We are an integral part of the communities where we work, live, and play. We provide jobs, volunteer, and invest in the well-being and vitality of our communities.
PotlatchDeltic has a long tradition of philanthropic giving through charitable contributions and through our support of employee giving. Our giving program focuses on making an impact and supporting the communities where we live and do business, and is concentrated in four areas: community programs, conservation of natural resources, education, and major gifts.
Community Programs: We give to a wide range of community programs, seeking to support as many aspects of our diverse communities as we can. We contribute to arts organizations, youth sports programs, clubs and more. Our community charitable efforts are driven by the locations where we operate, with each location allocating a charitable budget to programs that will best impact their community. Programs supported have included schools, community sports, fire departments, community cultural events, county fairs, food banks, and a wide range of charitable organizations. We contribute to Log A Load events across our footprint, a forest products community initiative to raise funds to improve children’s health through treatment, education and research at Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals and other local children’s hospitals. We also match our employees’ gifts to United Way at a rate of 50 cents on the dollar.
Conservation of Natural Resources: We support both local and national programs dedicated to the conservation of natural resources. At the local level, our gifts support conservation education, programs at various conservation organizations, and project work. We support organizations such as The Nature Conservancy, the Trust for Public Land, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, The Conservation Fund, the National Wild Turkey Federation, and the Ruffed Grouse Society.
Education: PotlatchDeltic also maintains a keen awareness for opportunities to support education at all levels. We match our employees’ gifts to qualifying educational institutions up to a total of $1,500 per employee. We are also a major sponsor of the Idaho Governor’s Cup Scholarship Fund.
Major Gifts: Periodically we make major gifts to capital campaigns and programs that are central to the quality of life in our communities.
Being a part of the community where they work and live is important to our employees and many are actively involved in volunteering through a wide range of activities. We encourage our employees to explore their passions, build relationships with their communities and make meaningful contributions.
Employees volunteer to help with large festivals, raise money for veterans through fishing days, or raise donations towards supporting children’s summer camps. Teams of coworkers participate in fundraising bowling tournaments, relays, runs, and walks to support national causes as well as local fundraisers such as the purchase of equipment for fire departments. Our employees volunteer many hours to help food banks, coach youth sports, volunteer with Log A Load, instruct on hunter safety, serve as wildlife leaders, help at-risk youth centers, and support local arts and culture.
In the communities surrounding our wood products facilities, mill employees often volunteer with fire departments. At our St. Maries Complex in Idaho, 4 of the 21 PotlatchDeltic fire department employees and 3 emergency medical technicians also volunteer at fire stations within the St. Maries Fire Protection District. Most of our other locations also have employees who volunteer at fire stations. These volunteers provide critical support to the community for fire and emergency response. We are proud of our employees who donate their time to support the community as first responders.
One of the special ways our mill management and foresters make a difference is through educational outreach. Our mill management will often visit local high schools and colleges to describe how lumber is made, the technology that exists in today’s sawmills, and the types of jobs that exist in a sawmill. They also conduct facility tours. Foresters promote forest education about the sustainability of working forests and the environmental benefits that they provide through classroom outreach, conducting field tours, and by hosting conservation workshops for teachers. Students are given hands on instruction in forest ecology, hydrology, forest regeneration and tree physiology.
Employees also work on several non-profit boards and committees. Several of our Spokane employees volunteer in some capacity, many with board level commitment, at organizations including Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCA, Ronald McDonald House, Vanessa Behan, Spokane Symphony, Spokane Public Schools Foundation, Eastern WA Foundation, and Family Promise. They work tirelessly to help coordinate and encourage participation in fundraising galas and other organization events.
PotlatchDeltic supports many of the organizations that our employees serve through our corporate charitable giving contributions. The Company’s financial contributions reflect our commitment to both corporate responsibility and to the devotion we share with our employees towards the communities where we live.
Our foresters work every day to manage our timberlands on a sustainable basis and protect water quality, wildlife, and biodiversity. PotlatchDeltic is proud of our timberlands and the legacy we are protecting for future generations. Because we are so connected to the communities where we operate and because we believe that one way people come to appreciate the value of a forest is through recreation, most of our lands are available to the public for a wide variety of public uses. We believe that managing our lands and allowing others to enjoy them are not mutually exclusive.
