SPEAKER BIOS & SCRIPTS

Dr. Patrick Moore, Greenspirit Strategies, Ltd.
Trees Are the Answer

Chair and Chief Scientist of Greenspirit Strategies, a consultancy focusing on environmental policy and communications in forestry, agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture, mining, biodiversity, energy and climate change Dr. Moore, co-founder and former director of Greenpeace, and nine-year president of Greenpeace Canada, has been an international environmental leader for more than 30 years. A longtime environment advisor to the British Columbian government, he focuses on sustainability and consensus building, with emphasis on forestry, geothermal heating, and climate change. His book Green Spirit: Trees are the Answer (2000) provides new insight into how forests work and how they can help solve many of our environmental problems.

Dr. Moore delivers a powerful message about forests that runs contrary to much of the environmental movement's current thinking. Through a personal account accompanied by photos and facts, he gives us new eyes with which to see the beauty, biodiversity and spirit of forests. He also demonstrates that we should be planting more trees and using more renewable wood in order to reduce our reliance on non-renewable fuels and materials. Trees are the Answer provides new insight into how forests work and how they can play an influential role in solving many of our current global environmental problems.

Larry Selzer, The Conservation Fund
Setting the Stage: The Challenge to Turn Problems into Opportunities

President and CEO of the Conservation Fund, a non-profit organization that protects land and water resources in partnership with other non-profits, public agencies, foundations, corporations, and individuals

Mr. Selzer, previously the Fund's senior vice president of sustainable programs and director of marine research programs out of Woods Hole, has been responsible for the American Greenways Program, the Freshwater Institute, Conservation Leadership Network, the Civil War Battlefield Campaign and sustainable forestry. He is the chair of the Sustainable Forestry Board, vice chair of the Wildlife Habitat Council, and director of the National Resources Council of America.

Mr. Selzer will set the stage for examination of the challenges currently faced by the forestry stakeholders in the Great Lakes region and the opportunities that result from them. He will aim to create a context for learning, discussion, and formulation of policies and action plan.

Dr. Peter Ince, USDA Forest Products Lab
North American and Global Forest Product Market Trends

Research Forester, Economics and Statistics Research, USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin

Dr. Ince specializes in analysis and economic modeling of forest product markets and wood utilization trends, including development of economic models used for long-range forest assessment studies by the USDA Forest Service. He also analyzes effects, direct and indirect, of technological change and market developments in the forest product sector. Author of numerous technical papers and journal articles, he holds a law degree and a Ph.D. in Forestry from the University of Wisconsin.

This presentation will explain dominant forest product market trends of the past decade, the current market situation, and near-term prognosis. Trends in forest product markets are being influenced by globalization of manufacturing, currency exchange rates, the housing market, energy prices, capacity utilization, and trends in overall economic growth.

Rick Merdan, NewPage Corporation
The Market for Chain of Custody Products: A Fad or the Future?

Manager Marketing Strategy-Environmental for NewPage Corporation

Mr. Merdan has 23-years experience in the paper industry with various roles within the mill, as well as divisional and corporate organizations. Recently he has been involved in the development and marketing of chain-of-custody products and the development and marketing of the first tri-certified products (SFI, PEFC, and FSC chains of custody). He holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota and will receive his MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in December.

The end user market is striving for sustainability in a number of areas including their paper purchases. End users such as Williams-Sonoma, Victoria's Secret, Nordstrom, and Warner Media Group for example have all made sustainable paper purchasing commitments. The market for these products is expected to grow exponentially in the future. Believe it, or not?

Peter Connor, Nicolet Hardwoods Corp., Pine River Hardwoods and WD Flooring
Surviving Sustainability: The Resource Challenges of the Next Five Generations

President, Nicolet Hardwoods Corp., Pine River Hardwoods and WD Flooring

Mr. Connor, a fifth generation lumberman, sustainably manages privately owned industrial forestland and his family's vertically integrated lumber company. Since 1902 their mill has processed over a billion board feet of lumber and over 800-million square feet of flooring, yet there is more standing timber on the Connor lands today than when it was built. The Connors also instituted best management practices later adopted by the State of Wisconsin and established Wisconsin's first school forest program.

As a fifth generation resource manager of privately owned industrial forestland and manager of a vertically integrated forest products company, Peter Connor will speak to the challenges of the past, present and future facing big tree management, the lumber business and today's hardwood flooring business.

Lynn Wilson, Plum Creek
Investment in Lake States Timberland

General Manager of Plum Creek Timber Company, Lake States Region

Ms. Wilson, a director of Trees for Tomorrow and member of the Wisconsin DNR's Forestry Best Practices Management Advisory Committee, among others, oversees land management for all Plum Creek holdings in Wisconsin and Michigan. Her duties include sustainable forest management, road building, mapping, inventory and environmental compliance. She has served as a company logging superintendent, log merchandising superintendent, resource manager, senior resource manager and now general manager.

