Lafarge US conservation projects receive Wildlife Habitat Council certification

This year, nine conservation projects at Lafarge North America sites across the US were certified or recertified by the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC). Six of the nine projects are part of WHC’s Wildlife at Work programme, which recognises voluntary efforts that go beyond the usual regulatory requirements to restore and conserve wildlife habitats. The remaining projects fall under WHC’s Corporate Lands for Learning certification, which involves opening up corporate lands to the local community for educational use.

Lafarge has been working with WHC to restore and preserve habitats where they operate since 2008. The Lafarge programmes certified under WHC’s Corporate Lands for Learning also serve as outdoor classrooms for local schools and community groups. The conservation initiatives include planting trees and shrubs to enhance habitats, establishing gardens, mounting birdhouses, building brush piles to provide shelter for animals, and building and maintaining water supplies. Lafarge’s US business also supports migratory birds and ecosystems from New Orleans to Upper Michigan and a significant portion of the northeastern US.

“WHC has been an invaluable partner in helping us fulfill our environmental sustainability goals over the years,” said Craig Campbell, Vice President of Environment for Lafarge US. “These programmes validate our sites’ commitment to operate as integrated, non-disruptive members of the surrounding ecosystem, which is one of the values we hold as stewards of the land. Our commitment to this value and ability to share lessons learned with local students and community groups is a unique opportunity to foster a sustainable cycle of environmental consciousness with long-lasting positive impacts.”

With the addition of these certified and recertified projects, Lafarge and WHC now operate a total of 25 programmes in 10 states across the US.

• Alpena plant and Paxton quarry, Alpena, Michigan.*
• Ravena plant, Ravena, New York.
• Whitehall cement plant, Whitehall, Pennsylvania.
• Lordstown Construction Recovery, Warren, Ohio.*
• Honey Island Aggregates, Pearl River, Louisiana.
• Muskegon terminal, Muskegon, Michigan.
• Sun City Aggregates, Sun City, Arizona.

*Certified for both Wildlife at Work and Corporate Lands for Learning programmes.

Adapted from press release by Rosalie Starling

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/the-americas/10122014/lafarge-us-conservation-projects-receive-wildlife-habitat-council-certification-986/