 KLAUS, 1 YEAR LATER
Read release dated January 25, 2010
This past January 24th, for the second time in ten years, the Landes de Gascogne region was pummelled by a storm of exceptional severity nammed Klaus.
 one third of the Landes maritime pine forest was devastated |
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In a matter of hours, no less than 300,000 hectares (over 740,000 acres) of forest were destroyed. Some 38 to 50 million cubic metres of wood was left on the ground, i.e. the equivalent of 6 to 7 years of harvest, and one third of the Landes maritime pine forest was devastated. |
The Landes Forest - a historic national treasure and the largest cultivated forest in France – is both a keystone in the economy of the entire Aquitaine region and an important factor in maintaining environmental equilibrium.
The Gascogne group, created in the heart of the Landes woodlands by foresters in 1925, is a leading player in the Aquitaine wood-paper industry. Involved at every stage in protecting the worth of the forest, the group was compelled to take action to preserve this valuable resource.
This large-scale destruction of the Landes Forest sparked enormous solidarity and sympathy for all those affected.
Without further ado, Gascogne decided to launch the “Together, let's replant the forest” operation in order to involve French consumers in the regeneration of the Landes Forest.
Landes pines are a daily part of all of our lives, whether in the form of packaging, timber or lumber, wood flooring and panelling, plywood or Kraft paper.
On April 2, Gascogne launched the "Together, let's replant the forest" operation during a press conference at Paris' Palais Brongniart, with the decoration, building, packaging, economics and financial journalists.
This multi-faceted cooperative operation initiated in the Wood division has been extended to all the Group divisions with a variety of partnership projects with the customers of the Paper and Sacks divisions.
Through this operation, symbolised by the newly-created logo - “The Landes Forest, a special place in my heart”, Gascogne is offering all those who feel concerned the opportunity to take part in restoring the Landes Forest, thereby preserving an unparalleled asset in Europe, and making a concrete contribution in favour of the environment.
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