Plum Creek has invested in the Lake States region three times since 2001, acquiring over one million acres. This presentation will provide an overview of Plum Creek's management strategies as a land and timber company.

Paul Young, Conservation Forestry, LLC
Conservation Forestry Strategy for Blending the Needs of Investors and Conservation Partners

Co-founder of Conservation Forestry, LLC, an investment entity that aligns private equity with conservation capital to acquire and manage working forests

Mr. Young, with over a decade in timber investment management with the Hancock Timber Resource Group and Prudential Timber Investments, now partners with conservation groups seeking to remove development value from timberland real estate. Conservation Forestry focuses on creating mutually beneficial structures that leverage the goals of both its investors and its conservation partners.

Mr. Young will discuss the various goals of all stakeholders in a timberland transaction that involves both conservation and private equity. He will focus on the particular goals and objectives of private equity investors.

Catherine Mater, Mater Engineering, Ltd.
Great Lakes Region NIPF Owner Offspring: Don't Bet the Family Forest That You Know What They're Thinking!

President - Mater Engineering, Ltd., a forest productions engineering firm, Corvallis, Oregon; Senior Fellow - The Pinchot Institute for Conservation

Ms. Mater has over 30 years of research and design experience working to evaluate value-added product development potential from woody biomass and residual fiber. She works in sustainable forest policy development throughout the world; has served on two Presidential panels to evaluate forest industry harvest and manufacturing options, and economic ramifications; and has been appointed to the US Forestry Research Advisory Council.

As a Senior Fellow of the Pinchot Institute for Conservation, Mater currently heads the nation's first in-depth research focused on the next generation of family forestland owners and what they think. Nationwide offspring interviews conducted in 2006 (300 interviews across the US) led to the nation's first “drill-down” offspring interviews recently conducted in the states of Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, with over 250 in-depth interviews conducted in each state. Mater will disclose the results of that latest research at this conference—with Great Lakes region offspring likely setting some baseline trends for what the next generation of forestland owners will do with the family forests across the US.

Mark Holsten, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Minnesota Governor's Task Force on the Competitiveness of the Primary Forest Products Industry

Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Mr. Holsten, a former six-term Minnesota State Representative, has served as DNR Deputy Commissioner, chair of the Environment and Natural Resources Finance Committee, manager of Fish and Wildlife, and was responsible for working with Minnesota's federal congressional delegation. During recent tight budgets his focus has been on the DNR's conservation mission and the competitiveness of the primary forest products industry.

Kevin Korpi, Michigan Forest Products Council
Michigan's Dynamic Forest Products Industry: At a Crossroads

Trade Association Executive Director for the Michigan Forest Products Council

Mr. Korpi, former Director of Government Relations for the Michigan Chamber, Vice President for Public Affairs for the Grand Rapids Area Chamber, and Legislative Director for Rep. Ken Sikkema, has been ranked one of the most effective lobbyists in Lansing by Inside Michigan Politics. He holds a master's degree in labor and industrial relations from Michigan State University and has served in a variety of senior level political positions.

Fred Souba, Jr., Wisconsin Governor's Council on Forestry
Wisconsin Council on Forestry Activities

Vice President of Wood Supply and Sustainability for NewPage Corporation.

Mr. Souba, formerly Stora Enso's vice president of Wood Supply U.S. and Fiber, is currently responsible for wood requirements, sustainability efforts and procurement best practices for all NewPage mills. He is chair of the Wisconsin Council of Forestry, trustee and vice-chair of the Great Lakes Forest Alliance, and on board of the Forest Resources Association, an organization that speaks for all three segments of wood fiber supply: landowner, wood supplier, and wood consumer.

Bill Kissick, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
Ontario's Response to the Challenges Facing the Forest Products Industry

Director, Forest Sector Competitiveness Secretariat, Forests Division, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources

Mr. Kissick is a former manager of Forest Business and Economics in Ontario's Industry Relations Branch and has held a number of positions with the Ministry of Natural Resources in forests, resource stewardship and fire management. His office is charged with coordinating the province of Ontario's response to the significant challenges confronting the forest sector and engaging ministries and departments across both senior levels of government.

Adrian Miller, Menominee Tribal Enterprises
Challenges and Opportunities Facing Tribal Forestry: Perspectives from the Menominee Tribe

President, Menominee Tribal Enterprise

Mr. Miller, former president of the Education Board of the Native American Fish and Wildlife Society, and instructor of resource management at NAES College, has had a long, hands-on career in conservation, education and environmental protection on Menominee tribal lands. He is a graduate of the Federal Law Enforcement School and has a BS degree in education from St. Norbert College.

