On the evening of September 19, representatives of the Canadian Model Forest Network (CMFN) and the International Model Forest Network attended an event hosted by the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) and the Canadian Geographic Society at the Canadian Museum of Nature. It involved a panel discussion with some of the key signatories of the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement (CBFA) - including Avrim Lazar, President and CEO of FPAC, Richard Brooks, Forests Campaign Coordinator for Greenpeace, and Tim Gray, Program Director for the Ivey Foundation. Overviews were provided and interesting questions posed to the group for their response. Daniel Arbour, Chair of the CMFN, then had the opportunity to make a short presentation highlighting the CMFN's interest in becoming a supporter and contributor to the CBFA, and the value the CMFN's involvement could have on the agreement.

The CMFN is in a unique position to contribute to the CBFA not only because of its varied work in the boreal forest across Canada, but also due to its decades of combined experience, through its members, in engaging with both conservation groups and the forest industry, as well as other stakeholder interests. There is wide recognition, in Canada and around the world, of Model Forests' reputation for creating stakeholder tables that help forge consensus and workable solutions to often divisive forest management and regional economic issues. Within the context of the CBFA, the CMFN can offer the experience of 10 of its sites in the boreal, plus its reputation as a proven and effective intermediary at the local, regional, national, and international levels. Currently the CBFA signatories include nine conservation groups and FPAC who in turn represents its 21 members comprised of Canada's largest forest companies. The CMFN was proud to be part of celebrating this daring vision for forestry, which the existing CBFA partners have laid out.