Download the Prince George Event Schedule, Poster, Driving/Parking map PDF
DATE: Saturday, September 28, 12-3:30pm
LOCATION: Canfor Theatre, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC
PARKING: The most convenient parking to access the Canfor Theatre is parking lot A. Please note all UNBC is pay parking.
COST: by donation at the door
RECORDINGS: Presentations will be recorded and publicly available at https://www.boundaryforest.org approximately 2 weeks after event.
The Power of Forests project is bringing together grassroots organizations, concerned BC residents, Indigenous Peoples, and scientists to push for a new BC Forest Act. The new Act is intended to ensure that forest management on public lands focuses on the interests of communities and nature rather than on extraction interests. Under this new legislation, the primary objective of forest management will be to maintain the ecological integrity of forest ecosystems.
There is an urgent need for new forestry legislation to ensure the safety and security of BC residents. Decades of overcutting from industrial logging have resulted in enormous losses of primary natural forests in BC. The devastating outcomes include more floods, more drought, more fires, and a deadly landslide at Duffey Lake that killed 5 people. Although the BC government does not declare it, these disasters can be directly and indirectly linked to industrial logging.
Natural ecosystems function fully and flawlessly without industrialized activities on them. Fully functioning natural systems ensure our survival and are the source of what we value. Halting the loss and degradation of natural forest ecosystems and restoring forest landscapes helps enhance climate change mitigation and disaster protection. It also drives sustainable economic growth and supports livelihoods.
This is the power of forests.
Details of the new Forest Act proposal will be shared at the event by Jennifer Houghton, the Power of Forests Project Manager (with the Boundary Forest Watershed Stewardship Society). Local speakers, Indigenous People, and scientists will also present relevant regional information regarding the costs of the current system and the urgent need for new legislation. Presentations will be recorded and shared on Youtube, and social media. Recordings will be available within two weeks of the event at: www.boundaryforest.org
| TIME | EVENT PROGRAMME PRINCE GEORGE |
| 12:00-12:15 | Opening – MC Alexandra Cline Indigenous Welcome, Darlene McIntosh, Lheidli T’enneh Elder |
| 12:15-12:45 12:45-12:55 Q & A | Michelle Connolly, Conservation North – Protecting Primary Forests for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health |
| 12:55-1:05 | Break |
| 1:05-2:05 2:05-2:15 Q & A | Herb Hammond, Forest Ecologist – Timber Exploitation a Clearcut Problem |
| 2:15-2:40 | Break |
| 2:40-3:05 3:05-3:15 Q&A | Jennifer Houghton, Boundary Forest Watershed Stewardship Society – The New Forest Act & How to Get There |
| 3:15-3:20 | Role Play |
| 3:20-3:30 | Q & A/Panel Discussion |
Coffee will be provided.
Prince George Speakers
Michelle Connolly – Michelle has a background in ecology and experience crafting and
communicating conservation policy. Michelle holds an MSc in Forest Disturbance Ecology from the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC). She is one of the founders and a director of Conservation North, a 100% volunteer-run community group that promotes the protection
of all primary forests for biodiversity and ecosystem health. Their advocacy has helped bring to light the practice of logging primary forests in central BC as a source of pellets to fuel UK and Japan.
Herb Hammond – Herb Hammond is a forest ecologist and nature-directed stewardship planner with 40 years of experience in research, industry, teaching and consulting. He is a co-founder of the Silva Forest Foundation and the project lead for more than twenty-five ecosystem-based conservation plans across Canada and elsewhere. He is the author of the award-winning Seeing the Forest among the Trees: The Case for Wholistic Forest Use and Maintaining Whole Systems on Earth’s Crown: Ecosystem-based Conservation Planning for the Boreal Forest.
Jennifer Houghton – After her Grand Forks, BC home flooded in 2017 and 2018, Jennifer became deeply involved in reforming forestry in BC. She co-founded BFWSS along with a small group of locals concerned about the damage from industrial logging to the ecosystems in the region. Jennifer has done extensive filming of the effects of the flooding on the people of the area. She spent time traveling the province listening to politicians, scientists, Indigenous people, loggers, and residents to expand her understanding of the issues. Jennifer was co-author of the BFWSS report Brighter Future for Boundary Forests: The Case for Nature-Based Forestry Supported by a Community Forest Board. She was the lead organizer of Forest March BC, forestry summits, and runs the 3.6K member Facebook group BC Forestry Reform. She continues to speak, present, and collaborate with BC grassroots groups to drive for forest management to prioritize ecosystems and local communities rather than corporate profits. She is the Project Manager and presenter for the Power of Forests project.