The Forest Stewardship Council's (FSC) General Assembly 2017 will take place October 8 - 13, in Vancouver Canada. This event has taken place every three years Since 1996. The international membership of the FSC comes together at this event to discuss the challenges and solutions of responsible forest management and the future direction of the organization. Members submit motions months before the general assembly begins. Motions are then discussed and debated, before being voted on by all delegates. The FSC General Assembly 2017 will be the 8th assembly of members in the history of the organization. The first general assembly took place in 1996 in Oaxaca, Mexico.
The FSC membership is composed of environmentalists, scientists, business leaders, forest managers, Indigenous Peoples, trade union representatives, and NGOs. To give an equal say to these different voices, our membership is divided into three different chambers – environmental, social and economic, which are further split into sub-chambers of global North and South.
FSC works to take care of the world’s forests for future generations – making sure we all have Forests For All Forever.
FSC is a global not-for-profit organization that sets the standards for what is a responsibly managed forest, both environmentally and socially. We also define supply chain best practice, from forest to factory to shop floor.
Together, they work to ensure our forests remain thriving environments for generations to come, by helping consumers and businesses make ethical and responsible choices at their local supermarket, bookstore, furniture retailer, and beyond.
FSC members include some of the world’s leading environmental groups (WWF and Greenpeace), social organizations (the National Aboriginal Forestry Association of Canada), businesses (Tetra Pak and Mondi PLC) as well as forest owners and managers, processing companies, and campaigners.
FSC is also a member of the ISEAL alliance, a global association of social and environmental standards systems that includes Fairtrade, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), and Rainforest Alliance.
Field Trips to FSC-certified operation
Cranbrook, British Columbia
Duration: 3 Days (15-17 October)
Host: Canfor
Itinerary:
Day 1: Fly to Cranbrook and visit the forest site to see restoration and operations.
Day 2: Visit forest sites to see harvesting, a high conservation value forest and tour the FSC CoC certified Pulp Mill.
Day 3: Flight to Vancouver or other destination.
Difficulty: Moderate
Fees: Approximately CAN$480 per person (flights and extra meals not included)
Participants: Minimum 10 and maximum 30 people
Washington State Forest and Green Building Tour
Duration: 3 Days (6-8 October)
Host: Brad Kahn
Itinerary:
Day 1: Flight to Seattle, own transport to hotel
Day 2: Visit Cedar River Watershed, Cougar Mountain Forest, and Bullitt Center
Day 3: Flight to Vancouver
Difficulty: Low-moderate
Fees: Approximately CAN$670 per person (flights and extra meals not included)
Participants: Minimum 40 and maximum 52 people
Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Reserve
Duration: 1 Day (7 October or 16 October)
Host: Haliburton Forest
Itinerary:
8am: Leave hotel in Toronto
11am-2pm: Forest tour with lunch
2pm-5pm: Sustainable wood tour
5pm: Leave forest
6pm-7:30pm: Dinner
9:30pm: Arrive back at the hotel
Difficulty: Low-moderate
Fees: Approximately CAN$140 per person (flights and extra meals not included)
Participants: Minimum 20 and maximum 30 people
Windsor Mill and Forestland Tour
Duration: 3 Days (15-17 October or 6-8 October)
Host: Domtar
Itinerary:
Day 1: Travel from Montreal to Sherbrooke and overnight at the Delta Hotel.
Day 2: Safety orientation and meeting at Windsor Mill. Visit the forest to observe operations. Complete the day with a mill tour in the afternoon and dinner with Domtar Mill management.
Day 3: Travel back to Montreal and enjoy a few hours in the city before departure in the afternoon or evening.
Difficulty: Low
Fees: Approximately CAN$365 per person (flights and extra meals not included)
Participants: Minimum 20 and maximum 30 people
Other field trips:
Ancient Forest Tour
Duration: 1 Day (8 October)
Host: The Ancient Forest Alliance, Ken Wu
Itinerary: The Ancient Forest Alliance will guide participants to Stanley Park along some of the most spectacular old-growth trails in the park, the Tatlow and Lovers Trails where 14 feet wide, 800-year-old red cedars still stand.