In Idaho, our timberlands offer a majestic landscape and spectacular recreational opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts. Our timberlands are perfectly situated and are a favorite retreat for hunting, fly fishing, camping, and exploring the outdoors. We have leased day use recreational access on over 567,000 acres of Idaho timberland to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. The agreement secures and preserves access to the public for recreational activities. Through the agreement, the public is free to recreate on PotlatchDeltic Idaho lands, except for a few parcels associated with log yards, mill sites or certain acres listed for sale. In addition, we offer exclusive campsite leases in some exceptional areas in North Idaho.
Our timberlands in the southern states are ideal for connecting with the outdoors for fishing, hunting, and camping. We offer exclusive leases for recreation and hunting access across nearly all our southern timberlands. Groups and individuals purchase the annual leases and often return to their lease sites for many years as their place to “get away from it all.”
As our population continues to grow and land use patterns change, we believe the ability to connect with forests becomes increasingly important. Visitors to our lands engage in a wide range of activities including camping, fishing, hiking, riding ATVs, hunting, or wildlife watching. Our timberlands provide opportunities for solitude, experiences for friends, or memories with family. Our communities can explore the lands we manage as stewards of our forests for the generations to follow.
The fire department in Waldo, Arkansas had purchased a replacement pumper truck and needed to acquire some associated equipment like hoses, nozzles, and air fans. Our Waldo facility decided to contribute the cost of these items. Although the Waldo sawmill has an internal fire brigade, the facility relies on the city fire department for fire protection as well as training. The fully rigged pumper truck will not only make the fire department better equipped to serve large industries but will also improve fire protection to the entire community.
PotlatchDeltic has partnered with United Way for over a decade to raise money for local non-profits. At our corporate offices in Spokane, Washington, we hold a United Way Week every year. Spokane United Way contributions had a 100% participation rate in 2022 and were augmented through a corporate fifty percent match per dollar contributed.
United Way Week also included a range of activities to promote awareness about United Way’s initiatives and to raise additional funds for charities. Several of our Team Members are involved with charitable organizations, and video spotlights were prepared and shown during the week to educate Team Members on local charitable and volunteer opportunities. The United Way Week team held several other events which included our annual raffle for donated baskets and our chili and cornbread cookoff. All of this contributed to the week being a great success with over $142,000 raised for United Way.
Each year, during United Way Week, our Spokane team also gives back to the community with a day of service. In 2022, we partnered with Habitat for Humanity in Spokane to volunteer for a build day. Two teams assisted with the construction of 2 environmentally friendly homes. Some tasks included framing interior walls, window installation, and organizing materials. Volunteers loved working with their hands and people they wouldn’t normally interact with in their day-to-day activities and look forward to working with Habitat for Humanity in 2023.
PotlatchDeltic partnered with ten companies and industry associations from across the Arkansas forest products sector to build a home with Habitat for Humanity in Haskell, Arkansas. The Forestry Build 2022 reflected how teamwork across our sector can amplify our shared goals and provide a home for a family.
PotlatchDeltic contributed to Habitat for Humanity of Saline County towards the build and provided a team of volunteers for a build day. Team Members from our timberlands division and our Arkansas wood products facilities came together to participate. Everyone who participated in the home build found the day gratifying and rewarding on many levels.
Our Team Members in St. Maries, Idaho are very active in working to make a difference in their community. Charitable giving in 2022 ranged from promoting a summer sunset concert series to sponsoring a traveling circus, to swimming lessons. So when the opportunity came along for a major project, St. Maries lumber and plywood facilities jumped into action.
The St. Maries Lumberjack Booster Club, affiliated with St. Maries High School, had a vision for youth to have a dedicated place for sports activities. The St. Maries lumber and plywood complex shared the view that promoting sports not only supports fitness and health, but also benefits children’s mental and social health and teaches the importance of teamwork, discipline, and dedication. PotlatchDeltic contributed $100,000 towards Phase 2 of the Lumberjack Community Sports Complex in St. Maries, Idaho that is being developed by the Booster Club. This phase of the funding efforts enabled completion of irrigation and hydroseeding for the baseball, softball, and soccer fields set to open in spring 2023. Team Members and vendors also participated in a fundraising campaign towards the effort and raised an additional $25,000. PotlatchDeltic matched the donations for a total contribution of $150,000 toward the project.
Summer in St. Maries, Idaho is picture perfect, and swimming and sports activities along the St. Joe River is a favorite pastime. The lumber and plywood complex wanted to help support the community in ensuring youth were safe. So, children 18 years of age and under were given a “free swim summer” from June to August at the city pool. The donation also included swim lessons for children and those who participated in the swimming lessons also received a beach towel. The community response was great with almost double the normal use of the facility.
