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FLOW '99 Conference |
Subject to Changes and Additions
Friday, August 20, 1999
Marilyn James (Appointed Spokesperson for the Sinixt Nation)Welcome and opening remarks.
Richard Allin.Opening Session:
"A Long Look at Forests and Water" - a historical and philosophical perspective on current problems.
Stan Rowe, Ph.D. in Forest Ecology.Session A:
1. Title and description still to come…
Lisa Matthaus, Sierra Club.. (maximum attendance: 30 people)2. Purpose, Principles and Operations of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
Marty Horswill, FSC Coordinator for BC.This presentation will explain the purpose, principles and operations of the FSC – the most widely accepted, third-party forest certification system in operation today. Marty will outline what FSC is doing in B.C. with particular emphasis on the process currently underway to develop the FSC certification standards for the province that FSC accredited certifiers will use in their audits of forest operations in B.C.
3.Community-Based Creek Monitoring - Flow, Water Quality and Biological Indicators.
Jennifer Yeow, Water Monitoring Coordinator & Microbiologist, Martin Carver,Geoscientist, Darcie Quamme,Biologist, Al Isaacson, Hydrologist and Gerry Nellestijn, President of the Salmo Streamkeepers Society.The Slocan Valley Water Monitoring Program has been collecting extensive data on the water of the Slocan Valley watersheds for the last 3 years, making it the largest grassroots water monitoring program in Canada that uses technical standards for water measuring. Together with a team of biologists, geoscientists, hydrologists and local people, Jennifer now has data at hand that provides extremely valuable information about how a healthy intact water system works, which will enable assessment of the effects of logging and road building on yearly flow patterns, sediment load, water quality and temperature. This workshop will give a brief history of this unique grassroots water monitoring program in the Slocan Valley, and will cover current methodology and goals of the work. A report on findings for the last two years of data collection will be presented with interpretations and comments from technical advisors Al Isaacson, Martin Carver and Darcie Quamme. Jerry Nellestijn will present the work of the Salmo Streamkeepers Society, that complements the water monitoring program. This will be followed by a discussion on how this kind of program can be adapted and implemented to meet the needs in other communities. This workshop will be continued in session B to include some aspects of the field and lab work involved. (Session A & B) (maximum attendance: 25 people)
4. A Geologic History of the Kootenays.
Lesley Anderton, M.A. in Geology and Geography.Lesley will take us back in time, introducing us to the impressive geologic history of the Kootenays with a slide show on Kootenay geology. The main emphasis will be on surficial geology and the impact of materials, such as glacial till and lake silts, on slope stability with examples from the West Kootenays.
5. "Extinct Indian Presents a Workshop": Water, Land & Resources of the Sinixt Nation Bound to the Historical & Contemporary Perspective.
Marilyn James, Appointed Spokesperson for the Sinixt Nation.This workshop will provide a brief history of the Sinixt Peoples and their Traditional Territory. It will focus on the importance of cultural perspectives of recent Sinixt Environmental work; for example watershed protection and fisheries resources, especially Bull Trout, White Grizzly, botany, and other resources.
Session B:
1. The Silva Wood Certification Program.
Cam Brewer, Co-Manager of the Silva Forest Foundation Certification Program.This presentation will cover the history and development of certification, the current situation in BC, the Silva certification program and the market/consumer/value-added end of things. Silva is currently in the process of becoming a Forest Stewardship Council accredited certifier, thereby being the first in Canada.
2. Ecoforestry in Action.
Merve Willkinson, Ecoforestry Practitioner.Merve Willkinson is a walking legend and ecoforestry practitioner. Merve and his wife Anne have been inspiring the world with the work that they have been doing for the last 60 years at the internationally renown Wildwood Farm. After graduating in Forestry at UBC in the early 1940's, Merve made a life choice. He realized the different systems of forestry and their differing ecological and economical impacts - and he opted for individual and small group tree selection forestry. An easy choice he says! While practicing ecoforestry on his own 147 acreage, he also works on three other properties on a similar basis. He has also done a lot of prescription work in California and Oregon and regularly gives classes, lectures and does field days on his property, as well as at numerous universities in British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Oregon, Washington and California, passing his message of sustainable forestry across the world.
