The world's forests support the ecological and climate processes upon which biodiversity and human life depend. Lowe's is concerned about the protection of these critical resources and recognizes that, through the products we sell, our company can play an important role in determining whether these forests will remain for future generations. Lowe's long-term goal is to ensure that all wood products sold in our stores originate from well-managed, non-endangered forests. In order to meet this goal, Lowe's will:

• Aggressively phase out the purchase of wood products from endangered forests as these areas are identified and mapped. This includes an immediate ban on wood coming from the Great Bear Rainforest of British Columbia.
  
  
• Work with vendors to encourage the maintenance of natural forests and environmentally responsible forest practices.
  
  
• Give preference to the procurement of wood products from independently certified, well-managed forests. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is recognized as having the highest certification standards available today and will be given preference over other certification systems.
  
  
• Work with our customers to increase the efficiency of wood use, including the promotion of wood reuse, recycling, and advanced framing techniques
  
  
• Work with our suppliers to increase the procurement of quality recycled, engineered and alternative products, when their environmental benefits are clearly demonstrated, including alternative fiber and tree-free paper products used for printing and packaging

In order to accomplish our goal, we will support the work of the World Resources Institute, the Certified Forest Products Council, and other organizations that help to improve forest management practices worldwide. We will also ask our suppliers to help us to increase the supply of certified wood products that we can make available to our customers.

Notes:

Maps that designate "endangered forests" have been created in various levels of detail by organizations such as the World Resources Institute's (WRI) Global Forest Watch Program. As these designations are further developed, Lowe's will work with its suppliers to change their supply areas.

Endangered forests (or high conservation value forests) include intact (primary and old growth) forests. They also include the most nearly intact tracts of all threatened forests and forests of special importance to the conservation of global biodiversity, where little or no primary and old-growth vegetation occurs today.

In rare circumstances, wood from endangered forests may be accepted if it is certified under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or equivalent system.

Lowe's wood policy status.