Georgia-Pacific unveils wildlife conservation area at Albany Plant
Special Photo: Georgia-Pacific
From staff reports
ALBANY — Georgia-Pacific, a leading manufacturer of building and packaging products, has announced the establishment of a new wildlife conservation area at its state-of-the-art lumber plant in Albany. This initiative reflects the company’s dedication to environmental responsibility and its mission to positively impact the local community.
Since the completion of the 320,000-square-foot lumber plant in early 2020, Georgia-Pacific has continued to explore ways to optimize the expansive 225-acre site on Sylvester Road in Dougherty County. With a commitment to leaving a positive ecological footprint, the company decided to install a 38-acre wildlife conservation area surrounding the mill, embodying its role as responsible landowners.
“We firmly believe in our duty to be good stewards of the land entrusted to us,” Keith Carroll, environmental manager for Georgia-Pacific Wood Products LLC, said. “This commitment led us to create a sanctuary for wildlife and invest in the preservation of biodiversity through the establishment of a wildlife conservation area.”
Following the recommendations of local forestry experts, Georgia-Pacific planted 36 acres of loblolly pines, carefully selected for their compatibility with the local soil conditions, and an additional 2 acres of native Georgia wildflowers and pollinator plants. To further enhance the conservation area, the company added more than two dozen bluebird nesting boxes.
The recent completion of the plantings sets the stage for Georgia-Pacific to apply for certification from the Wildlife Habitat Council once the project reaches the one-year mark. Through its certification programs, the WHC translates corporate sustainability objectives into tangible and measurable on-the-ground actions, like the Georgia-Pacific wildlife conservation area. Certification from the WHC will validate Georgia-Pacific’s commitment to best practices in habitat conservation and environmental stewardship.
Upon certification, the Albany wildlife conservation area will join nine additional certified WHC sites at various Georgia-Pacific facilities, with several others on track for certification.
Based in Atlanta, Georgia-Pacific and its subsidiaries are among the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of bath tissue, paper towels and napkins, tableware, paper-based packaging, cellulose, specialty fibers and building products. The company’s familiar consumer brands include Quilted Northern, Angel Soft, Brawny, Dixie, enMotion, Sparkle and Vanity Fair.
Georgia-Pacific has long been a leading supplier of building products to lumber and building materials dealers and large do-it-yourself warehouse retailers. Its Georgia-Pacific Recycling subsidiary is among the world’s largest traders of paper, metal and plastics. The company operates more than 150 facilities and employs approximately 30,000 people directly and creates more than 80,000 jobs indirectly. For more information, visit gp.com/about-us. For news, visit news.gp.com
The Georgia-Pacific plant in Albany has emerged as a vital driver of the region’s economic growth. With approximately 180 dedicated employees working directly at the plant, the mill’s operations support three to four times that number in indirect employment. The facility welcomes 150-200 truckloads of logs daily, ready to be transformed into high-quality lumber. Simultaneously, an equal amount of lumber is dispatched to meet the demands of various construction projects.
With a capacity to store up to 10 million board feet of lumber, the plant plays a significant role in the construction industry, enabling the construction of approximately 20,000 homes annually.
For more information about Georgia-Pacific and its environmental initiatives, visit www.gp.com.
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