Jason Langis

Ontario’s approach to state of the forest reporting is supported by a number of individuals within the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Northern Development Mines and Forestry. The State of the Forest team would like to thank the following people for contributions to the production of this report and web site.

• Bill Taylor, Stephen Harvey and Jill Entwistle for their assistance in the Whitefeather Forest inset

• Susan Thorne for her assistance in the Far North inset

• Wayne Fiset for his assistance in coordinating SIRD staff involvement

• Ottavio Cicconi for editing initial drafts of the report

• Molly Puddister for her design and layout ideas for the report and website As well, this report was greatly supported by individual indicator authors and contributors (listed in alphabetical order). A listing by indicator is also included in this section.

• Bill Crins

• Bill Morrison

• Brian Polhill

• Bruce Pond

• Dan Cooligan

• Dave Morris

• David McGowan

• Dirk Kloss

• Don Higgs

• Doris Krahn

• Dorothy O'Connor

• Dr. Bruce Pond

• Dr. James McLaughlin

• Fiona McKay

• Flora Hofmann

• Gabriele Aleksa

• Gary Nielsen

• George Holborn

• Glen Brown

• Greg Pawson

• Indrajit Majumdar

• Jiaxin Chen

• Jason Langis

• Jeffrey Wilson

• Jim Baker

• John Parton

• John Stephens

• John Sullivan

• Karry Anne Campbell

• Larry Watkins

• Len Hunt

• Linda Dix-Gibson

• Martina Furrer

• Matthew Kendrick

• Merilyn Twiss

• Michael Bevan

• Michael Ter-Mikaelian

• Mike Pistilli

• Neil Dawson

• Neil Peterson

• Nevin Buconjic

• Norma Griffin

• Pengxin Lu

• Rebecca Zeran

• Renee Carriere

• Richard Mussakowski

• Richard Wilson

• Rob Mackereth

• Rob Rempel

• Rob Spence

• Roj Miller

• Ryan Petrauskas

• Steve Banducci

• Steve Colombo

• Taylor Scarr

• Thomas Noland

• Troy Anthony

• Viren Bharti

• Wayne Bell

• William D. (Bill) Towill

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Author Listing by Indicator

Criterion 1

1.1.1 - Larry Watkins


1.1.3 - Bill Crins


1.2.1 - Martina Furrer

1.2.2 - Glen Brown, Viren Bharti, Neil Dawson, George Holborn, Merilyn Twiss, Linda Dix-Gibson, Rob Rempel

1.2.3 - Wayne Bell

1.3.1 - Pengxin Lu

1.3.2 - Neil Peterson

Criterion 2

2.1.1 - John Parton

2.1.2 - Michael Ter-Mikaelian, Steve Colombo, J. Chen

2.2.1 - Norma Griffin, Mike Pistilli

2.2.2 - Taylor Scarr

2.2.3 - Richard Wilson


2.3.1 - Greg Pawson

2.3.2 - Greg Pawson

2.3.3 - John Parton

2.3.4 - Matthew Kendrick

Criterion 3

3.1.1 - Dave Morris

3.2.1 - Rob Mackereth

3.2.2 - Dr. James McLaughlin


3.2.4 - Rob Mackereth

Criterion 4

4.1.1 - Michael Ter-Mikaelian, Steve Colombo, J Chen


4.1.3 - Bruce Pond

4.1.4 - Dr. Bruce Pond, Flora Hofmann

4.2.1 - Karry Anne Campbell






Criterion 5


5.1.2 - Jason Langis, Don Higgs, Larry Watkins


5.1.4 - Dirk Kloss

5.2.1 - Nevin Buconjic

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Criterion 5 (continued)



5.2.4 - Steve Banducci, Gabriele Aleksa

5.3.1 - John Stephens

5.3.2 - Steve Banducci, Gabriele Aleksa

5.3.3 - Thomas Noland

5.3.4 - Indrajit Majumdar, Jeffrey Wilson


5.4.2 - Len Hunt

5.4.3 - Renee Carriere

Criterion 6

6.1.1 - Bill Morrison



6.2.1 - John Stephens

6.3.1 - Len Hunt

Criterion 7

7.1.1 - Dan Cooligan

7.2.1 - Dorothy O'Connor

7.2.2 - Brian Polhill

7.2.3 - John Sullivan

7.3.1 - Roj Miller

7.3.2 - Rob Spence, Fiona McKay, Doris Krahn, Ryan Petrauskas, Gary Nielsen, Rebecca Zeran, Michael Bevan

