Plum Creek Timber Co. Inc. : Plum Creek Foundation Announces Grants to Vermont Organizations

PLUM CREEK FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES GRANTS TO VERMONT ORGANIZATIONS

ISLAND POND, Vt.--Mar. 15, 2012--The Plum Creek Foundation recently awarded grants totaling $14,350 to three Vermont organizations: the Center for Northern Woodlands Education, Northwoods Stewardship Center and Essex County Natural Resources Conservation District.

"The work of these organizations greatly benefits the Vermont community," said Mark Doty, community affairs manager for the Plum Creek Foundation. "We see positive differences being made in the places where we live and work, and we are happy to be supportive of these organizations' efforts."

The Plum Creek Foundation awards grants on a quarterly basis every year. The following organizations are the most recent grant recipients in Vermont:

•  Center for Northern Woodlands Education, Corinth: The organization received a $6,000 grant for the publication of a forest stewardship guide, "More Than a Woodlot." The guide will compile 17 years of forest stewardship philosophy as well as provide tools for environmentally-conscious woodlot management.

•  NorthWoods Stewardship Center, East Charleston: The organization received a $5,000 grant for the ongoing development of the Middle Mountain Trail, a long-distance hiking trail in northern Vermont. The completed trail will provide greater access to Plum Creek timberlands, offer summer employment, engage area youth with the environment, and stimulate resource-based economic development opportunities in the northeast region of Vermont.

•  Essex County Natural Resources Conservation District, St. Johnsbury: The organization received a $3,350 grant that will go toward the establishment of the Northern New England Native Plant Restoration Nursery. The new nursery will help meet growing demand for native tree and shrub stock in the northern region of Vermont, both of which are crucial to soil conservation and water quality improvement.

The mission of the Plum Creek Foundation is to provide philanthropic contributions to support and improve the general welfare of life in the communities that Plum Creek serves. The Foundation board meets quarterly to review applications submitted from organizations in the company's operating communities. Visit the Community Involvement page on Plum Creek's website at www.plumcreek.com to download an application.

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Plum Creek is the largest and most geographically diverse private landowner in the nation with approximately 6.6 million acres of timberlands in major timber producing regions of the United States and wood products manufacturing facilities in the Northwest. For more information on Plum Creek, visit www.plumcreek.com.