2023 CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

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.

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.

2:00 PM – 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, and receive a traditional welcome and territorial acknowledgement by Squamish Nation Ocean Going Canoe Family.

Kathy Abusow

President and CEO
Sustainable Forestry Initiative

Michael Berger

Secretary General/CEO
PEFC International

3:00 PM – 3:30 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.

Cassidy Caron

President
Métis National Council

Linda Coady

President and CEO, BC Council of Forest Industries

Leadership spotlight: Miitigoog Limited Partnership and Miisun Integrated Resource Management Company. Watch Miitigoog and Miisun’s story and learn about their innovative resource management strategy that promotes strong working relationships between First Nations and sector partners.

3:30 PM – 3:45 PM PDT  |  NETWORKING BREAK

3:45 PM – 5:00 PM PDT  |  SESSION 3: RESPECTING INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ RIGHTS

This panel will discuss the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and 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. The SFI President’s Award will also be presented.

Moderator: Scott Robertson

Senior Associate, Nahwegahbow Corbiere LLP, Aboriginal Rights Lawyer
Member of the Six Nations of the Grand River

Lennard Joe

Chief Executive Officer, BC First Nations Forestry Council
Member of the Shackan Indian Band with Nlaka’pamux First Nation
and SFI Board Member

Joanne Ranson

Manager of Strategic Accommodation and Reconciliation, BC Ministry of Forests

5:00 PM – 7:00 PM PDT  |  NETWORKING RECEPTION

MAY 17: WEDNESDAY

ALL TIMES PDT

7:00 AM – 8:30 AM PDT  |  5K FUN RUN/WALK

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM PDT  |  BREAKFAST

9:00 AM – 10:15 AM PDT  |  SESSION 4: STANDARDS, SUPPLY CHAINS AND ESG

SFI and PEFC forest certification standards are highly trusted solutions to ensure forest products are from sustainably managed forests. Hear from the PEFC and SFI Board chairs on the importance of PEFC and SFI collaboration on forest supply chains. Learn from key influencers how SFI and PEFC standards can be leveraged with brands, investors, and consumers to demonstrate critical ESG and sustainability assurances.

Eduardo Rojas Briales

Chair
PEFC International

Michael P. Doss

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

Angela Davis

President, Campbell Global

Sam Wallace

Analyst and Sector Lead, International Standards Sustainability Board

Lindsay Tighe

General Manager
Stuwix Resources Joint Venture

10:15 AM – 10:45 AM PDT  |  NETWORKING BREAK

10:45 AM – 11:45 AM 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

Jason Mogilefsky

Certification Manager, Spray Lake Sawmill

Tanis One Spot

Executive Director-Lands Portfolio, Tsuut’ina Nation

James Pepper

Director, Penticton Indian Band (PIB) Natural Resources

Ron Palmer

Ron Palmer

First Nations Lead — Kootenay Operations
Interfor

11:45 AM – 1:00 PM PDT  |  NETWORKING LUNCH

1:00 PM – 1:30 PM PDT  |  SESSION 6: GOVERNMENT PERSPECTIVES: SUSTAINING OUR COMMUNITIES

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

The Honourable Bruce Ralston

M.L.A., Minister of Forests, Government of British Columbia

Hilary Franz

Commissioner or Public Lands
Washington State

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM PDT  |  SESSION 7: 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

2:30 PM – 3:00 PM PDT  | NETWORKING BREAK

3:00 PM – 5:00 PM PDT  |  SESSION 8: 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, will demonstrate the value of collaborative efforts to advance environmental metrics, and will offer insights into the upcoming Task Force on Nature-Related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) Forest Sector Guidance to be released in September 2023. The SFI Leadership in Conservation award and the SFI Implementation Committee Achievement award will also be presented.

Moderator: Healy Hamilton

Chief Scientist
Sustainable Forestry Initiative

Antonio Brunori

Forest engineer and journalist, Secretary General of PEFC Italy

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

David Walkem

Sr. Manager, Strategic Partnerships, Invasive Species Council of BC
Member of the Cook’s Ferry Indian Band, of the Nlaka’pamux Nation

MAY 18: THURSDAY

ALL TIMES PDT

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM PDT  |  BREAKFAST

9:00 AM – 9:15 AM PDT  |  SESSION 9: FIRST NATIONS’ LEADERSHIP PERSPECTIVES

Regional Chief Terry Teegee

British Columbia Assembly of First Nations

9:15 AM – 10:15 AM PDT  |  SESSION 10: 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: Lauren Cooper