Difficulty: Low
Fees: Approximately CAN$20 per person (meals not included)
Participants: Minimum 20 and maximum 30 people
Bike Tour of Olympic Village, Green Building and Brewery
Duration: 1 Day (7 October or 8 October or 14 October)
Itinerary: This tour involves travelling to three different locations by bicycle
Location 1: Olympic Village including the district energy system, reclaimed intertidal zone, green building tour and the Salt Buildings.
Location 2: False Creek Flats South/Great Northern Way including a history of the area, the City’s greening efforts and green building tour options.
Location 3: Granville Island including historic buildings, a distillery and brewery tour and operational sustainability strategies in action.
Difficulty: Low-moderate
Fees: Approximately CAN$110 per person (extra meals not included)
Participants: Minimum 20 and maximum 30 people
Tall Timber Building Tour
Duration: 1 Day (7 October or 14 October)
Itinerary:
8:30am: Leave hotel and travel by bus to the University of British Columbia
9am: Tour of the campus and the many buildings that display the variety of wood design on campus
12pm: Lunch
1pm: Museum of Anthropology tour with emphasis on First Nations
2pm: Travel back to the hotel
Difficulty: Low
Fees: Approximately CAN$60 per person (meals not included)
Participants: Minimum 20 and maximum 30 people
Malcolm Knapp Research Forest
Duration: 1 Day (14 October)
Itinerary (to be confirmed):
8am: Leave hotel and travel by bus to the Malcolm Knapp Research Forest
9am-12pm: Operations tour
12pm-1pm: Lunch
1pm-4pm: Research tour
4pm: Return to hotel
Difficulty: Low-moderate
Fees: Approximately CAN$100 per person (extra meals not included)
Participants: Minimum 10 and maximum 30 people
Capilano Suspension Bridge Park Tree Top Tour
Duration: 1 Day (7 October or 14 October)
Host: Ecotrust Canada
Itinerary:
9am: Take bus from downtown Vancouver
10am: Arrive at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
1pm: Lunch
2:30pm: Return bus
Difficulty: Moderate
Fees: Approximately CAN$90 per person (meals not included)
Participants: Minimum 20 and maximum 30 people
Cheakamus Community Forest and Whistler Village
Duration: 3 Days (14-16 October or 15-17 October)
Itinerary:
Day 1: Bus trip from the hotel to the Community Forest and day tour of the forest including selection harvesting mimicking natural disturbance ecology, recreational management and community fire proofing.
Day 2: Recreational day in Whistler.
Day 3: Transport back to Vancouver.
Difficulty: Low-moderate
Fees: Approximately CAN$400 per person (extra meals and leisure activities not included) Participants: Minimum 10 and maximum 30 people
Vancouver Island East Coast Tour
Duration: 3 Days (14-16 October or 13-17 October)
Itinerary:
Day 1: Travel by bus to Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal. Ferry ride to Vancouver Island. Tour of the Harmac Pulp Mill in Namaimo.
Day 2: Cathedral Grove forest tour. Lunch in Port Alberni. Tour of Greenmax (smallholder) woodlot and forest management practices. BBQ at Rathtrevor Provincial Park.
Day 3: Drive to Nanaimo and take a scenic float plane flight back.
Difficulty: Low
Fees: Approximately CAN$400 per person (meals not included)
Participants: Minimum 20 and maximum 30 people
Self-guided field trips:
Western Vancouver Island
Description: We suggest taking 3-4 days to complete this trip. At the Western Edge of Vancouver Island, Tofino and Ucluelet offer an amazing west coast outdoor experience, including a local artist community, Tofino Botanical Gardens, Eco Rainforest Retreat and the Hesquiaht First Nation School.
Fee: CAN$700-CAN$1200
Hiking trips
Description: A few possible hikes in local mountains including Mount Seymour, Cypress Falls and Lynn Valley. Fee: No charge other than the costs of public transport/taxi.
For more information on the self-guided trips, please contact Orrin Quinn at [email protected]
For general inquiries click here.
