Rod Keenan
This year’s Australian and New Zealand Institutes of Foresters conference will explore the need to go ‘beyond tenure’ to better manage all our forests for multiple values. Source: Timberbiz
Forests and trees provide many benefits: water, biodiversity, scenic values, timber and firewood, land and soil conservation and jobs in timber production or tourism. Events in forests, like the recent fires in southern Australia, also present risks to people and assets.
We all share a common interest in the good management of our forest resources. With more active management across the landscape, we can do better at meeting the many expectations that the community holds for our forests and trees.
The conference, to be opened by Senator Richard Colbeck, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture, will be held from 13-15 April in Creswick, Victoria.
It is the largest gathering of forest management and research professionals in Australasia in the last four years.
Keynote addresses will include Professor Ross Garnaut, speaking on development and population in a century of climate change.
Professor Kerry Arabena on the future of forest management in Australia – an indigenous perspective and Dr Tint Lwin Thaung on developments in forest management in the Asia Pacific region.
“I’m very excited about the range of speakers and breadth of forest management issues we are covering at the conference,” said Professor Rod Keenan, of the University of Melbourne and chair of the conference organising committee.
“We are privileged to have visiting speakers such as US forest fire expert, Jerry Williams from the Brookings Institute, to talk about how we re-direct bushfire protection through better forest management and Professor Eric Hanson, from Oregon State, to lead discussion on innovation in forest products and processing.”
Experts from Australia and New Zealand will feature in sessions on carbon forestry, forest products and the supply chain, indigenous forest management, urban forestry, conserving forest biodiversity and integrating forests with agriculture.
“I encourage all those with an interest in the future of Australasian forests to participate in the conference and be part of the discussion,” said Professor Keenan.
“And for younger forest and environmental professionals this is your opportunity to mix with forest management leaders and be part of the discussion about future forest management.”
Major sponsors of the conference include the Australian Government Department of Agriculture; the Victorian Government Department of Land, Water and Planning; Forest and Wood Products Australia; and ForestWorks Industry Skills Council.
Early bird registration for the conference closes 30 January 2015. Information is at www.forestryconference.org.au or call Alison Carmichael, CEO Institute of Foresters of Australia on 0414 287 079 or email [email protected]