7.4.1 - Richard Mussakowski

7.4.2 - Richard Mussakowski

7.4.3 - Richard Mussakowski, Neil Peterson

7.4.4 - Troy Anthony, Matthew Kendrick

7.4.5 - David McGowan

7.5.1 - Jim Baker

7.5.2 - William D. (Bill) Towill

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Gabriele Aleksa

• Gabriele Aleksa is currently an acting industry services officer with the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry in Sault Ste. Marie. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry from the University of Toronto and is a Registered Professional Forester. Gabriele has worked with MNR at district and main office levels working in both research and forest management positions in all forest regions of Ontario. Gabriele has worked for the British Columbia Forest Service and has worked in forestry in Germany. She has worked as a consulting forester for remote tourism operators, for private land clients, and as an independent forest auditor of sustainable forestry licence forests focusing on silviculture.

Troy Anthony

• Troy is a provincial evaluation and reporting forester with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources in Sault Ste. Marie, ON. Key responsibilities include assisting with the implementation of the IFA program, developing provincial annual reports on forest management, and state of the forest reporting. Troy has experience with forest management planning having worked for both forest industry and MNR. As a consulting forester, Troy was involved in a number of independent forest audits.

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Jim Baker

• Jim has 25 years with MNR in policy and science related to wildlife and forest management and science.

• Jim has 10 years experience as science business coordinator (current position) in Applied Research and Development Branch coordinating forest research programs

• Jim also prepared this indicator for the previous state of the forest report.

Wayne Bell

• Wayne is a forest ecology research scientist with the Ontario Forest Research Institute. Mr. Bell has published 59 peer reviewed journal papers related to plant ecology, forest vegetation management, and adaptive management.

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Michael Bevan

• Michael is a municipal planning advisor for the MNR and has over 7 years of land use planning and natural resource management experience at provincial and municipal government levels.

• Michael has a Bachelor Degree of Environmental Studies, Honours Geography Co-operative Program from the University of Waterloo, is a member of the Canadian Institute of Planners and Ontario Professional Planners Institute.

Viren Bharti

• Viren works in the Inventory, Monitoring & Assessment Section, Science and Information Branch.

• Viren’s credentials include a PhD in statistics, an MSc in information and system sciences, and a Master of Business Administration. Viren’s work involves him in many aspects of science ranging from bird and bat analysis, moose aerial inventory analysis, big game survey analysis, and the Prince Wind farm analysis. Prior to coming to MNR, Viren held various positions including university professor, clinical biostatistician, programmer/data analyst, manager and team/group.

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Glen Brown

• Glen began working with the MNR in 2005 with the Northeast Planning Unit, where he helped transfer his Doctoral research on woodland caribou into forest management planning direction. Glen currently works as a Senior Biologist with the Science and Information Branch’s Ontario Terrestrial Assessment Program (OnTAP), part of the Inventory, Monitoring and Assessment section. His work with OnTAP includes participation in the development of monitoring programs that support evaluation of the effectiveness of policy decisions in sustaining wildlife populations. Research interests include the behaviour and population ecology of terrestrial mammals and the application of adaptive management to wildlife conservation through the integration of science and policy. He currently participates in collaborative research on the ecology of moose and caribou populations in Ontario.

Nevin Buconjic

• Nevin is a strategic business advisor with the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry in Sault Ste. Marie, ON.

• Nevin holds a Bachelor of Science and Masters of Business Administration from Lake Superior State University as well as Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science from Algoma University. Nevin has several years of small business, finance, marketing and economic development experience, as well as Internet marketing and economic development certifications.

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Karry Anne Campbell, P.Eng.

• Karry is the forest bioeconomy policy analyst for the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry. Karry Anne is a Registered Professional Engineer in Ontario and has a Bachelor of Science in Forest Engineering degree from the University of New Brunswick as well as a minor in Wood Products. Karry Anne has actively participated in the committee work of the Professional Engineers of Ontario.

Renée Carrière

• Renée is the provincial cultural heritage specialist with the MNR. Key responsibilities include assisting in the development and maintenance of provincial policies and field guidelines that are responsive to Ministry of Tourism and Culture (MTC) requirements, maintaining liaison with MTC, developing tools to assist in the identification of archaeological potential areas (e.g., Heritage Assessment Tool), identifying areas of archaeological potential for forest management plans, working with clients to provide expert advise on MTC survey requirements and direction on protection of cultural heritage values, providing training to forest management practitioners on cultural heritage legislation, procedures, guidelines, and best practices.

