send a notification message before we come out to a private forest owner. They may have sold the timber in the stand several years earlier and in such an instance it is nice to know when felling begins. Those who wish are always welcome to follow along and watch,” Lars Stefansson points out.
The written follow-up is important so that the forest owners receive a quality receipt for the work carried out by SCA.
“These quality demands are also good for the work teams and contractors,” says Lars Stefansson. “They serve as instructions about how we should work, with regard to the operations in the forest as well as the follow-up reporting of what has been done.”
SCA offers a PLUS Plan service for those forest owners who want assistance with preparing a plan for their operations. It is a certifiable forest management plan that provides a platform for favorable timber production and well-balanced nature conservation.
- Forest owners who retain SCA Skog for various services receive information before work begins in the forest. This includes sending a postcard to notify when work begins and how the work team can be contacted.
- The contractor, or SCA team, that carries out the work follows a specific plan including own checkpoints. In addition, SCA conducts random checks to further assure quality. For example, in thinning operations damage to the ground and trees is checked, and in clearing a follow-up is made involving such items as average height and the amount of branches left per hectare, distributed by type of tree.
- When work is completed, the forest owners receives a written report about the quality assurance checks made as well as information about any nature conservation areas that were excluded from felling.