Earlier today, Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) announced the recipients of its annual Awards of Excellence which included Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) and the Department of Renewable Resources at the University of Alberta – each of whom exemplify the true meaning of partnership.
The Canadian forest industry employs more than 230,000 people in over 600 communities, from rural and northern towns to our largest cities – in all regions of the country. It also has many community leaders and partners who are making a difference in Canada’s forest sector, including this year’s award recipients:
Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) is being honoured for its Forest Management and Wetland Stewardship Initiative (FMWSI).
Ducks Unlimited Canad works with partners like the forest sector to develop and share quality forest management and conservation tools that are based on years of experience and sound science. In sharing its expertise and insights with Canadian foresters, biologists, and ecologists in Canada’s forest sector, the DUC team is making a positive difference and measurable progress in helping to conserve crucial breeding and nesting habitat for waterfowl in the boreal forest.
As key members of DUC’s National Boreal Program, Bev Gingras, the Head of Boreal Conservation Programs and Kylie McLeod, Team Lead, Best Management Practices, implement positive and impactful policies and practices that benefit both people and the land. Both Bev and Kylie are grateful for the opportunities to work with forest management leaders across Canada on several programs and projects, in particular their leadership within the Forest Management and Wetland Stewardship Initiative (FMWSI), a partnership between DUC, FPAC, and FPAC member companies (Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries, Canfor, Millar Western Forest Products Ltd., Tolko Industries Ltd., West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd., and Weyerhaeuser) to advance wetland stewardship.
The Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta is being recognized for its Ecosystem Management Emulating Natural Disturbance project (EMEND).
The EMEND Project is a large-scale variable retention harvest experiment designed to test effects of residual forest structure on ecosystem integrity and forest regeneration at the forest stand-level. It is a model of effective collaboration between researchers, government agencies, and industry and has gained national and global recognition and has played a key role in training the next generation of forestry professionals; 25 research scientists, over 80 graduate students, and over 250 research assistants have worked at EMEND over the past 20 years. Research has informed innovative practices that are being implemented by the forest industry, leading the evolution for adapted and progressive forest management.
Ellen Macdonald, Professor of Forest Ecology and Chair of the Department of Renewable Resources at the University of Alberta, said “It is so gratifying to see this recognition of the amazing 24 year partnership of the EMEND experimental study. For the past 30-years, Macdonald’s research has focused on the ecology of northern forests – particularly forest regeneration, stand dynamics, understory plant communities and relationships.
“FPAC presents its Awards of Excellence to recognize the great work being done in our sector and to honour the achievements of partners like Ducks Unlimited and the University of Alberta. They are very much an extended part of our Canadian forestry team, “said FPAC President and CEO Derek Nighbor. “Partnership is central to our work in managing our forests sustainably, supporting local ecosystems, and realizing economic, environmental, and social benefits of forests and forest products for Canadians. Our industry is richer for these contributions and we are grateful to these teams at Ducks and the U of A for their forward-thinking work,” Nighbor added.
For further details about FPAC’s Awards of Excellence recipients, including photos and videos, please visit: www.forestryforthefuture.ca
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FPAC provides a voice for Canada’s wood, pulp, and paper producers nationally and internationally in government, trade, and environmental affairs. The $73.6-billion-a-year forest products industry represents 12 per cent of Canada’s manufacturing GDP and is one of Canada’s largest employers operating in over 600 communities, providing 230,000 direct jobs, and over 600,000 indirect jobs across the country.
For more information contact:
Kerry Patterson-Baker
Vice President, Communications
e : kpatterson-baker@fpac.ca
t : 613-563-1441 ext. 314
Follow us on Twitter: @FPAC_APFC
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