$4.5M in funding supports forestry research

Ottawa, On – The federal government says it is providing $3.3 million over three years to support new sustainable forest management projects in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and New Brunswick. Continued funding of $1.2 million in Quebec research projects for the next three years was also confirmed. All projects are led by members of the Sustainable Forest Management Network.

The announcement coincides with the opening of the network’s fourth scientific conference, being held in Edmonton. More than 300 participants, representing the forest industry, provincial governments, First Nations, and non-government organizations, as well as forest practitioners and researchers from Canada and abroad are expected to attend the conference.

“The latest advances achieved by the Sustainable Forest Management Network’s researchers and their industry, government, and non-government partners have already begun to change how forest science is done across the country, and are influencing new government policies and industry practices,” said Dr Suzanne Fortier, Chair of the Networks of Centres of Excellence and President of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.

The new projects being funded include:

– Dr Jeremy Rayner, professor and chair, department of political science, Malaspina University College, Nanaimo, BC, leads a regional research team to promote policies that better integrate different uses and values from Canada’s forests in British Columbia, Alberta, and Manitoba.

– Dr John Innes, professor and FRBC chair of forest management, University of British Columbia leads a regional research team to find a better way to understand and manage cumulative development impacts on Treaty 8 lands.

– Dr Thomas Maness, associate professor, Faculty of Forest Resources Management and Landscape Architecture, University of British Columbia will lead an inter-provincial research team to develop a new way to effectively measure the public’s forest preferences.

– Dr Fangliang He, Canada Research Chair in Biodiversity and Landscape Modelling, Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta will lead a national research team to better safeguard the forest environment.

– Dr Han Chen, assistant professor, Faculty of Forestry and Forest Environment, Lakehead University will lead a national research team to better predict forest productivity and timber supply.

– Dr Shashi Kant, professor, Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto will lead an international research team to develop a global competitiveness index for Canada’s forest industry.

– Dr Jim Buttle, -rofessor, department of geography, Trent University will lead a national research team to protect Canada’s valuable water resources from possible forest operations impacts.

– Dr Paul Arp, professor, Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, University of New Brunswick will lead a national research team to improve timing and cost effectiveness of logging operations.