http://www.wealthofforests.law.uvic.ca
Are we moving toward or away from sustainable forestry? Will eco-certification make B.C. timber products more competitive? What are the implications of the Nisga'a deal and the treaty process on forest tenure reform?
These complex questions will be debated at "The Wealth of Forests," a one-day conference on the future of forestry on Nov. 6 at the Vancouver Public Library, 350 West Georgia Street.
The conference, featuring corporate, academic, community, government and First Nations leaders, expands on the ideas and opinions expressed in a new book The Wealth of Forests: Markets, Regulation and Sustainable Forestry, edited by UVic law professor Chris Tollefson and published by UBC Press. The book was funded by a research grant from Forest Renewal B.C. (FRBC). A specialist in environmental law, Tollefson collaborated on the book with 12 different contributors drawn from a range of disciplines, including political science, public administration, economics and business. A hardcover copy of the book is included with the conference registration fee.
A free, lunch hour public lecture, "Our Forest Policy Conundrum," will be given by UBC forestry professor emeritus Dr. Peter Pearse at the library at noon.
Tollefson says both the book and the conference are "for those concerned about the health and prospects of B.C.'s forests, and the B.C. forest economy."
Conference presenters include: Bill Dumont, chief forester, Western Forest Products; Linda Coady, MacMillan Bloedel's vice-president of environmental affairs; Dr. Peter Pearse, UBC; Ed John, co-chair, B.C. First Nations Summit; Karen Mahon, Greenpeace forest campaigner; Dr. Michael M'Gonigle, eco-research chair in environmental law and policy, UVic; Roger Stanyer, chair, Forest Renewal B.C.; and Gary Wouters, Jobs and Timber Commission.
Workshops will consider the connection between native land claims and forest tenure reform, the kind of zoning needed to promote sustainable forests, the relationship between Canada's trade policy and the growing world-wide movement to "eco-certify" forestry products that meet certain harvesting and production requirements, and the impact of the changing forest practices and allowable cut policies.
Registration fees for the conference are: $200 (business and government) and $150 (academic, non-profit, individuals). FRBC has donated funds to enable more than 100 post-secondary students to attend the conference through a special bursary program. Interested students are invited to apply for FRBC conference bursaries, on a first-come, first-served basis, through the conference Web site at: <http://www.wealthofforests.law.uvic.ca>
The conference is sponsored by FRBC, UVic's president's office, the eco-research chair, office of research administration and the faculty of law. For more information, contact 721-8703 or check the conference Web site.