JAY – Verso Paper was recently informed that its four coated paper mills, including the Androscoggin Mill in Jay, have been independently audited and certified to the Forest Stewardship Council Chain of Custody Standard. The audits were conducted by the Rainforest Alliance SmartWood Program, the world’s largest FSC forest certifier.

The certification assures that procedures exist to document FSC-certified fiber as it passes through the supply chain from the forest through the manufacturing process to Verso’s customers. Verso expects to offer FSC-certified products to its customers in early 2008.

As required by the certification, Verso also meets the FSC Controlled Wood Standard. Under this standard, the company has demonstrated that it has developed and implemented responsible procurement practices that enable Verso to identify and avoid purchasing controversial wood fiber that is: harvested illegally; harvested in violation of traditional or civil rights; from forests where high-conservation values are threatened; from forests being converted to plantations or nonforest use; or from forests where genetically modified trees are planted.

“Certifying Verso’s mills to the FSC Chain of Custody Standard allows us to verify the amount of FSC-certified fiber in our products, and doing so is one of the many ways we help our customers achieve their sustainability objectives,” said Verso Paper Vice President of Sustainability Craig Liska.

While only 11 percent of forests globally are certified to a third-party forest certification standard, approximately 59 percent of the fiber used in Verso’s products comes from third-party certified sources.

Verso Paper is based in Memphis, Tenn.