appleeventlogoApple is extending its conservation efforts by purchasing 36,000 acres of forest through a partnership with The Conservation Fund in order to preserve the land for future generations, while also maintaining its use as a “working forest” that continues to produce wood for commercial purposes.

Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of environmental initiatives wrote in a Medium post co-authored with Conservation Fund CEO Larry Selzer that the move is part of Apple re-evaluating its “paper supply chain.” The land will be managed by the Conservation Fund, which works to sustainably manage working forests so they can still be used for things like paper production.

“Our working forests clean the air we breathe, provide critical habitats for wildlife, and filter the water for over half of Americans,” the post reads. “They also are important to the economy, supplying 2.8 million jobs, fueling mills, and sustaining hundreds of logging towns. Working forests are different from the protected national forests we visit with family and friends. Privately held, they represent the last large, intact forests left in America — and they are at grave risk.”

As a part of the deal, Apple has committed to conserving forest acreage equivalent to the virgin paper use needed for its products, and will evaluate how it can increase the use of recycled paper going forward.

It’s good news for the environment, as Apple products continue to prove incredibly popular with consumers. The company sold 75 million iPhones last quarter, and each of them came in a handsomely-designed paper box.

The company has been taking a more aggressive stance when it comes to conservation efforts. Apple is working to offset the impact of all the data centers that it builds by powering them with renewable energy, and recently announced an $850 million investment in a massive solar farm.

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