Chief Conservation Officer
Sustainable Forestry Initiative

Bill Adams

Vice President, Sustainability and Innovation
Mercer International

Jose Arias-Bustamante

Policy Analyst, Indigenous Science Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada

Werner Kurz

Senior Research Scientist, Natural Resources Canada

Christopher Wallahee

Christopher Wallahee

Assistant Secretary
Yakama Nation Tribal Council

Yakama Nation logo

10:15 AM – 10:45 AM PDT  |  NETWORKING BREAK

10:45 AM – 11:30 AM PDT  |  SESSION 11: GROWING A RESILIENT WORKFORCE

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

Moderator: Christine Leduc

VP Communications and Government Relations
Sustainable Forestry Initiative

Jeff Bromley

Chair, United Steelworkers Wood Council,
and SFI Board Member

Aaron Evans

Resource Technical Forester, Rayonier

Ezra Mecham

Forest Project Manager, Nuxalk Forestry LP

Agustin Rosello

President, International Forestry Students Association

11:30 AM – 12:00 PM PDT  |  CONFERENCE CLOSING

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM PDT  |  CLOSING LUNCHEON

1:30 PM – 4:30 PM PDT  |  SFI’S AUDITORS FORUM

Open only to SFI accredited certification bodies and accreditation bodies.

1:30 PM – 4:30 PM PDT  |  PEFC SESSION

Open only to PEFC national and international stakeholder members.

1:30 PM – 4:30 PM PDT  |  SFI IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEES GENERAL SESSION

Open to all SFI Implementation Committee members and partners.

  • Hear from university partners on advancing research priorities
  • Share ideas on how to coordinate on SFI standard requirements

Katy Kavanagh

Associate Dean of Research and Professor, College of Forestry, Oregon State University, and current President, National Association of University Forest Resource Programs (NAUFRP)

Gary Bull

Professor, Department of Forest Resources Management, University of British Columbia

1:30 – 1:40 P.M. PDT | Welcome & Introduction to SFI’s Conservation Impact Project and Overview of the Workshop
Lauren Cooper portait

Lauren Cooper

Chief Conservation Officer
Sustainable Forestry Initiative

Dr. Healy Hamilton

Chief Scientist
Sustainable Forestry Initiative

I. THE NATURE POSITIVE-CHALLENGE

An overview of new developments in ESG around enhanced disclosure requirements and related terms such as “nature-positive” and “regenerative.” Includes discussion of how tools and techniques such as eDNA may make meeting these requirements feasible.

1:40 – 2:00 P.M. PDT | The ESG Landscape

Daniel O’Brien

Partner, Sustainable Business Solutions, PwC Canada; member of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD)

2:00 – 2:20 P.M. PDT | Tools to Meet the Future
Dr. JJ Apodaca

Dr. JJ Apodaca

Lead Scientist and Founder, Tangled Bank Conservation;
Executive Director, Amphibian and Reptile Conservation

ARC logo
TBC logo

II. MEETING THE CHALLENGE

This session offers examples of SFI conservation work that employs new and innovative techniques and demonstrates the practical application of these emerging tools to address ESG and issues, meet SFI-certification requirements, and collaborate with Indigenous Communities to better integrate traditional knowledge into sustainable forest management.

2:25 – 2:50 P.M. PDT | Conservation Impact Grant: eDNA Effects of Pre- and Post-Fire Forest Management on Aquatic Biodiversity: An Evaluation of Fire Resiliency and Recovery

Dr. Ashley Coble

Forest Watershed Scientist, NCASI

2:50 – 3:15 P.M. PDT | Conservation Impact Grant: Assessing the Effectiveness of Enhanced Riparian Management in Penticton Indian Band Area of Responsibility

James Pepper

Director, Penticton Indian Band (PIB) Natural Resources

III. STRIVING FOR METRICS AND IMPACT

This session provides an opportunity to have a dialogue about your conservation priorities and the work of the SFI Conservation Impact Project. How can you communicate about these topics? How can SFI best address these topics in the future? How do ESG, nature-positive, and regenerative goals and aspirations relate to sustainable forestry? What types of research would be most useful to you? What tools do you need?

3:30 – 3:50 P.M. PDT | Communicating Conservation Impact for Nature-Positive Outcomes

Dr. Darren Sleep

Lead Scientist
Sustainable Forestry Initiative

3:50 – 4:20 P.M. PDT | Dialogue session: The Future of Conservation Impact

Leonardo Viana

VP Conservation Collaboration
Sustainable Forestry Initiative

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM PDT  |  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.