• Renée has archaeology experience in the area of forest management planning having worked with First Nations, MNR, and the forest industry.

• As a consulting archaeologist, Renée was involved in numerous archaeological assessments ranging from subdivision projects, as well as highway and forestry developments.

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Dr. Jiaxin Chen

• Jiaxin is the impacts and adaptation research scientist at the Ontario Forest Research Institute. Dr. Chen develops and improves models that project how much carbon is stored in Ontario’s forests now and over this century, as well as models that predict how climate change and forest management affect ecosystems. He developed his strong mathematical and modelling skills in engineering programs in China and where he was head of the Computer Aided Design Centre at Central South University. As a visiting research scientist at Aalborg University in Denmark Dr. Chen studied the application of artificial neural networks for system response analysis. He completed a PhD, engineering and information systems, at Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds, England, in 2001.

Dr. Steve Colombo

• Steve is the environmental stress research scientist at the Ontario Forest Research Institute in Sault Ste. Marie. He examines the effects of stresses such as freezing, drought, and heat on trees and leads provincial forest carbon budget modelling research. After completing a Master of Forestry program at Lakehead University he was hired by the MNR and since 1985 has conducted research mainly on climate issues pertaining to forest growth. A 1996 PhD was completed, focused on tree stress physiology, at the University of Toronto. Steve is an adjunct professor at both Lakehead University and the University of Toronto. Dr. Colombo collaborates broadly with other forest climate change scientists and is published many times over. He is optimistic about our ability to change the way we do things in light of the threats associated with rising greenhouse gas emissions. “Given our resources, we can come up with solutions; what is needed is the political will and the dedication of competent people in many different fields. Most of the adaptations we need to make are good for us anyway.” says Colombo.

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Dan Cooligan

• 1980 to 1985 - Various technical positions - tree improvement, silviculture technician, fire management, OMNR

• 1985 to 1990 - Field forester in northern and eastern Ontario with OMNR and Rideau Valley Conservation Authority

• 1990 to 1998 - Forest policy and marketing, OMNR

• 1998 to 2000 - Manager programs, Canadian Forestry Association

• 2000 to 2008 - Policy Advisor, International Forestry, OMNR

• 2008 to 2009 - Executive Assistant, ADM Forests Division, OMNR , - RPF, Forest Legislative Policy Advisor, OMNR (2009 to present)

Bill Crins

• Has been involved with scientific aspects of protected area selection and design for about 35 years, the past 19 of those with the OMNR. He also has developed the most recent version of the upper levels of the hierarchy (ecozones, ecoregions, ecodistricts) in Ontario’s Ecological Land Classification system, and has been involved in development of the province’s old growth policy, conservation of species at risk, and policy development regarding ecological integrity within the protected area system, among other conservation-oriented duties.

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Neil Dawson

• Wildlife assessment program leader

• Northwest Science & Information, Science and Information Branch

• Neil received a BSc in wildlife biology & management from the University of Guelph in 1984. He served as District/Area Biologist in Chapleau District from 1986 to 1996 before moving to his present position with the Wildlife Assessment Program in Thunder Bay in 1996. Neil’s work involves him in many aspects of science ranging from evaluation of monitoring techniques and sampling designs for multiple terrestrial vertebrate species (amphibians, reptiles, birds & mammals) to ecological research and recovery planning for wolverines.

Martina Furrer

• Martina Furrer is currently a biodiversity habitat biologist in the Biodiversity Policy and Program Development Section with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR).

• She was formerly a biodiversity information biologist with the Ontario Natural Heritage Information Centre during which time she collaborated with Parks Canada to enhance data for species at risk in Parks Canada sites in Ontario and completed detailed status assessments for species at risk in national parks and national historic sites in the province.

• She began her career with the OMNR in State of Resources Reporting and has contributed to the Interim Report on Ontario’s Biodiversity 2008, the State of Ontario’s Biodiversity 2010 report and the Mixed Wood Plains Ecosystem Status and Trends Report.

• She holds a Master of Forest Conservation from the University of Toronto, a BSc. in ecology from the University of Guelph, and a post graduate diploma in GIS from Fleming College.

