About

Managing Our Company and Forests for the Long Term

Green Diamond is a fifth-generation, family-owned forest products company that owns and manages working forests in nine states throughout the western and southern U.S. We are a values-driven company with an enduring legacy as successful caretakers of working forests and the natural resources they provide. As a company that takes a long view toward forest and business management, sustainability is intrinsic to all we do. Our entire organization is committed to growing and nurturing forests that improve the health of our environment and support the communities, plants and animals that call them home.

Who We Are

One of the five largest timberland owner-operators in the U.S., managing land in nine states and demonstrating a 100% commitment to sustainable forest management.

2.2M acres total under
management

100% of our forest lands are third-party certified to one of the world’s two leading sustainable forest management standards

1.5M+ acres managed under federal and state fish and wildlife conservation agreements and permits

628K+ acres in carbon
sequestration projects

Continuing a legacy of over 130 years of strong governance and forest stewardship

1890 founding year

5 generations of family ownership

375+ employees throughout the U.S. and growing

A Legacy of Innovation and Commitment

Green Diamond’s roots date back to 1890, when it was founded as Simpson Logging Company by Sol Simpson. At the start of the 20th century, Simpson spun out Green Diamond Resource Company as an independent company, though with shared ownership.

Within the forestry industry, Sol Simpson developed a reputation as an innovative leader. He introduced the use of draft horses to replace oxen in forestry, as well as new technologies such as a mechanized log-hauling machine known as the “Walking Dudley.” As an employer, he became one of the first to offer a company health plan to loggers. Throughout five generations, Sol’s descendants have continued his commitment to people and innovation—growing the business to include more than 375 employees, 2.2 million acres and five primary businesses.

Green Diamond Through the Years

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1890

Founded as Simpson Logging Company

1945

Simpson purchased its first California properties and established the Redwood Division, known today as California Timberlands

1974

Korbel Forest Nursery and genetic tree improvement program established in Korbel, California

1990s

Expansion and diversification into paper production

1992

Received approval by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) for the Northern Spotted Owl—the first HCP implemented on private timberlands in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties in California

2000

Implemented a multispecies HCP that protects 51 fish and wildlife species in Washington

2002

Spun out from Simpson Investment Company as Simpson Resource Company

2004

Changed name from Simpson Resource Company to Green Diamond Resource Company

2007

Obtained approval for an HCP that protects six aquatic species in California, including the coho salmon

2008-2018

Western Rivers Conservancy, the State of California and the Yurok Tribe established a partnership to buy 48,000 acres (of temperate rainforest) along lower Blue Creek from Green Diamond