In November, the CMFN and five of its members were pleased to accept invitations to make individualized presentations to the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry. This group of Senators has been mandated to examine and report on the current state and future of Canada's forest sector. Phase 1 of the study was used to make a diagnosis of the problems in the forest industry which culminated in an interim report published a year ago. Phase 2 of the study is currently underway and is tasked with developing a vision for the long-term positioning and competitiveness of the forest industry in Canada. The result of these consultations will be recommendations of specific actions to be put forward by the federal government, to lay the foundation for achieving that vision.
The Committee wished to hear the perspective of the CMFN with respect to the role of communities in forest management and the promotion of community involvement in an effort to strengthen the economic, ecological and social roles of Canada’s forests. On November 23rd, the CMFN’s Chair Daniel Arbour delivered an engaging 10 minute presentation that outlined who the CMFN is, what we do, our major initiatives, what we're accomplishing, the role of communities in Model Forests and the forest sector, recommendations for how the federal government can assist, and how the CMFN can help to provide support to programs and activities. The Senators asked many questions and a valuable conversation ensued. They each also received a copy of the presentation and CMFN information materials for future reference.
On November 30th, the Standing Senate Committee heard presentations from: the Eastern Ontario Model Forest, Lac-Saint-Jean Model Forest, the Model Forest of Newfoundland & Labrador, Northeast Superior Forest Community, and Resources North Association. These presentations provided a grassroots and regional perspective as to the local situation, and the activities Model Forests are doing in response to the opportunities and challenges they are faced with.
