February 26, 2007 |
More than 70 delegates and speakers attend Complex Stands Conference
NEWS RELEASE
The Bulkley Valley Research Centre (BVRC) hosted its first conference in February, attracting some of the province’s top forestry professionals to Smithers for the first-ever Complex Stands Research and management Conference.
The conference took place Feb. 19 and 20 at the Dze L K’ant Friendship Centre and was followed Feb. 21 and 22 by the SORTIE-ND Workshop, which introduced foresters to cutting-edge software that will offer the industry an innovative approach to modelling complex stand structures.
Ministry of Forests research silviculturalist and BVRC founding member Dave Coates said the topic will play an increasingly important role in forestry as factors like the mountain pine beetle create a greater number of complex stands.
“It’s relevant to people here and people elsewhere,” Coates said about the conference that discussed issues such as the mountain pine beetle epidemic, climate change and sustainability. “I think some of the decisions we make in the next few years are going have repercussions well into the future.
“The pine beetle epidemic is creating complex stand structures in huge areas of B.C. and we have to think about what that means.” Coates was joined by a host of notable speakers, including B.C. Chief Forester Jim Snetsinger, who addressed the audience on the conference’s first day. Snetsinger also acknowledged the relevance of current complex stands issues and their impact on the forest industry’s future.
“I commend the Bulkley Valley Research Centre for facilitating this conference,” Snetsinger said following the conference. “The management of complex stands will become important as we deal with the challenges associated with the mountain pine beetle and climate change.”