MAY 14: SUNDAY

ALL TIMES PDT

SQUAMISH LIL’WAT CULTURAL CENTRE

Join a trip to the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre. Visitors will experience the rich cultural traditions, history, and heritage of the Squamish and Lil’wat Nations, including art, music, storytelling, and traditional knowledge.

This is part of the forest tour listed on the main registration site. Sign up for the tour during registration, limited spots available.

MAY 16: TUESDAY

ALL TIMES PDT

TALKING TREES TOUR OF STANLEY PARK

Join Talaysay Tours for an enriched cultural outdoor experience. Indigenous Cultural Guides will share with you ancient and contemporary stories, legends, and Indigenous ways of living. Open to registered attendees only, limited spots available.

This tour is separate from the forest tour listed on main registration site.
Register for tour using this link.

2:00 P.M. – 3:00 PM PDT  |  SESSION 1: WELCOME

Kick off the 2023 SFI Annual Conference in collaboration with PEFC Week, where we will learn about and discuss opportunities on the most pressing issues and challenges facing our planet and communities, locally and globally.

Kathy Abusow

President and CEO
Sustainable Forestry Initiative

Michael Berger

Secretary General/CEO
PEFC International

3:15 P.M. – 5:00 PM PDT  |  SESSION 2: LEADERSHIP PERSPECTIVES

Hear from government and forest sector leaders about the importance of the conference theme: Forest, People, and Nature Positive.

Shane Berg

Chief Forester and Assistant Deputy Minister
BC Ministry of Forests

Cassidy Caron

President
Métis National Council

Chief Ken Price

K’ómoks First Nation

MAY 17: WEDNESDAY

ALL TIMES PDT

9:00 A.M. – 9:15 A.M. PDT  |  DAY 2 WELCOME

Eduardo Rojas Briales

Chair
PEFC International

9:15 A.M. – 10:30 A.M. PDT  |  SESSION 3: STANDARDS, SUPPLY CHAINS AND ESG

SFI and PEFC forest certification standards are highly trusted solutions to ensure forest products are from sustainably managed forests. Learn how SFI and PEFC standards can be leveraged with brands, investors, and consumers to demonstrate critical ESG and sustainability assurances.

Moderator: Kathy Abusow

President and CEO
Sustainable Forestry Initiative

Michael P. Doss

President and CEO
Graphic Packaging International Inc., and
Chair, SFI Board of Directors

Annica Bresky

President and CEO
Stora Enso
and SFI Board Member

Lindsay Tighe

General Manager
Stuwix Resources Joint Venture

Sam Wallace

Analyst and Sector Lead, International Standards Sustainability Board

10:30 A.M. – 11:00 A.M. PDT  |  BREAK

11:00 A.M. – 12:00 p.M. PDT  |  SESSION 4: RESPECTING INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ RIGHTS: UNDRIP AND FPIC

This panel will offer compelling thought leadership around the important topic of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), as an essential nation-to-nation conversation and foundational principle of sustainable forest management.

Moderator: Scott Robertson

Senior Associate
Nahwegahbow Corbiere LLP, Aboriginal Rights Lawyer

Lennard Joe

Chief Executive Officer
BC First Nations Forestry Council
and SFI Board Member

Ariel Taylor

Executive Director of Indigenous Relations Branch in the Associate Deputy Ministers, BC Ministry of Forests

12:00 P.M. – 1:00 P.M. PDT  |  LUNCH

1:00 P.M. – 2:00 P.M. PDT  |  SESSION 5: RELATIONSHIP BUILDING AND RECONCILIATION

This panel highlights forest-focused collaborations rooted in recognition and respect for Indigenous Peoples’ rights, traditional knowledge and self-determined aspirations for the future. Hear from Indigenous communities and their forest sector partners about what makes their partnership work, and what you can do to advance your own relationships.

