MAY 8  6PM: CONFERENCE WELCOME RECEPTION

Sponsored by the BC Market Outreach Network 

MAY 9 MORNING: CONFERENCE STARTS AT 8 AM, REGISTRATION AND BREAKFAST FROM 7 AM

Welcome Remarks: Sustainability as a Roadmap for Success
- Jean-Pierre Kiekens, Conference Chair, President of ForestLeadership

Setting the stage for the conference, the chair’s remarks will center on the theme of sustainability as a condition for a successful, competitive forest sector.

BC’s Strategies for Forest Sector Sustainability
- The Honourable Rich Coleman, Minister of Forests and Range, British Columbia

The forest and range minister for North America’s most powerful forestry jurisdiction will highlight the sustainability challenges faced by British Columbia and discuss key provincial policies such as the mountain pine beetle action plan, measures for climate change adaptation, forest stewardship plans, new forest tenures, partnerships with indigenous communities, research and innovation, new markets development and measures to improve sector competitiveness.

Sustainability Challenges in North America
- Hamish Kimmins, PhD, Professor of Forest Ecology, University of British Columbia
- William Banzhaf, President, Sustainable Forestry Initiative

Success in the forest sector requires addressing present and emerging sustainability challenges. This panel will take a broad look at such challenges and cover topics such as forest fragmentation, changing ownership patterns, new tenure models, biodiversity and endangered species, mountain pine beetle and other pests, impacts of and adaptation to climate change, prevention and control of wild fires and the evolution of certified sustainable forestry.

Practical Sustainability Solutions in Action
- Carlton Owen, CEO, US Endowment for Forestry & Communities Inc.
- Ian de la Roche , PhD, President & CEO, FPInnovations
- Robert Hrubes , PhD, Senior Vice-President, Scientific Certification Systems
- John Innes , PhD, Professor of Sustainable Forestry, University of British Columbia

Practical solutions that can readily be implemented by corporations or provincial or state governments are the focus of this panel, where leading experts will discuss their own experiences and solutions as far as forest sustainability is concerned. Information will be provided on new initiatives such as FPInnovations in Canada and the Endowment for Forestry & Communities in the U.S. and how they are intending to contribute to sustainability and competitiveness in the forest sector.

Market Place Solutions for Forest Sustainability
- Tom Katzenmeyer , Senior Vice President, Limited Brands Inc/Victoria’s Secret
- Nicole Rycroft, Executive Director, Markets Initiative

The role of the market place in promoting forest sustainability is constantly evolving. Recently, much attention has been given to leading catalogers and the partnership between Limited Brands/Victoria’s Secret and environmental group ForestEthics. This panel will discuss this new partnership and will address the question as to how the book, magazine and newspaper industries can, through their procurement policies, contribute to forest sustainability.

ForestLeadership Awards Ceremony 

Sponsored by Pro-Build

LUNCH

Sponsored by Limited Brands/Victoria's Secret and ForestEthics 

MAY 9 AFTERNOON

Sustainability Solutions for BC’s Forests
- Bruce Fraser, PhD, Chair, Forest Practices Board
- Tzeporah Berman, Strategic Director, ForestEthics
- Dallas Smith, President, Nanwakolas First Nations Council
- Bill Bourgeois, PhD, Principal, New Directions Resource Management Ltd.

Sustainability challenges in British Columbia are staggering: mountain pine beetle crisis, increasing prevalence of forest fires, endangered species, new forest stewardship plans, new tenure arrangements, ecosystem based management and declining international competitiveness, to name a few. Amazing opportunities are also present, for example through new conservation initiatives in the Great Bear rainforest. This diverse panel will present essential solutions for sustainability in BC’s rainforests, complementing Minister Coleman’s morning address on BC’s strategies for forest sector sustainability.

Sustainability Solutions for the Boreal
- Peter Lee, Executive Director, Global Forest Watch Canada
- Jim Fyles, PhD, Scientific Director, SFM Network; Professor, McGill University
- Trevor Wakelin, Director, Fiber Resources, Millar Western Forest Products
- Keith Moore, Principal, Moore Resource Management and FSC Lead Auditor

Boreal forests, a vital source of fiber for Canada’s forest products sector, are increasingly in the spotlight because of their fragmentation and degradation, caused by factors such as oil & gas and inadequate conservation planning. Species such as the woodland caribou are endangered and boreal forests are now threatened by an expansion of the mountain pine beetle epidemic. While market campaigns are targeting companies operating in the Boreal, long-term competitiveness is at stake because of high fiber costs. This panel will focus on practical solutions that can be implemented by provincial governments and the forest products industry to contribute to the sustainable use of this unique resource.

Sustainability Solutions for Success
- Jean-Pierre Kiekens, Conference Chair; President, ForestLeadership
- Bill Rockwell, PhD, Principal, Strategic Resource Systems
- John Innes , PhD, Professor of Sustainable Forestry, University of British Columbia

To conclude, this panel will present key highlights of the conference and summarize essential solutions to forest sustainability in North America that were discussed throughout the day. Panelists will help delegates to best capture the lessons to draw from the conference so that they can bring them to the attention of other decision makers in their respective organizations and start the process of acting on them.

Closing Reception 

Sponsored by the Forest Products Association of Canada