Rayonier signed an enterprise license agreement (ELA) with Esri that enables the international forest products company to improve land management of its 2.4 million acres of sustainably managed forests.

By securing unlimited access to geographic information system (GIS) software, Rayonier managers can make more informed and timely decisions about their timberlands while preserving the environment through sustainable forestry. Rayonier is the first timber real estate investment trust (REIT) in the nation to shift to this easy GIS software acquisition method.

The ELA software program simplifies procurement of essential GIS technology that can improve Rayonier's business decisions. With the benefit of unlimited software deployment, Rayonier now has the flexibility to apply the exact geospatial solution needed to support key business processes.

Rayonier planners and land managers can apply the technology to a wide range of forest management activities, including applications for site preparation, planting, stand maintenance, timber sales, harvest compliance, and land administration.

"In the face of changing markets, we need flexibility in our approach to land use and land management," explained Eric Fanelli, Rayonier's director of Land Support Services.

"The ELA with Esri will help us bring together our forest management systems for a complete picture of our timber and nontimber assets. It will also help us quickly take advantage of business opportunities as they arise."

"This ELA emphasizes our commitment to our relationship with Rayonier," noted Peter Eredics, Esri's forestry manager.

"We see Rayonier's innovative approach as a new standard for using geospatial technology to redefine and advance positioning on the forest products value chain. It supplies a fully integrated system that lets you easily author and analyze data, maps, and models for desktop, browser, or field mobile device applications."