With an aim to protect the land and its diverse ecosystems from development, Swedish multinational conglomerate Ikea has acquired over 10,000 acres of forestland in southeast Georgia. The land, which is near the Altamaha River Basin, was acquired from non-profit conservation organisation The Conservation Fund earlier this month. 

“We truly believe responsible forest management is possible and we see that a large part of our responsibility towards the land we own — and by extension the planet — is to restore forests and plant more than we harvest,” Krister Mattsson, the managing director of Ingka Investments, that owns and operates most Ikea stores, said, CNN reports. 

“In all our properties nature conservation is important. In this particular US investment in Georgia, first it is important that the land cannot be broken up into small units and it remains forever forestland,” Mattsson added. 

The land is home to over 350 species of wildlife and plants. The includes the endangered longleaf pine and gopher tortoise.

Meanwhile, in a statement, Conservation Fund president Larry Selzer said he was honored to work with the group.

“We are honored to work with Ingka Group and applaud its dedication to preserve and enhance forest quality in the U.S. and Europe. Well-managed forests provide essential benefits, including clean water and important wildlife habitat, as well as mitigating climate change,” he said, CNN reported.