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Norma Griffin

• Norma Griffin is a registered professional forester and is currently the planning and information program leader with the Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services in Sault Ste. Marie. She is responsibilities in the areas of communications, public education, forest fire prevention, compliance and forest fire science and planning.

• Norma has a Bachelor of Science in Forestry and B. Education and has worked for MNR since 1982 in a variety of forest management related positions at district, regional and provincial offices across the province.

Don Higgs

• Don is a forest management information specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources in Sault Ste. Marie, ON. His key responsibility is providing summaries and analysis of forest management information at the provincial level; including forest management annual report information (harvest, renewal, regeneration success, road construction and maintenance, forest operations inspections) and forest management planning information (forest resource inventory, available and planned harvest, planned renewal operations, etc.). Don has been with OMNR for 24 years starting as a research technician at the Ontario Forest Research institute and moving to the Forest Evaluation and Standards Section in 1996.

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Flora Hofmann

• Flora Hofmann is a GIS analyst with the Wildlife Research and Development Section of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources in Peterborough. She is a graduate of the University of Freiburg, Germany, where she completed a degree in Geography and Environmental Science and developed her GIS skills. During her university education, she spent one year at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, where she developed a keen interest in the country and its natural environment.

Len Hunt

• Len Is a research scientist of the human dimensions of natural resource management.

• The indicator expert has:

o spent over 10 years evaluating the design and effectiveness of public participation processes for natural resource management; and,

o extensive experience with social surveying methods.

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Matthew Kendrick

• At the time of this report Matt was a Forest Reporting Project Forester with the Forest Evaluation and Standards Section of the MNR.

• Matt is s a Registered Professional Forester in Ontario and has an Honours Bachelor of Science in Forestry Degree from Lakehead University as well as Forestry Technician and Integrated Resource Management Diplomas from Sault College.

• Matt has worked for the MNR for the past decade as a Forester, a Resource Technician for several field programs across the province and for Ontario Parks.

Jason Langis

• Jason Langis is a biologist with Forest Management Planning Section. In his current position as a Resource Management Planning Specialist he is responsible for providing advice and technical direction on ecological and biological aspects of resource and forest management planning. Jason has over 8 years of resource management and planning experience at both the provincial and federal government levels. He has previously held positions as a Forest Management Species at Risk Biologist with MNR’s Forests Branch, Area Biologist in MNR’s Chapleau, North Bay and Sudbury Districts, Project Biologist with the Northeast Region Planning Unit and Science and Information Section, and Policy Officer with the Canadian Forest Service.

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Pengxin Lu

• Pengxin is a forest research and development geneticist, OMNR, is trained in quantitative genetics and forest tree improvement. He has more than 25 years research experiences with a list of research publications in his area of expertise.

Dr. Indrajit Majumdar

• Indrajit is the economics specialist – Forest Bioeconomy Unit for the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry. Indrajit is responsible for providing expert analysis/advice to support strategic policy and program direction related to the forest bioeconomy. Indrajit also provides leadership in economic research to support development and implementation of emerging forest bioeconomy technology and provides recommendations on options / strategies to position Ontario’s forest-based industry to compete in the bioeconomy market.

• Indrajit has a PhD in Applied Economics from Auburn University, USA and a Master of Science Degree in Forest Economics & Management from Forest Research Institute (Deemed University) in Dehradun, India.

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David McGowan

• David is the provincial coordinator - forest operations compliance. During his career as a forester, he has worked with the provincial and federal governments, the forest industry, and in his own consulting business.

Dr. Jim McLaughlin

• Dr. Jim McLaughlin is the forest soils and water research scientist at the Ontario Forest Research Institute in Sault Ste. Marie. Dr. McLaughlin investigates how human activities and natural disturbance affect soil nutrient and water cycles, water quality, and productivity. His 1992 PhD, on forest soils, from Michigan Technological University directly supports his continued research interests. Dr. McLaughlin was a program leader at the Cooperative Forest Research Unit at the University of Maine where he continued the work of Russell Briggs on his Site Classification Field Guide, conducted work at the Weymouth Point Study, and where he developed a Hardwood Site Classification Field Guide for Maine in 2000. Dr. McLaughlin’s current focuses include carbon cycling in Far North peatlands, and permafrost. Jim says “It is very important to understand hydrology − water flow paths and fluxes − if you want to ensure sustainability of ecosystems. It controls the chemical and biotic processes in forests and peatlands. Hydrology may be the most important process regulating how ecosystems function and develop. Hydrology influences landform development by regulating interactions among vegetation, nutrient cycling, cycling of trace metals such as mercury, and carbon cycling, all of which are interrelated.”