Related
What The Business Community Can Do To Protect Forests
The State of the Sustainable Furniture Industry
Green Lumber Certification Standards
Video - Sustainable Forest: How Grey County Forests Try to Manage Conservation and Economic Activity
Sustainable Furniture at the Las Vegas Market
PepsiCo's Sustainability Efforts
The Economic and Employment Benefits of Forests
The FSC membership is composed of environmentalists, scientists, business leaders, forest managers, Indigenous Peoples, trade union representatives, and NGOs. To give an equal say to these different voices, our membership is divided into three different chambers – environmental, social and economic, which are further split into sub-chambers of global North and South.
FSC works to take care of the world’s forests for future generations – making sure we all have Forests For All Forever.
FSC is a global not-for-profit organization that sets the standards for what is a responsibly managed forest, both environmentally and socially. We also define supply chain best practice, from forest to factory to shop floor.
Together, they work to ensure our forests remain thriving environments for generations to come, by helping consumers and businesses make ethical and responsible choices at their local supermarket, bookstore, furniture retailer, and beyond.
FSC members include some of the world’s leading environmental groups (WWF and Greenpeace), social organizations (the National Aboriginal Forestry Association of Canada), businesses (Tetra Pak and Mondi PLC) as well as forest owners and managers, processing companies, and campaigners.
FSC is also a member of the ISEAL alliance, a global association of social and environmental standards systems that includes Fairtrade, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), and Rainforest Alliance.
Field Trips to FSC-certified operation
Cranbrook, British Columbia
Duration: 3 Days (15-17 October)
Host: Canfor
Itinerary:
Day 1: Fly to Cranbrook and visit the forest site to see restoration and operations.
Day 2: Visit forest sites to see harvesting, a high conservation value forest and tour the FSC CoC certified Pulp Mill.
Day 3: Flight to Vancouver or other destination.
Difficulty: Moderate
Fees: Approximately CAN$480 per person (flights and extra meals not included)
Participants: Minimum 10 and maximum 30 people
Washington State Forest and Green Building Tour
Duration: 3 Days (6-8 October)
Host: Brad Kahn
Itinerary:
Day 1: Flight to Seattle, own transport to hotel
Day 2: Visit Cedar River Watershed, Cougar Mountain Forest, and Bullitt Center
Day 3: Flight to Vancouver
Difficulty: Low-moderate
Fees: Approximately CAN$670 per person (flights and extra meals not included)
Participants: Minimum 40 and maximum 52 people
Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Reserve
Duration: 1 Day (7 October or 16 October)
Host: Haliburton Forest
Itinerary:
8am: Leave hotel in Toronto
11am-2pm: Forest tour with lunch
2pm-5pm: Sustainable wood tour
5pm: Leave forest
6pm-7:30pm: Dinner
9:30pm: Arrive back at the hotel
Difficulty: Low-moderate
Fees: Approximately CAN$140 per person (flights and extra meals not included)
Participants: Minimum 20 and maximum 30 people
Windsor Mill and Forestland Tour
Duration: 3 Days (15-17 October or 6-8 October)
Host: Domtar
Itinerary:
Day 1: Travel from Montreal to Sherbrooke and overnight at the Delta Hotel.
Day 2: Safety orientation and meeting at Windsor Mill. Visit the forest to observe operations. Complete the day with a mill tour in the afternoon and dinner with Domtar Mill management.
Day 3: Travel back to Montreal and enjoy a few hours in the city before departure in the afternoon or evening.
Difficulty: Low
Fees: Approximately CAN$365 per person (flights and extra meals not included)
Participants: Minimum 20 and maximum 30 people
Other field trips:
Ancient Forest Tour
Duration: 1 Day (8 October)
Host: The Ancient Forest Alliance, Ken Wu
Itinerary: The Ancient Forest Alliance will guide participants to Stanley Park along some of the most spectacular old-growth trails in the park, the Tatlow and Lovers Trails where 14 feet wide, 800-year-old red cedars still stand.
Difficulty: Low
Fees: Approximately CAN$20 per person (meals not included)
Participants: Minimum 20 and maximum 30 people
Bike Tour of Olympic Village, Green Building and Brewery
Duration: 1 Day (7 October or 8 October or 14 October)
Itinerary: This tour involves travelling to three different locations by bicycle
Location 1: Olympic Village including the district energy system, reclaimed intertidal zone, green building tour and the Salt Buildings.
