We own, lease or manage nearly 2.4 million acres of timber and land in nine U.S. states and New Zealand; and sell timber for use in a wide variety of markets, including pulp, paper, lumber and other wood products. Our commitment is to produce superior financial returns while preserving the environment through sustainable forestry. The geographic and species diversity of our timberland holdings allows this business to participate in diverse markets affected by different economic factors, thereby providing more consistent financial returns.
Eastern Forest Resources
Headquartered in Fernandina Beach, Florida, Eastern Forest Resources (EFR) manages approximately 1.7 million acres of Rayonier timberland in eight states: Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and New York. An estimated two-thirds of the timber is pine (loblolly, slash or longleaf) and one-third is comprised of hardwoods. In the South, hardwoods include species of oak, gum, ash, sweetgum, red maple and cypress. In New York, the primary species are sugar maple, black cherry, yellow birch, red spruce and balsam fir.
Practicing responsible sustainable forestry management, over 4.5 million tons of ready-to-harvest pine and hardwood timber are sold to the open market annually.
Western Forest Resources
Headquartered in Hoquiam, Washington, Western Forest Resources (WFR) manages approximately 409,000 acres of Rayonier timberland, primarily located on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state. The lands are forested with mixed-species of conifers, primarily western hemlock, Douglas fir, western red cedar and Sitka spruce. Rayonier is the largest private seller of standing timber in Washington state, with a sustainable annual harvest of approximately 250 million board feet. Most timber is sold to domestic mills or timber brokers, although an increasing amount is exported to Asia and other international markets.
Asia Pacific Forest Resources
Headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, Asia Pacific Forest Resources (APFR) manages approximately 332,000 acres of timberland for Matariki Forests, a joint venture, of which Rayonier owns a 26 percent equity interest. Matariki is the third largest plantation owner in New Zealand, with forests ranging from the northern tip of the North Island to the southern tip of the South Island. Approximately 65 percent of Matariki's harvest is sold to domestic mills for processing into appearance-grade lumber suitable for millwork or for structural applications; the other 35 percent is sold as logs into East Asian markets. Harvesting is restricted to man-made forests of non-native tree species. Radiata pine, native to California's Monterey Peninsula, is the predominant species planted because it exhibits high growth rates in the favorable New Zealand soil and climate.