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Roj Miller

• Information not provided. Roj is a timber pricing specialist with the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry in Sault Ste. Marie, ON.

Dr. Dave Morris

• Dr. Morris’ research program focuses on nutrient cycling in boreal systems, with particular emphasis on evaluating the impacts of forest management activities on soil disturbance, stand nutrition, and productivity.

• Dave is a senior research scientist and the stand ecology program leader at MNR’s Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

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Bill Morrison

• Bill is the sustainability assurance coordinator for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. His responsibilities include compiling the provincial reports on negotiations conducted by MNR Districts with Aboriginal communities (as required by Condition 34 of Ontario’s Forest Management Class EA). The reports are compiled annually, and incorporated into the Provincial Annual Report on Forest Management published each year by MNR.

Gary Nielsen

• Gary is the climate change project coordinator for the MNR.

• Gary has an Honours Bachelor of Science in Forestry Degree from the University of New Brunswick and has over 25 years experience with MNR in Southern Ontario as a Management Forester, Stewardship Coordinator, Planning and Information Management Supervisor and Climate Change Project Coordinator.

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Thomas Noland

• Noland is a research scientist at the Ontario Forest Research Institute in Sault Ste. Marie, ON.

• He conducts research on sustainable harvest practices of Canada yew in Ontario and has completed a study on growing Canada yew as a value-added plantation crop.

Dorothy O’Connor

• MA in Adult Education (Michigan State University) - supervisor, Forestry Skills Assurance and Education Unit.

• Previous work history includes Coordinator Competency Program (MNR), Forest Management Planning Training Coordinator (MNR), Professor (Sault College).

• Experience in developing curriculum, course outline development, stand up delivery of workshops, development of elearning modules.

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John Parton

• John is the provincial growth and yield coordinator for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and is co-chair of the Growth and Yield Science Unit of the Forest Ecosystem Science Co-op. He provides coordination and leadership in the development and implementation of several forest-based monitoring networks such as the Provincial Growth and Yield plot network, the National Forest Inventory ground plot network, and the Provincial Forest Inventory Ground Plot network. Data from these networks supports the development and implementation of forest and natural resource legislation, and contributes to associated regulations, policies and guidelines.

• John is a Registered Professional Forester in Ontario, graduating with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Forestry from the University of Toronto, 1982.

Greg Pawson

• Greg Pawson has worked as a forester for the Ministry of Natural Resources since 1985; first in the research field out of Thunder Bay, then at the District level in Hearst, Cochrane, Terrace Bay and Espanola, followed by some time at the Regional level in Timmins. Greg has been in main office positions in Sault Ste. Marie since 1999 with both the Industry Relations and Forest Management Branches. Greg has been with the Forest Evaluation and Standards Section, as the provincial forest monitoring specialist since 2005.

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Neil Peterson

• Neil is the provincial forest reporting specialist for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Neil is responsible for providing leadership and coordination for the production and release of public provincial forest reports as prescribed by the Crown Forest Sustainability Act (CFSA) and the Environmental Assessment Act approvals. Neil also supports and provides advice to forest management monitoring programs, reviews and analyzes the effectiveness of the Ministry’s forest management program, and supports the development and implementation of forest and natural resource legislation, regulations, policies and guides. Neil is a Registered Professional Forester in Ontario and has an Honours Bachelor of Science in Forestry Degree from Lakehead University as well as a Fish and Wildlife Technician Diploma and a Forestry Technician Diploma from Sir Sandford Fleming College.

Brian Polhill

• Brian is a Registered Professional Forester with Forest Management Planning Section of MNR. He has 32 years experience as a forester with MNR, the last ten as the provincial forest management planning specialist. Brian led the writing of the Forest Management Planning Manual, 2009 and participated in the writing of the Forest Management Planning Manual, 2004 and Forest Information Manual, 2007 and 2009.

