The fourth meeting of MegaFlorestais was held on October 5-9, 2009, and hosted by the British Columbia Ministry of Forests and Range and the Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, in collaboration with the Rights and Resources Initiative. Representatives from Brazil, China, Indonesia, Russia, and the USA participated in the meeting.
Topics discussed
- Competition among different land use activities;
- Enabling economic opportunities for community managers and entrepreneurs;
- Reevaluating the role of forest ministries in light of the changing world context; and
- Climate change.
Field trip: Squamish Forest Concession, Upper Elaho Valley, British Columbia
The field trip included a tour of an active cutting block at 1000’ elevation, a 10-12 year-old silviculture restoration operation, and a visit to the run-of-the-river hydroelectric plant of Ashlu Creek. The visit exposed agency leaders to a modern forest enterprise and the practical manner in which the Squamish nation and the government are managing the contented question of forest ownership. The logging operation was large-scale and commercially competitive, but also followed more stringent environmental guidelines for removals and reforestation as mandated by the Squamish.
Resources and Presentations
- Synopsis (including the agenda and list of participants) Available in English and French
- Don Roberts, CIBC World Markets – Economic meltdown and impacts on markets for forest products
- Andy White, RRI – Small and medium forest enterprises: Forest industry in transition
- Jim Farrell, Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada – Forest areas and public forest agencies: A perspective
- Jeffrey Hatcher, RRI – REDD: Issues, concerns and ways forward for forest agencies
- Sally Collins, Office of Ecosystem Services and Markets, USDA – Ecosystem Services and Markets