Conference to focus on the future of forestry
Contemporary challenges facing forestry and rural development in developed countries will come under the spotlight at a major conference in Aberdeen this summer.
International experts from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Canada, the US and eight European countries will discuss all aspects of forestry-related rural development when they meet at the University of Aberdeen on August 23 for a five-day symposium.
The conference is being organised by Dr Bill Slee of the University’s Department of Agriculture, and the European Forest Institute based in Joensuu, Finland, on behalf of the International Union of Forest Research Organisations (IUFRO).
Dr Slee said they are keen to cover the full range of opinion within the UK about the styles of forestry needed to meet the many and diverse demands placed on forests and to explore the implications of these competing visions on rural development. They are actively seeking participation from throughout the UK.
Topics to be tackled include:
* the search for global competitiveness in timber production and processing
* successful innovation and adaptation in the forest supply chain
* the scope for adding value to timber products
* economic assessments of forest-related developments in developed countries
* the scope for enhanced development via non-timber forest products
* the use of forests as amenity resources
* institutional innovation in the forest sector including partnership activities
* farm-level forestry opportunities
* community involvement in forest management and development
Dr Slee said the conference would be the first held by IUFRO, on this subject, in Europe during the past five years.
“After two recent IUFRO conferences on similar themes held in Japan and North America, we were keen to ensure that all those interested in forestry and rural development issues are able to catch up on what has been happening in Europe, as well as learning from experience further afield,” he said.
“There has been a range of initiatives in forestry and rural development in Scotland, and the work of groups such as Forestry and People in Rural Areas, Reforesting Scotland and Highland Birchwoods, and new forest policies, such as Challenge-Funded Forestry, has created new opportunities and raised the level of debate.
“Article 10 Funding from the European Union is opening up the prospect of new collaborative projects between Northern European countries and Scotland. It is a major challenge to blend the macro-level thinking with the many smaller scale initiatives that are now taking place throughout the UK.”
Professor Hugh Miller, Head of the University’s Department of Forestry added: “There will be a doubling of timber harvest from Britain’s forests over the next two decades, at a time when social and environmental demands being placed on forests are increasing dramatically. In Scotland, new markets are having to be created for timber of often variable quality and forests are being redesigned to improve their landscape and conservation values. Foresters and policy makers are seeking ways to reach out more effectively and involve local people or others with an interest in the management of forests and their legal nature and patterns of land tenure are under review.
“This is an exciting time and an apposite moment for the international community to come to Scotland to share their experiences and analysis the issues with the UK practitioners and policy makers.”
UK participants are particularly encouraged and can gain further information from Dr Bill Slee (01224) 274140, or Irene Wilson (01224) 274126, or from the conference website: www.abdn.ac.uk/iufro99