Your gift card, your choice, simply send in 10 samples of work printed on Finch Paper and we’ll enter you in a drawing for one of 5 DWR gift cards that you can use to accessorize your space however you see fit. You design for others all the time, you deserve a little design for you.

For decades now, the North American forest products industry and private and public landowners have sustainably managed and cared for forests — protecting the forest ecosystem while also producing products, such as furniture, paper and lumber, that are needed by society.

A new study by researchers at the U.S. Forest Service now confirms that sustainably managing forests and using trees for essential products not only help people, but also help keep forests growing.

I’m hoping this study will help more people understand the important role that wood-using markets play in keeping both our economy AND environment healthy.

After reviewing a wealth of data, Forest Service research forester Peter J. Ince writes:

“In general, the data show that global regions with the highest levels of industrial timber harvest and forest product output are also regions with the lowest rates of deforestation.”

The reason is clear, although it’s often misunderstood or mischaracterized. Forest products companies and forest landowners have a vested interest in keeping forests as forests for the long term, so they utilize sustainable forest management practices that are designed to keep forests perpetually regenerating.

At the same time, the revenue that forest owners receive from the sale of harvested trees helps to pay their ownership and forest management expenses.  Absent this income, there is a very real potential that many forest owners would have to sell their land for development. And development, as Mr. Ince points out, is among the primary reasons behind the loss of forests in North America.

Mr. Ince’s study also confirms that sustainable forest management helps mitigate climate change because healthy, growing, managed forests remove (“sequester”) carbon from our air. Forests that are left to stagnate, die and decay, on the other hand, end up releasing carbon.

“Industrial roundwood harvest levels in North America and Europe are by far the highest among all global regions,” Mr. Ince writes. But, not coincidentally, North American and Europe are also “…the only global regions experiencing net sequestration of carbon in forests, and in aggregate the net change in forest area for Europe and North America is positive.”

Adding to the carbon sequestration benefits of managed forests: Forest products, such as chairs and tables, continue to serve as “atmospheric carbon storage devices” in your home or office.

All of these facts demonstrate the importance of developing public policy measures that encourage and reward sustainable forest management, as opposed to our current societal inclination to discourage the use of this incredible, renewable and recyclable natural resource.

Finch Paper’s goal has been and remains: “Keep forests forested.”

The idea of paper finding its way back to wood form gives reduce, reuse and recycle new meaning.

Finch Paper is proud to announce the availability of a new environmental logo that you can use on any Finch project. The logo makes a meaningful statement about your commitment to responsible papermaking; renewable, responsible forestry; and renewable, responsible energy.

We aren’t claiming that you can  “save” trees, or take cars off the road, or anything like that. BUT by choosing responsibly made paper, you ARE helping to conserve forests.

When you choose Finch Paper, you’re supporting certified, responsible forest management practices that help keep forests growing and perpetually regenerating. Responsible forest management not only keeps forests healthy, it generates the revenue (from furniture, lumber, paper and other wood products) that helps forest owners afford to keep their forests as forests rather than converting them for commercial or residential development.  And that helps reduce the impacts of climate change, and assures clean, fresh water and well-functioning ecosystems.

Buying Finch Paper also demonstrates your support for renewable, non-fossil fuel energy sources. Two-thirds of the energy used to make Finch Paper comes directly from the use of renewable biomass (wood waste) and hydroelectricity.

You can download the new Finch eco logo here, and keep feeling good about the (Finch) paper you buy.

If you have questions about Finch Paper’s forestry practices or our environmental commitment, please feel free to drop me a line.

The overview book was printed on Finch Opaque, Bright White, Vellum, 80 lb. cover and 80 lb. text.

Finch Paper: You have been with The Sage Colleges for eight years and before that you were in Georgia. Do you find there to be significant differences in the way the two areas approach design?

Sarah Statham: In Georgia I worked for a large, urban state university. I currently work for a small private college in New York, there are many differences including being a one-and-a-half person design shop compared to working alongside seven designers. The great part is that my current duties range from selecting an interior paint color palette for the college to designing admission viewbooks.

Finch Paper: Have you adjusted your approach to design as a result of moving to the Northeast?

Statham: I work directly with suppliers which has allowed me to explore and research paper options and specialty processes like UV coating.

Finch Paper: What is your favorite aspect of designing within the higher education industry?

Statham: The audience ranges from tween prospectives to our alumni. This allows for a lot of diversity in look while maintaining our brand throughout.

Finch Paper: Do your personal preferences influence your design?

Statham: Yes. I like minimalism – and I think this is reflected in many of the pieces I produce.