3. Water Monitoring Field Trip
(continuation of session A - each session can be taken individually). Jennifer Yeow, Coordinator of Water Monitoring Program with Technical Advisors Al Isaacson, Martin Carver & Darcie Quamme and Jerry Nellestijn, President of the Salmo Streamkeepers Society.This section of the workshop involves a field trip to nearby Silverton Creek. Here, techniques used in measuring flow, collecting water and benthic invertebrate samples and performing channel assessments will be demonstrated. A lab presentation will also be given. (maximum attendance: 25)
4. Private Rights vs. Public Responsibility: Tenure Reform and Community Forest Management in BC.
Cheri Burda, Forest Policy Strategist for the David Suzuki Foundation.This presentation will examine the current system of timber-based management and corporate control in BC, with regard to current initiatives towards privatization or enhancement of tenure rights. The flip side to this is a vision for tenure redistribution, greater community control and more ecosystem-based forestry. How do we achieve this?
5. Ecosystem-Based Mapping: A Powerful Tool for Communities.
Susan Hammond, Executive Director of the Silva Forest Foundation.This workshop on Ecosystem-based mapping looks at whole landscapes. The mapping designs ways to protect (or restore) biodiversity, identifies current human uses, shows the impacts of past and proposed logging and proposes potential area for human uses such as ecologically responsible timber management. The extensive information empowers people to plan for healthy ecosystems, communities, and economies. (maximum attendance: 30)
Session C:
1.Abandoning the Exhaustion Economy for the Economy of Abundance in the Slocan Valley.
Tom Green, M.A. in Ecological Economics.We are coming to the end of an era of exhaustion economics, when the key to economic development was to exploit resources rapidly. This involves consuming natural capital. Unhealthy economies and ecosystems are the result. The economics of abundance is about restoring nature's abundance, and then living within natural limits. To succeed, a diverse economy is needed, focused on satisfying modest human needs and finding meaning outside of consumption. Workshop participants will use ecological economics to favour such a transition.
2. The Lumby Log Sort Yard.
Tom Milne, Manager of the Lumby Log Sort Yard.The Ministry of Forest's Sort Yard near Vernon and the logging that the ministry conducted in setting it up, have shown that ecologically sound, partial cutting and an open log yard can work together to be profitable, practical, and provide significantly more jobs per volume of wood cut. In this workshop Milne will present the history and the objectives of the Lumby Log Sort Yard, as well as the following topics: alternative harvest systems, log yard operations, log sales process, statistics of the Log Yard experiment and the growing market trends and value added products (the Lumby Log Sort Yard now carries 48 different products).
3. Forest Watch - Looking Behind the Veil.
Craig Pettitt, West Kootenay Regional Coordinator of BC's Forest Watch Program - West Kootenays.Forest Watch trains citizens to be able to monitor forestry operations, to recognize and know particular areas of concern, and to provide professional support and investigation through wildlife biologists, foresters and lawyers. This presentation/slide show will cover the work of Forest Watch in the West Kootenays, as well as forest management and watershed related issues.
4. Your Money or Your Life.
Alan Seid, B.A. in Whole-Systems Sustainability.In this workshop we will look at the impact our life style choices have on ourselves and our environment, and what changes we can make to bring sustainability home. We will shatter some money myths, explore how to create a clear and empowered relationship with money, integrate our finances with the rest of our lives, and maximize our fulfillment while clarifying "how much is enough". This workshop will provide a personal tool that can be a powerful foundation for people engaged in creating strong local and regional economies.
5. The Politics of Trying to Protect the Watersheds of the Slocan Valley - A Case Study.
Colleen McCrory, Chairperson of the Valhalla Wilderness Society, Marilyn Burgoon, Co-Chair of the Perry Ridge Water Users Association, Austin Greengrass and Jasmin Caton.This workshop will focus on the crisis of the Slocan Valley, give an update on the logging and road building that has occurred in the New Denver, Bonanza and Perry Ridge watersheds, discuss what is proposed to be logged this year, and also give an update on the several legal cases that are still before the courts. What solutions and transitions are possible for protecting the remaining watersheds? How can we have the Slocan Valley ecosystem-based plan implemented? How can we move this issue forward in the province?