Location 2: False Creek Flats South/Great Northern Way including a history of the area, the City’s greening efforts and green building tour options.
Location 3: Granville Island including historic buildings, a distillery and brewery tour and operational sustainability strategies in action.
Difficulty: Low-moderate
Fees: Approximately CAN$110 per person (extra meals not included)
Participants: Minimum 20 and maximum 30 people
Tall Timber Building Tour
Duration: 1 Day (7 October or 14 October)
Itinerary:
8:30am: Leave hotel and travel by bus to the University of British Columbia
9am: Tour of the campus and the many buildings that display the variety of wood design on campus
12pm: Lunch
1pm: Museum of Anthropology tour with emphasis on First Nations
2pm: Travel back to the hotel
Difficulty: Low
Fees: Approximately CAN$60 per person (meals not included)
Participants: Minimum 20 and maximum 30 people
Malcolm Knapp Research Forest
Duration: 1 Day (14 October)
Itinerary (to be confirmed):
8am: Leave hotel and travel by bus to the Malcolm Knapp Research Forest
9am-12pm: Operations tour
12pm-1pm: Lunch
1pm-4pm: Research tour
4pm: Return to hotel
Difficulty: Low-moderate
Fees: Approximately CAN$100 per person (extra meals not included)
Participants: Minimum 10 and maximum 30 people
Capilano Suspension Bridge Park Tree Top Tour
Duration: 1 Day (7 October or 14 October)
Host: Ecotrust Canada
Itinerary:
9am: Take bus from downtown Vancouver
10am: Arrive at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
1pm: Lunch
2:30pm: Return bus
Difficulty: Moderate
Fees: Approximately CAN$90 per person (meals not included)
Participants: Minimum 20 and maximum 30 people
Cheakamus Community Forest and Whistler Village
Duration: 3 Days (14-16 October or 15-17 October)
Itinerary:
Day 1: Bus trip from the hotel to the Community Forest and day tour of the forest including selection harvesting mimicking natural disturbance ecology, recreational management and community fire proofing.
Day 2: Recreational day in Whistler.
Day 3: Transport back to Vancouver.
Difficulty: Low-moderate
Fees: Approximately CAN$400 per person (extra meals and leisure activities not included) Participants: Minimum 10 and maximum 30 people
Vancouver Island East Coast Tour
Duration: 3 Days (14-16 October or 13-17 October)
Itinerary:
Day 1: Travel by bus to Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal. Ferry ride to Vancouver Island. Tour of the Harmac Pulp Mill in Namaimo.
Day 2: Cathedral Grove forest tour. Lunch in Port Alberni. Tour of Greenmax (smallholder) woodlot and forest management practices. BBQ at Rathtrevor Provincial Park.
Day 3: Drive to Nanaimo and take a scenic float plane flight back.
Difficulty: Low
Fees: Approximately CAN$400 per person (meals not included)
Participants: Minimum 20 and maximum 30 people
Self-guided field trips:
Western Vancouver Island
Description: We suggest taking 3-4 days to complete this trip. At the Western Edge of Vancouver Island, Tofino and Ucluelet offer an amazing west coast outdoor experience, including a local artist community, Tofino Botanical Gardens, Eco Rainforest Retreat and the Hesquiaht First Nation School.
Fee: CAN$700-CAN$1200
Hiking trips
Description: A few possible hikes in local mountains including Mount Seymour, Cypress Falls and Lynn Valley. Fee: No charge other than the costs of public transport/taxi.
For more information on the self-guided trips, please contact Orrin Quinn at [email protected]
For general inquiries click here.
Related
What The Business Community Can Do To Protect Forests
The State of the Sustainable Furniture Industry
Green Lumber Certification Standards
Video - Sustainable Forest: How Grey County Forests Try to Manage Conservation and Economic Activity
Sustainable Furniture at the Las Vegas Market
PepsiCo's Sustainability Efforts
The Economic and Employment Benefits of Forests