Finch Paper: Do current events regarding the environment impact the choices you make as a designer?

Statham: Of course, the environment is an important topic. I often select FSC-certified and recycled content paper.

Finch Paper: Had you ever printed on Finch Paper before?

Statham: I recently printed the Sage College of Albany and Russell Sage College viewbooks on Finch. Both books have heavy coverage and I like how the paper held the ink. I also used a UV coating on both to make some text and images pop from the paper. This worked nicely on the uncoated sheet.

Finch Paper: Do The Sage Colleges have a stance on sustainability or environmental footprint?

Statham: We replaced our office lights with CFL’s and office paper is recycled–as mentioned all of our Alum publications and annual magazine are FSC-certified.

Finch Paper: Where do you find inspiration online and in day-to-day life?

Statham: I like to look at Illustrators’ websites like Gina Triplett, Brian Cronin and Katie Ridley. Also, getting outside and riding my bicycle helps to stir up creative energy.

Many thanks to Sarah for participating in this Q&A and for buying local. Since The Sage Colleges are located nearby, Sarah’s choice in Finch realized a smaller environmental footprint for transportation as well as the paper’s manufacture.

Glens Falls

As Director, Quality and Continuous Improvement, Chartier is responsible for ensuring that the mill’s quality systems meet the needs of its customers, and that these systems are being used effectively.  As a key member of Finch’s Manufacturing and Strategic Leadership Teams, Ken  provides leadership across the organization in developing a vision for quality and continuous improvement, as well as implementation of supporting systems and processes that will drive success. 

Ken will work closely with the company’s sales, marketing and product management groups to understand specific customer needs in the context of broader trends and issues in the marketplace. 

Chartier brings over 30 years of industry experience to Finch Paper, providing technical expertise at paper mills in Virginia, Wisconsin, New York, Minnesota and Germany. At NewPage, he held various positions including, Product Development Engineer, Senior Process Engineer, Technical Manager and Professional Services Manager.

Bob McDonald, VP, Operations for Finch Paper, says, “Ken Chartier is a welcome addition to the expanding Finch team of qualified leaders. His impressive industry experience, coupled with certification as a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt project leader as well as many awards and honors, is exemplary of the professionals we are fortunate to have on our team.”

A certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt project leader, Chartier is active in various leadership and improvement activities in the civil sector, as well. He is a recipient of the Graduate Honors Award from the University of Wisconsin and is a member of both the Beta Gamma Sigma MBA Honor Society and Alpha Xi Sigma Forestry Honor Society.

Chartier holds an MBA from the University of Wisconsin, and a B.S. in Paper Science and Engineering from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

Finch foresters may be employed by a paper manufacturer, but the forests that we sustainably manage produce wood for many different types of products.

Take  Adirondack “fiddlebutt” spruce logs, for example. This species and type of log is highly regarded by the makers of string instruments — in particular, acoustic guitars. It is the curved butt of the logs, where the bole of the tree flares out to the roots, that makes them so valuable and contributes to their name.

Lumber cut from “Fiddlebutt” logs is often used for the soundboard, the flat, figure eight-shaped surface on the top of the guitar. The board’s rigidity delivers outstanding tonal qualities, and the wood also has an aesthetically pleasing curved grain appearance.

“Fiddlebutt” logs are so highly prized in the musical industry, in fact, that our foresters have known people to drive for more than half a day to pick up as few as six logs from an Adirondack forest.

Finch foresters are experts at determining the highest value use for various parts of a tree. For example, the lower portions of a spruce tree, with straight lines and no branches or knots, are typically the most valuable and are used for veneer and specialized products like musical instruments or for the clapboards used in real wood siding for houses. The upper portions of the tree, including larger branches, are relatively low-quality and used for structural lumber in construction or in papermaking.

Question: What tree species has evolved to release a herbicide that prevents other trees from growing near it?

A. Quaking Aspen
B. Black Walnut
C. Eastern Hemlock
D. American Beech
E. None of the above

Answer: B. Black Walnut

Trees have evolved in many ways but all seem to have some competitive advantages. Aspen grow very quickly and capture sunlight before others can become established. Hemlock evolved to grow in the shade as a counter to those that grow more quickly, and its foliage is so thick that few, if any, species get enough sunlight to grow beneath it. Beech has several evolutionary strengths; like hemlock, it can grow below the canopy where less sunlight is available. It also is known for its prolific root system, which enables it to “capture” the space created by any new openings in the forest canopy — very sneaky!

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Watch for more Tree Trivia in future editions of our “Finch in the Forest” blog, along with continuing information on why Trees Are The Answer to so many of society’s needs and challenges.