Networking Evening with Related Entertainment!
Ricardo's slideshow of the Slocan Valley:Journey through this beautiful green valley in a powerful visual show of nature, people, events and water. And other entertainment…
Saturday, August 21, 1999
Opening Session:
The Inevitability of an Ecologically Based Economy: What are some of the tools for getting there? How can the experiences in the Slocan Valley build on these tools?
Michael M'Gonigle, Ph.D. in Political Economics.Panel Discussion:
With Cheri Burda, Ernie Niemi, Herb Hammond, Dr. Lee Hutton, Lisa Matthaus, Michael M'Gonigle, Grant CopelandExpansion on the theme introduced by Michael M'Gonigle: What strategies and tools will be most useful for the Slocan Valley and other communities to take the next steps toward sustainability?
Session D:
1. Urban Water.
Will Koop, BC TAP Water Alliance.This workshop will relate the history, politics, and public concern about logging in five community watersheds: the Greater Vancouver watersheds, Seattle, Portland, Victoria, and the Sunshine Coast. Koop will also present an historical overview on the provincial government's evolving policies on the issue of resource use activities in consumptive use watersheds.
2. A Lifetime of Creativity Displayed.
Will Malloff, Creator of the Alaska Chainsaw Mill.With his research and ingenuity Malloff has made a unique contribution to the field of value-added production. In this presentation he will be sharing his work, research, inspiration and hands-on approach, offering new avenues for diversifying the wood-based economy of BC.
3. The Sky Did NOT Fall.
Ernie Niemi, Economist and Lisa Matthaus, Sierra Club.In 1988, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service applied the Endangered Species Act and listed the northern spotted owl as a species threatened with extinction, setting in motion a chain of events that culminated in the curtailment of logging on 24 million acres of federal land in Washington, Oregon, and northern California. The prospect of these logging reductions triggered widespread fear that workers, families, and communities throughout the region would endure prolonged, widespread economic calamity. In truth, the disaster never happened. Instead the region's economy has been among the nation's leaders throughout the 1990s, with growth in population, employment, and per capita incomes outpacing the national average. This growth in the face of such a large contraction in the timber industry calls into question the validity of commonly-used economic models that conclude resource extraction has a determinative influence on the overall economy and reveals much about the current role of natural resources in the region's economy. Ernie will review what happened to timber production and the then-conventional view that concluded calamity must result, given the industry's fundamental importance to the economy. After describing the economy's actual performance, he will offer an explanation that recognizes that forests don't have to be logged to contribute to economic growth.
4. Do You Play the Next Inning when the Ballpark is on Fire?
Dr. Fred Bass, British Columbia Medical Association.How you are changing the planetary from money to ecosystem, from greed to caring. A participatory workshop guided by Fred Bass to address how we're helping the marbled murrelet (ecosystem) beat the Marlboro Man (corporate greed). We will focus on strategy: Theory - going from a few causes ("hard science") to many causes ("soft science"); from certainty to uncertainty; from randomized, controlled trials to ecological science. Facts - info, sources, how and where do you gather the facts; how do you know when you're going wrong? Is a theory worth a thousand facts? Media - how do you strike your symbols so they sound very clearly; humans as symbol-laden primates. Energy - how do you sustain optimism and encourage others to keep going? Bring your ears, your notebook, and your clearest thoughts.
5. Obtaining Tenure? A Community's Journey.
Rami Rothkop & Ramona Faust from the Harrop Procter Watershed Protection Society.This workshop will focus on a community's grassroots efforts to obtain tenure on the surrounding landbase. Harrop-Procter has a long history of activism in land use planning. The latest effort is applying for a Community Forest Pilot Project to the BC government, using the Ecosystem-based approach developed by the Silva Forest Foundation. The trials and tribulations involved in this process - on both community and political levels - will be discussed.