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Dr. Bruce Pond

• Bruce is a wildlife landscape ecology research scientist in the Wildlife Research and Development Section in Peterborough. He is a geographer by training with a PhD from Queen’s University. His research interests are broad, as are the spatial scales at which he approaches questions. He is interested in understanding spatial and temporal patterns of human disturbance and their effects on animal distributions and ecosystem integrity, particularly in settled landscapes. Bruce says “I am interested in the response of wildlife populations and ecosystems to anthropogenic disturbance (particularly private land development) in support of broad-scale land use policy evaluation. Specifically, my research includes the development of indicators for monitoring ecosystem integrity at multiple scales and the analysis of broad-scale human impacts on wildlife genetics and populations. As well, spatial and temporal modeling of the distribution of wildlife in the context of contemporary landcover and human disturbance interests me, as does the application of spatial data and analytical methods to natural resource issues.”

Dr. Rob Rempel

• Rob is research scientist located at CNFER. He completed his undergraduate degree in Zoology at UBC, and Master’s and PhD in Biology at University of Waterloo. His research interests include spatial ecology, wildlife ecology, and wetland ecology. Rob worked as research biologist for Ducks Unlimited Canada before coming to MNR, were he headed their waterfowl habitat inventory program. His current focus is on spatial habitat modeling in support of forest management, and effectiveness monitoring for the new forest management guides.

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Dr. Taylor Scarr

• Taylor is the provincial forest entomologist for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. He provides leadership, coordination, and scientific direction to the forest health monitoring program and to insect management programs. Dr. Scarr represents MNR in its partnership with the Canadian Forest Service and in the development and implementation of the National Forest Pest Strategy.

John Stephens

• John is the forest information analyst with the Forest Business and Economics Section of the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines. He has worked with socioeconomics for 19 years within the MNR. John was a member of the original team delivering the Forest Values Project and later the residual value based Ontario Stumpage system. He has developed the Economic Profile and Analysis tool (ePAT) and the Demographic Profile and Analysis Tool (dPAT). John is a member of the Statscan-OPS Census Partnership and is a core team member of the Natural Resource SocioEconomic Network (NRSEN).

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John Sullivan

• Forest EA implementation coordinator with Forest Management Planning Section.

• Between 2003 and 2009, District Area Forester with both the Ministry of Natural Resources and Alberta Sustainable Resource Development.

• Previous to 2003, employed as a forest technician with Tembec Industries Inc. and worked for forest contractors within Ontario and Nova Scotia.

Dr. Michael Ter-Mikaelian

• Michael is the forest modelling research scientist at the Ontario Forest Research Institute. Dr. Ter-Mikaelian’s 1990 PhD, in ecological modelling, is from the Institute of Global Climate and Ecology, Russia. Dr. Ter-Mikaelian is an adjunct professor in the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Forestry. He develops and improves models that predict how forests and trees grow and change over time. His current focuses include modelling provincial forest carbon budgets under different climate scenarios and forest management practices. Michael is quick to point out that the advantage of capturing tree carbon through harvesting and producing wood products is compounded by the fact that in the long run you get more storage by harvesting some of your stands and letting them regrow, rather than letting all stands become old. “Old stands in northern forests are just about carbon neutral, meaning they release as much carbon as they are absorbing,” he says. “Some old trees will eventually begin to decline and decay or may burn in a forest fire. Harvesting allows the carbon in wood to be stored for long periods of time, rather than returning to the atmosphere as the tree dies.”

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Bill Towill

• Bill is the science development and transfer coordinator for Northwest Science and Information Section, Science and Information Branch. He is responsible for the coordination of fisheries, wildlife and forest- science activities in north-western Ontario (i.e. forest extension education and transfer, model calibration and validation, inventory, monitoring, assessment, and reporting).

• Bill has worked in forest extension education and knowledge transfer for 25 years as a boreal mixed wood silviculture specialist, prescribed fire science specialist, stand dynamics science specialist) and has co-authored the boreal silviculture guide series.

• Bill has an B.Sc. (Hons) in Soils and Plant Ecology from the University of Manitoba, as well as his M.Sc.F. from Lakehead University.

Larry Watkins

• Larry is a Forest Analyst with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. He is a graduate of the forest technologist program at Sault College. Larry has over 25 years experience in forest information and GIS, both in field data collection and as an analyst with the Forest Evaluation and Standards Section.

• Larry began his career in Lake Superior Park in 1985, and moved to the Sault District a year later as a timber tech. After moving to the Forests Branch in 1990 (then the Forest Resources Group), he worked in management planning, forest modelling and wood supply analysis, and eventually forest reporting in 1995.

