Third Party Certifies That All Of Weyerhaeuser's U.S. Forests Meet Standard For Sound Forestry.

Business Editors/Environment Writers

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FEDERAL WAY, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 19, 2003

Weyerhaeuser Company (NYSE:WY), one of the world's largest lumber producers, announced today that an independent auditor has certified the company's entire U.S. forest holdings as meeting the Sustainable Forestry Initiative(R) (SFI(R)) standard.

More than seven million acres of forest -- an area larger than the state of Maryland -- now satisfy rigorous requirements for protecting the environment and ensuring future forest growth.

"Our customers want assurance that using wood products is compatible with good environmental practice," said Richard E. Hanson, executive vice president, Timberlands and International, and chief operating officer. "This certification offers independent verification that our forests are being managed to a high standard."

The Quality Management Institute (QMI) certified this month that 2.9 million acres of Weyerhaeuser forests in Alabama, Arkansas, southern Louisiana, Mississippi and Oklahoma now meet SFI standards. Weyerhaeuser forests in the Carolinas, Georgia, northern Louisiana, Missouri, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Washington were previously certified, for a total of 7.4 million acres.

"Our Georgia timberlands were the first Weyerhaeuser forests in the United States to become certified," said Jody Strickland, Georgia Timberlands manager. "The certification was achieved in late 2000."

The timberlands unit manages approximately 324,000 acres of forests in the state. Primary holdings are in the following counties: Crawford, Houston, Putnam, Sumter, Taylor, Turner, Twiggs, Upson, Wilkinson and Worth.

The SFI standard is a comprehensive set of objectives and performance measures which integrate the perpetual growing and harvesting of trees with the protection of wildlife, plants, soil, water and air quality. It is overseen by an independent governing board.

Weyerhaeuser, which started the nation's first tree farm in 1941, has long been a leader in forest stewardship. Some of the forestry practices employed by Weyerhaeuser that meet certification standards include:

-- Replanting - The company plants more than 100 million seedlings a year, generally within the first planting season following harvest. In Georgia, Weyerhaeuser plants an average of two million seedlings every year.

-- Sustaining forest growth - Harvesting at a rate that ensures that more than 97 percent of its land is always growing trees.

-- Protecting endangered species - Harvests are planned to avoid disrupting the breeding activities of sensitive wildlife species. Weyerhaeuser takes special measures to protect rare, threatened or endangered species such as the Red Hills salamander in Alabama, the gopher tortoise in Louisiana and Mississippi, the American burying beetle in Arkansas and Oklahoma, and the northern spotted owl in Oregon and Washington.

-- Protecting wildlife habitat - Weyerhaeuser leaves buffer zones of trees along streams to maintain cool stream temperatures, protect fish pools and spawning beds, and reduce siltation.

-- Protecting water quality - Forest roads are maintained to filter runoff to the forest floor, away from streams. Culverts, cross drains and bridges are built to allow water flow and fish passage and to keep sediment out of streams. Exposed road banks are seeded with wildlife-friendly grasses in areas that are prone to erosion.

To date, 25.5 million acres (10.3 million hectares) of forest that Weyerhaeuser manages in Canada and the United States have been certified to internationally recognized standards for sustainable forest management practices.

Weyerhaeuser Company, one of the world's largest integrated forest products companies, was incorporated in 1900. In 2002, sales were $18.5 billion. It has offices or operations in 18 countries, with customers worldwide. Weyerhaeuser is principally engaged in the growing and harvesting of timber; the manufacture, distribution and sale of forest products; and real estate construction, development and related activities. Additional information about Weyerhaeuser's businesses, products and practices is available at http://www.weyerhaeuser.com.

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