2 . 6 ▁million ▁acres ▁of ▁tim ber lands ▁overall , ▁located ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁South ▁( 1 . 8 ▁million ▁acres ) ▁and ▁U . S . ▁Pacific ▁North west ▁( 3 7 8 , 0 0 0 ▁acres ). ▁The ▁company ▁also ▁has ▁a ▁ 7 7 % ▁ownership ▁interest ▁in ▁Mat ar iki ▁Forest ry ▁Group , ▁a ▁joint ▁vent ure , ▁that ▁own s ▁or ▁le ases ▁approximately ▁ 4 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁acres ▁of ▁tim ber lands ▁in ▁New ▁Zealand . ▁ ▁History ▁Ray on ier ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 6 ▁as ▁the ▁Rain ier ▁P ulp ▁and ▁P aper ▁Company ▁in ▁Sh el ton , ▁Washington , ▁with ▁an ▁office ▁in ▁San ▁Francisco , ▁California . ▁Its ▁name ▁was ▁inspired ▁by ▁Mount ▁Rain ier ▁in ▁Washington ▁state . ▁Its ▁first ▁mill ▁opened ▁the ▁next ▁year ▁in ▁Sh el ton ▁and ▁Port ▁Angeles , ▁Washington , ▁on ▁the ▁Olympic ▁Pen ins ula . ▁The ▁mill ▁used ▁Ts uga ▁heter oph yl la ▁( western ▁hem lock ) ▁trees ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁prem ium ▁ble ached ▁paper ▁pul p . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 1 , ▁Rain ier ▁P ulp ▁and ▁P aper ▁began ▁working ▁with ▁the ▁Du P ont ▁chemical ▁company ▁to ▁produce ▁hem lock ▁pul p ▁for ▁the ▁manufact ure ▁of ▁ray on . ▁Two ▁additional ▁pul p ▁mill s ▁were ▁constructed ▁and ▁began ▁operation ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Washington . ▁ ▁Rain ier ▁P ulp