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Jeff Wilson

• Senior economist with the Strategic Coordination and Integration Branch of the Ministry of Natural Resources.

• Previously, with Credit Valley Conservation, where he co-authored Natural Credit: Estimating the Natural Capital Value in the Credit River Watershed.

• Areas of expertise include ecosystem services, non-market valuation techniques, and cost-benefit analysis.

• Bachelors of Arts in economics and finance from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Master of Science, with a concentration in environmental economics, from the University of New Brunswick.

Dr. Richard Wilson

• Richard is the forest program pathologist for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Richard is responsible for providing scientific expertise, direction and technical support in the development of legislation and in the monitoring of forest pests and abiotic events. He identifies forest health management research priorities including existing and emerging threats, and works with research agencies to address these priorities. He is involved in all issues relating to forest pathology and mycology within the province. Much of his time is occupied in dealing with science and management issues concerning the long-time introduced exotic fungal pests; white pine blister rust and beech bark disease and more recently with butternut canker and sudden oak death.

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Steve Banducci

• Steve is a forest business analyst with the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry.

Linda Dix-Gibson

• Information not provided. Linda is a program biologist with the South Science & Information Section, Science and Information Branch of the Ministry of Natural Resources.

George Holborn

• Information not provided. George is wildlife assessment biologist with the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Dirk Kloss

• Dirk has over two decades of experience in provincial forest management planning and resource modelling. Dirk is currently a resource modelling specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.

Doris Krahn

• Doris is a forest program specialist in Peterborough and is a graduate of the University of Toronto obtaining an Honours Bachelor of Science in Forestry Degree.

• Doris has over 24 years of forestry experience with the MNR and has worked in a variety of program areas.

Dr. Rob Mackereth

• Information not provided. Rob is a research scientist at the Ministry of Natural Resources’ Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research, Thunder Bay.

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Fiona McKay

• Fiona is the CLTIP administrator for the Ministry of Natural Resources and has been providing province wide professional, program and administrative support for the CLTIP for more than 10 years. Fiona has an Honours Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology from the University of Guelph. She has worked for the MNR for 28 years, in both northern and southern Ontario, and spent 10 of those years working in Wildlife Research. She also has a GIS Applications Specialist diploma from Sir Sandford Fleming College in Lindsay.

Richard Mussakowski

• Richard is the acting coordinator of the Inventory, Monitoring and Assessment Services Unit. Part of his responsibilities includes the production of the Far North Land Cover and Disturbance Mapping as well as heading the design and delivery of a Provincial Land Cover Inventory and Trend Reporting Service.

Ryan Petrauskas

• Ryan is the data analyst/policy advisor for the Ontario Stewardship Program.

• Ryan is a graduate of Lakehead University with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Forestry Degree and has worked in private industry and with the MNR in a variety of capacities.

Mike Pistilli

• Mike is now a fire management technician with the Pickle Lake office of Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services. At the time of the preparation of this report he was the Fire Management Intern in Sault Ste. Marie. He has been working with the Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services for 11 years in various positions including FireRanger, Crew Leader and GIS technician. Mike has a diploma in Ecosystem Management and a diploma in Geographic Information Systems.

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Rob Spence

• Rob is the MFTIP administrator for the Ministry of Natural Resources providing province wide professional, program and administrative support for the MFTIP.

• Rob is a graduate of the University of Toronto and has an Honours Bachelor of Science in Forestry Degree with over 28 years of forestry experience with private industry and the MNR.

Merilyn Twiss

• Wildlife assessment program leader, Southern Science and Information Section, Science and Information Branch. Merilyn has worked for MNR for over 30 years. In addition to her current role as Wildlife Assessment Program Leader, she also has served as provincial Fish and Wildlife Coordinator for Ontario’s Living Legacy, provincial Fish and Wildlife Information Management Coordinator, District and Area Biologist and Regional Project Biologist. She has a BSc in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology and an MSc in Natural Resources Policy. Her work involves development and implemenation of inventory, monitoring and assessment programs for birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles. She also works in collaboration with other researchers to develop new technologies, such as Wireless Sensor Networks for monitoring turtles.

Rebecca Zeran

• Rebecca is A/land securement program advisor with the MNR.

• Rebecca obtained her Bachelors of Science (Hon.) degree from the University of Guelph and a Master’s Degree from McGill University. Rebecca has spent her career working with Conservation Ontario and the MNR in a variety of program areas.

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Jason Langis

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