Doug Freeman, NewPage Corporation
Global Investments: How the Region Can Remain Competitive

Investment and IT Manager, NewPage Corporation

Mr. Freeman, a chemical engineer, has held positions in operations, technical, engineering and maintenance fields and worked in energy generation, pulp, and paper production at several StoraEnso paper mills, where he has been at the forefront of new technologies. This background has given him an extensive knowledge of the design, construction and facilities operation in the process industry and how to make mills economically competitive.

This presentation will focus on what large companies examine when they study major capital investment and reinvestment. It will also focus on what a region can do to help attract and keep this investment.

Libby Ogard, Prime Focus, LLC
Transportation Policy: Issues and Impacts on the Great Lakes Region Forest Products Industry

President and Principal of Prime Focus LLC

Ms. Ogard spent 17 years with Burlington Northern Railroad and Conrail and several years at Schneider National Carriers where she was Retail Division General Manager. Prime Focus LLC was established in 2001 as a freight transportation consulting firm specializing in economic analysis, freight transportation research, freight policy issues, transportation facility feasibility studies and public outreach. She is actively involved in Transportation Research Forum, Transportation Research Board, among other professional organizations.

Truck size and weight, environmental laws, and a change in carrier business models have lead to many issues and opportunities for the Great Lakes forest products industry. This presentation will explore issues and paradigm shifts facing the region.

Bill Ginn, The Nature Conservancy
Conservation in Partnership With Business

Director of Conservation Markets and Finance, The Nature Conservancy

Mr. Ginn, former executive director of the Maine Audubon Society, and founder/ president of Resource Conservation Services, Inc., is a businessman-turned-conservation practitioner who has spent nearly 25 years doing award-winning work for conservation organizations or environmental business. He has used his expertise in forest conservation and conservation finance to help The Nature Conservancy protect over 2 million acres of forestland through dozens of innovative deals in the South Pacific and elsewhere.

This presentation will highlight innovations in large land transactions in North America and around the globe in partnership with business that benefit both conservation and local forest-based economies.

Sarah Hines, Presidential Management Fellowship Program
The Landscape of Ecosystem Services

Presidential Management Fellow, USDA Forest Service (Northeastern Area State & Private Forestry and Northern Research Station)

Ms. Hines has worked in Ford's Sustainable Business Strategies Office, on Base-of-the-Pyramid initiatives with SC Johnson in Ghana, and on sustainable ranching and farming issues with the Rural Landscape Institute in Bozeman, Montana. In her current position she has focused on issues related to climate change mitigation and adaptation, and the potential for private landowners to engage in emerging carbon markets and greenhouse gas registries.

This presentation will give a brief introduction to the concept of “Ecosystem Services” and provide information on current trends and developments in the field, including a general overview of policy developments related to voluntary carbon markets.

Dr. Jiaxin Chen, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
Contribution of Ontario's Managed Forests to Climate Change Mitigation

Impacts and Adaptation Research Scientist, Ontario Forest Research Institute, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources

Dr. Chen joined the Climate Change Research Group at Ontario Forest Research Institute, OMNR, in 2003, where he and his colleagues adapted the US national forest carbon budget model (FORCARB-ON) and assessed the carbon storage in Ontario's managed forests and wood products. Previously he was a visiting scientist at Aalborg University, in Denmark, and on the faculties of Central South University, in China, and Ontario's Lakehead University Faculty of Forestry and Forest Environment, where he focused on forest growth and carbon modeling.

Dr. Chen presents the outlook for carbon storage in forest ecosystems and wood products, projected to increase by 433 million tons over the century due to increases in use of wood products and landfill carbon storage. Managed forests also mitigate climate change by substituting wood construction materials for other CO2--intensive materials, resulting in large avoided carbon omissions.

Jason Koivisto, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
Biofuels and Other Products of the Bioeconomy: Perspectives from Ontario

Forest Bioeconomy Coordinator, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.

Mr. Koivisto, prior to his current appointment, held several positions with the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines including Northern Development Advisor and Senior Policy Advisor to the Corporate Policy Secretariat. He developed the key elements of their strategy to support the growth and development of a Northern bioeconomy, and has been an active member of Ontario's inter-ministry working group on the bioeconomy.

The presentation will speak to what is going on in Ontario to foster the growth and development of a forest based bioeconomy.

Dr. Jim Bowyer, Director of Sustainable Materials Program, Dovetail Partners, Inc.
Emerging Markets for Green Building and Sustainable Design

Director of Sustainable Materials Program, Dovetail Partners, Inc.

Dr. Bowyer is an elected fellow of the International Academy of Wood Science; chairman of the Tropical Forest Foundation; member of the Governance Board and chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Temperate Forest Foundation; member of the Blandin Foundation Vital Forests/Vital Communities Board of Advisors; and Professor Emeritus at the University of Minnesota Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering. He has published widely about wood science and technology, bioenergy, and a wide range of environmental matters.

This presentation will outline forest industry issues and opportunities presented by growing markets for green building materials, sustainable design techniques and practices, and associated certification systems.