International Paper and The Conservation Fund Accepting Nominations for Conservation Partnership and Environmental Education Awards

STAMFORD, Conn., March 1 /PRNewswire/ -- International Paper and The Conservation Fund will provide national recognition and $10,000 cash grants to two conservation/environmental education leaders at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., this summer. IP, one of the world's largest paper and forest products companies and the largest tree seedling grower worldwide, partners each year with The Conservation Fund, a non-profit organization seeking sustainable conservation solutions for the 21st Century, to sponsor the International Paper Conservation Partnership Award and the International Paper Environmental Education Award. The $10,000 awards are unrestricted grants from the International Paper Company Foundation.

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"International Paper is deeply committed to well-managed forests and environmental protection. As a steward of more than 9 million acres of forests worldwide, we place our commitment to sustainable forestry into action daily," said Dr. Sharon G. Haines, IP's director, sustainable forestry and forest policy. "The stewardship awards provide a great opportunity to recognize others who make a significant contribution to the environment."

Award nominations are being accepted through April 17, 2006. Nomination forms are available on International Paper's website, http://www.internationalpaper.com/ and on The Conservation Fund's website, http://www.conservationfund.org/. Current or former employees of IP, its subsidiaries and acquired companies or The Conservation Fund are not eligible for consideration. A panel of independent judges will select the winners. The winners will be recognized in an awards ceremony on June 20, 2006 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

The International Paper Conservation Partnership Award, in its 18th year, is presented annually to an individual who has achieved significant results in the protection of habitat through a cooperative relationship with a business or company. By demonstrating that a healthy environment and a healthy economy are not mutually exclusive, this person leads in a conservation effort benefiting the environment and encourages others to form similarly productive alliances with businesses. Nominees must have achieved significant results in the protection of terrestrial or wetland habitats in the United States and demonstrated the positive value of cooperative partnerships between business and the conservation community.

Last year's 2005 IP Conservation Partnership Award went to Alan Hutchinson. Since 1997, Alan has led the Forest Society of Maine, located in Bangor, Maine, in the development of conservation projects protecting nearly 400,000 acres of the state's forests. His ability to bring diverse interests together in a true sense of partnership to achieve conservation goals is having a lasting impact. Projects of special significance included: the Society's partnership effort on the 20,000-acre Nicatous Lake easement; the campaign to acquire Big Spencer Mountain and six miles of undeveloped shoreline on Moosehead Lake; and the West Branch campaign that permanently conserved 329,000 acres of forest. Alan also led the development of an easement oversight and management program for landscape-scale easements to help ensure that conservation objectives are accomplished as originally envisioned. His dynamic leadership to promote the use of conservation easements in working forests protects the ecosystems, contributes to Maine's economy and enhances the quality of life in local communities.

The International Paper Environmental Education Award, in its 12th year, is presented annually to an educator who has developed an innovative approach to environmental education that significantly improves student comprehension of environmental issues, fosters an understanding of the link between environmental protection and economic growth, demonstrates leadership and inspires achievement. Potential candidates are elementary or secondary school educators or university faculty or staff members.

Last year's 2005 IP Environmental Education Award went to Mike Town. Through his leadership at Redmond High School in Duvall, Wash., Mike established an interdisciplinary study program for 10th and 11th grade students performing at low levels. The unique program, now known as Pathfinder, provides meaningful learning experiences for students with learning disabilities. Under Mike's leadership, graduation rates of Pathfinder students doubled from previous rates. He also developed an Advanced Placement Environmental Science program giving students the opportunity to complete a full year of curriculum in 90 days. Mike's students achieved a pass rate on the nationwide test in the mid-to-high 80 percent range compared to the nationwide average in the low-to-mid 50 percent range. He continues to encourage all his students to understand the need for appropriate balance between environmental protection and a healthy economy to prepare them to make effective contributions to their community's welfare in the future.

The Conservation Fund, the nation's top rated environmental nonprofit by the American Institute of Philanthropy, acts to protect the nation's legacy of land and water resources in partnership with other organizations, public agencies, foundations, corporations, and individuals. Seeking innovative conservation solutions for the 21st century, the Fund works to integrate economic and environmental goals. Since its founding in 1985, the Fund has helped its partners safeguard wildlife habitat, greenways, community "greenspace" and historic sites totaling more than five million acres throughout the nation. Headquarters are in Arlington, Va.

Headquartered in United States, International Paper (http://www.internationalpaper.com/) businesses include paper, packaging and forest products. As one of the largest private landowners in the world, IP professional foresters and wildlife biologists manage the woods with great care in compliance with the rigorous standards of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative(R) program. The SFI(R) program is an independent certification system that ensures the perpetual planting, growing and harvesting of trees while protecting biodiversity, wildlife, plants, soil, water and air quality. In the U.S. alone, IP protects more than 1.5 million acres of unique and environmentally important habitat on its forestlands through conservation agreements and land sales to environmental groups. And, the company has a long-standing policy of using no wood from endangered forests.

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