SFI has announced additional speakers for the 2017 SFI Annual Conference – Forests. A Way of Life – September 27-29, in Ottawa.
The speaker line-up includes The Honourable Jim Carr, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources; JP Gladu, president and CEO, Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB); Jeff Zweig, president and CEO, TimberWest; Ivonne Higuero, Director Forests, Land & Housing Division, UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE); Scott Hall, Senior Scientist, Bird Conservation, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF); Laura Farquharson, Director General, Environment Canada; and Dave Tenny, President and CEO, National Alliance for Forest Owners (NAFO).
This year’s attendees include CEOs of multinational companies, conservationists, community representatives, Indigenous leaders, forest managers, university faculty and students, government officials, and many more.
Higuero, Director Forests, Land & Housing Division, UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), will present highlights on international policy developments related to forestry such as the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-2030, and the related work of UNECE on sustainable forest products and markets and the green economy. Get a sneak peek at the policy chapter of the Forest Products Annual Market Review 2016-2017 and the outcomes of the discussion on forest certification, high on member States’ agendas, recently held in the Czech Republic.
Scott Hall of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation will discuss NFWF’s evolving scientific approach to eastern hardwood forest management and shifting focus toward managing age and structural diversity to benefit a suite of bird species. NFWF’s work on standardized metrics echoes SFI’s own work to clarify the contribution of working forests to measure landscape-level conservation outcomes.
Laura Farquharson of Environment Canada will discuss cooperative efforts with SFI program participants that build understanding of how sustainable forest management actions support conservation of species at risk, and contribute to the successful implementation of federal policies.
Dave Tenny of the National Alliance for Forest Owners will address NAFO’s At-Risk Species Conservation Initiative, a forward-thinking effort to advance active forest management as a recognized conservation solution, and the connections to the certified forest landscape. Dave will also talk about NAFO’s progress building trust and collaboration with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to achieve species conservation at scale.
The conference will also have special events focused on the Canadian Forest Service, the impact of women in the forestry sector, and a PEFC workshop for certification and accreditation bodies, among many others. Other side events are hosted by World Resources Institute (WRI) and Birdlife International. There are also member-only meetings for SFI Implementation Committees.
Visit SFI’s conference website for registration details, travel information and more. Check out the agenda preview for the full list of speakers.