Moderator: Paul Robitaille

Senior Advisor, Indigenous Relations
Sustainable Forestry Initiative

Chief Lorraine Cobiness

Niisaachewan Anishinaabe First Nation, and President, Miitigoog Forest Management

Erik Holmstrom

Vice President, Miitigoog Forest Management; Ontario Timberlands Manager, Weyerhaeuser/p>

Jason Mogilefsky

Certification Manager, Spray Lake Sawmill

Tanis One Spot

Executive Director-Lands Portfolio, Tsuut’ina Nation

2:00 P.M. – 3:00 P.M. PDT  |  SESSION 6: URBAN AND COMMUNITY FORESTRY: INCREASING ACCESS TO GREEN SPACES

The guiding principles of the new SFI Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standards point out that “urban forests and trees are vital for community well-being, health, resiliency, and sustainability.” Urban forests and their associate benefits should be accessible and available to everyone. Join us for a global perspective on the current state and future plans for urban and community forestry. Take away actions you can take to help support sustainability through collaborations where you live, work, play, and learn.

Moderator: Paul Johnson

Senior Director of Urban and Community Forestry
Sustainable Forestry Initiative

Marten de Groot

National Secretary, PEFC Netherlands

Sharon Jean-Philippe

Professor of Urban Forestry University of Tennessee

Caitlyn Pollihan

CEO and Executive Director
International Society of Arboriculture

3:00 P.M. – 3:30 P.M. PDT  |  BREAK

3:30 P.M. – 5:00 P.M. PDT  |  SESSION 7: NATURE-POSITIVE SOLUTIONS

The forest sector has the opportunity and responsibility to advance and scale solutions to some of the world’s greatest environmental challenges, such as sustaining imperiled biodiversity and maintaining essential ecosystem services. This session will examine the role of certification in driving, quantifying, and sharing forest-positive solutions to ecological sustainability, and will demonstrate the value of collaborative efforts to advance environmental metrics.

Moderator: Dr. Healy Hamilton

Chief Scientist
Sustainable Forestry Initiative

Dr. Tracy Farrell

Director
IUCN North America
and SFI Board Member

Angela Graham-Brown

Director, Forest Solutions Group
World Business Council for Sustainable Development

Catherine Grenier

President and CEO
Nature Conservancy Canada
and SFI Board Member

MAY 18: THURSDAY

ALL TIMES PDT

9:00 A.M. – 9:15 A.M. PDT  |  DAY 3 WELCOME

Regional Chief Terry Teegee

British Columbia Assembly of First Nations

9:15 A.M. – 10:30 A.M. PDT  |  SESSION 8: CLIMATE SMART FORESTRY

Sustainably managed forests are among the planet’s most important tools for addressing climate change. Organizations are helping to mitigate climate change through the use of SFI standards and the use of SFI and PEFC-certified forest products. The first part of this session will examine the latest science developments and set the stage for the second part of the session, which will explore policy and practice, what the science means for forest managers and forest products manufacturers, and how SFI standards are positioned to play a role.

Moderator: Dr. Lauren Cooper

Chief Conservation Officer
Sustainable Forestry Initiative

Bill Adams

Vice President, Sustainability and Innovation
Mercer International

Antonio Brunori

Forest engineer and journalist, Secretary General of PEFC Italy

Hilary Franz

Commissioner of Public Lands
Washington State Department of Natural Resources

Dr. Werner Kurz

Senior Research Scientist, Natural Resources Canada

10:30 A.M. – 11:00 A.M. PDT  |  BREAK

11:00 A.M. – 12:00 p.M. PDT  |  SESSION 9: WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

This session will highlight examples of partnerships and initiatives that are successfully creating impactful workforce development and experiential learning opportunities for young professionals.

Jeff Bromley

Chair, United Steelworkers Wood Council,
and SFI Board Member

Aaron Evans

Resource Technical Forester, Rayonier

Agustin Rosello

President, International Forestry Students Association

Albert Emilio Yuson

General Secretary, Building and Woodworkers International (BWI)

BILL REID GALLERY

Visit the Bill Reid Gallery, home to special exhibitions of contemporary Indigenous Art of the Northwest Coast of North America. Open to registered attendees only, limited spots available.

This tour is separate from the forest tour listed on main registration site.
Register for tour using this link.