Resolute Forest Products is committed to building solid relationships with a broad range of stakeholders by maintaining ongoing outreach and developing strategic partnerships through a variety of formal and informal channels.
Our 2022 focus is on ensuring we have a Resolute voice in public policy discussions that impact company operations and employees, as well as engaging and supporting our operating communities and partners across North America. We are also committed to maintaining best-in-class participation in the Resolute political action committee (PAC) at the operations level in the United States.
Information-Sharing Groups
Communication is essential for building trust and securing collaboration. Open, honest conversations about environmental, social and economic issues facing the forest products industry are important.
Through our information-sharing program, members of each operation’s management team meet regularly with a range of interested parties, from Indigenous communities, governments, business partners and chambers of commerce to environmental organizations, educational institutions, representatives from other industries and retirees. Whether discussing energy conservation, questions about new projects and investments, or noise control, we engage our community stakeholders on a variety of topics that are of importance to everyone involved. Resolute established information-sharing community groups in 2014.
Community Engagement Tracking Initiative
We continue to work on institutionalizing outreach across the company, promoting open discussions and collaboration with all of our stakeholders. A tracking initiative was launched in January 2017 to report more detailed quantitative information on outreach in our operating communities, including volunteer activities, charitable contributions, stakeholder engagement and other activities. In 2021, 100% of our operations reported on their community engagement activities. We also track the monthly reporting rate of our operations’ outreach activities in order to enhance local engagement with external stakeholders.
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Public Participation in Forest Management Planning
As required by provincial legislation, Resolute prepares forest management plans for our woodlands operations. These forest lands – located primarily in Canada – are governed by forest management or timber supply agreements that include public consultation processes and regular audits by the government. We revise these plans every five years, and public participation is a critical part of the process. We encourage local community groups, individuals and Indigenous communities to participate in the planning process.
The forest management plans for the woodlands we manage in Canada, which include our forest management policies and details about the public participation process, are available online. More information is available on the websites of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and the Quebec Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks. In Quebec, the primary responsibility for forest management planning lies with the provincial government, which is also responsible for the public participation process.
We also encourage you to contact our forestry specialists, listed on each of the woodlands operations pages, or [email protected] for general inquires.
Quebec Stakeholders
In 2013, Resolute launched our first online forum – Forum boréal – to share information about sustainable management of the boreal forest in Quebec. This social media platform encourages ongoing dialogue with a range of stakeholders in the Quebec communities where we operate. Join our conversations on Twitter and Facebook.
In addition, our annual community outreach program includes public meetings in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, North Shore, Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Outaouais regions on topics such as fiber allocation, woodland caribou protection and forest certification. Meetings are also held with various Indigenous communities.
Ontario Stakeholders
Encouraged by the success of Forum boréal in Quebec, Resolute launched a similar initiative for Northern Ontario audiences in 2014. The Boreal Forum platform was introduced at town hall meetings in Thunder Bay, Atikokan and Ignace with more than 400 people in attendance, along with social media accounts on Twitter and Facebook.
Both forums continue to provide a platform for fact-based discussions on the boreal forest and help ensure that individual and community voices are heard regarding sustainable forest practices and the importance of forestry to regional economies.