PLENARY SESSION

TUESDAY 2 JULY 2002

Official Opening Minister Ronnie Kasrils, SA Minister Water Affairs and Forestry

Session chairperson: Mike Edwards, Executive Director Forestry SA

Dr Job is a widely experienced executive in industry, particularly the Chemical Industry, both in South Africa and Internationally.  He has held top positions n various companies such as Senior Executive Director and then Managing Director of Sentrachem Ltd.  In July 1999 he was appointed as Executive Director:   Sappi Limited as well as Chairman of the Sappi Southern Africa business and Director: Global Technology for the Sappi Group.

Session chairperson: Ms Lael Bethlehem, Chief Director, Dept Water Affairs and Forestry

"We have all heard rumours that the climate is changing.   So what is new?  What's new is that the speculation is supported by solid evidence; that the projected rate of change is substantially faster than anything nature can easily adapt to; and that foresters, with long duration crops and expensive fixed investments, should take note of whether they wish to be winners rather than losers"

Specialist knowledge in savanna ecology, soil fertility and hydrology.  Wide experience in the management of Southern African ecosystems.  Expertise in ecosystem theory, biogeochemistry and simulation modelling, global change, including climate and the global carbon cycle. PhD (Ecology) Wits, Post Doctorate at North Carolina State, USA.  Chairman Global Terrestrial Observing System.

"The outcome of forest privatisations in New Zealand, Australia and RSA ten years later make for interesting reading!  Most of you will be very surprised how much each country has benefited and also lost"

International consultant based in Canada.   Focuses on concept, design, capital cost, return on investment for primary solid wood processing activities and remanufacturing.  Consulted to several large Canandian forest companies as well as IDC, Hans Merensky SA and SA government, Jaako Poyry London and New Zealand.  New Zealand government.  Formerly Director - Processing Operations, Solid Wood, Fletcher Challenge.

"Under the current scenario of unpredictability, compounded by politics and the awareness of human rights worldwide, forestry is faced with a new and challenging task of managing the resource, managing and enhancing the environment and taking into account the political demands and the rights of populations that live within and around the forests."

A forester trained in Australia, Netherlands and USA specialised in forest inventory and remote sensing.  Director General fo the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia, President of IUFRO - the first president from outside Europe and USA in over 100 years.  President of Malaysian Nature Society and member of Human Rights Commission of Malaysia.

Chairperson: Dr John Scotcher, Group Environmental Manager, Sappi

"An international overview of value recovery from genetic improvement (conventional and molecular) in the fast growing plantation forestry industry.  This overview includes the use of clonal propagation technology to capture and enhance genetic gains and fast-track value recovery from breeding programs."

Sharmane's expertise lies in the field of Plant Biotechnology (genetic engineering and molecular genetics), clonal propagation (macro and micropropagation) and tree breeding of forest tree species (mainly Eucalyptus but also some pines and Acacia) and the intergration of these technologies into conventional commercial tree breeding programs.  she was instrumental in establishing marker-aided crossing in Stora Enso Eucalyptus breeding programs in Portugal, Brazil and Thailand.  She has also been responsible for co-ordinating and drawing up a plantation feasability study for diversification of marginal tea plantation to forestry in Sri Lanka. Sharmane currently manages and co-ordinates State Forests of New South Wales' tree-breeding programs for plantation softwood and hardwood species improvement in order to achieve operational gain in State Forests' commercial plantings.

"The Forestry Commission of Great Britain played a major part in bringing together a complete stakeholders forum to develop the United Kingdom Woodland Assurance Standard.  This Standard is endorsed by the FSC and by the time of the Confernece will be part of a UK PEFC system.  The paper describes the process of achieving UKWAS and the the Forestry Commission's own experience as it submitted its estate to certification by FSC accredited certifiers.  The power of a third party independent certification as a management tool and as an efficient public policy tool is also discussed."

Director General and Deputy Chairman of the Forestry Commission of Great Britain.  A forestry graduate of the Australian National University with a diploma in Pulp and Paper Technology from British Columbia.  While in Australia he was Vice President of Australian Forest Growers, Director of Forest Industries of Tasmania, chairman of Tasmanian Veneers.  In UK he was involved in the development of the UK Woodland Assurance Scheme which has FSC label.  The UK Forestry Commission awarded him the Gift to the Earth Award in 2001 and he was awarded a CBE for services to forestry in the Queen's birthday honours list in 2001.

"The 'cosy' regional balance of solid wood trading which was prevalent in the 1980's and early 1990's was shattered by the wood price hike in 1993.  Since then a continuing series of new and modified trading patterns have developed.  These challenge both regional boundaries and species and hardwood-softwood preferences."

Managing Director, DANA Ltd.  Holds Bachelor and Masters degrees in forest managment and forest engineering.  Employed by Tasman Pulp & Paper Co. Ltd and Fletcher Challenge Ltd in various operational, planning and marketing roles.  Executive Committee member of New Zealand Forest Owners Assoc.  Fields of expertise include strategic planning, internationl wood supply and demand issues, benchmarking, forestry investment management, forest products marketing.