Speakers – CWF Spring Meeting

Meet Our Speakers

Jess Kaknevicius

CEO Forests Canada

Presenting: Landowner Motivations for Forest Restoration and Long-term Impact.

Jess Kaknevicius

CEO Forests Canada

Jess is passionate about creating connections between people and forests. A graduate from University of Toronto’s Master of Forest Conservation program, Jessica (Jess) Kaknevicius has spent over 17 years in the non-profit sector, including over 11 years with Forests Canada. She has a critical leadership role overseeing philanthropic efforts and government agreements, governance, and supporting strategic planning and ommunications. She is a well-known advocate for the forest sector and co-founded Women in Wood, a networking group for women in the forest and wood-related sectors to share advice, information, and encouragement. _______________________________________________________________ Presenting: Landowner motivations for forest restoration and long-term impact _______________________________________________________________ Most landowners engage in restoration on their properties for future benefits - including contributions to wildlife and climate change. This session will provide a highlight of 20 years of Forests Canada planting projects and the impact of large-scale private land restoration efforts, including the lasting impacts to biodiversity on the landscape.

Yan Boulanger

Research scientist in forest ecology

Presenting: Increased wildfire activity could trigger strong changes in eastern Canada's forests and its forest sector.

Yan Boulanger

Research scientist in forest ecology

Yan Boulanger, PhD, is a forest ecology researcher at the Laurentian Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service, since 2013. His work focuses on climate change impacts on natural disturbances (fires, insect outbreaks, windthrows) and forest landscapes. He also studies the effects of climate change and logging on wildlife habitats. He holds a master's in Wildlife and Habitat Management and a PhD in Biology from UQAR. Dr. Boulanger is an adjunct professor at UQAR, Université Laval, and UQAT. __________________________________________________________________ Presenting: Increased Wildfire Activity Could Trigger Strong Changes in Eastern Canada's Forests and its Forest Sector. __________________________________________________________________ Climate change is expected to have significant impacts on eastern Canada's forest, compounding the effects of forestry practices and increased wildfire activity. As a result, Canadian forests as well as the forest sector could reach critical tipping points under strong anthropogenic climate forcing. Notably, the combined effects of logging and wildfires will lead to a significant decrease in landscape age and rise in regeneration failures, causing strong reduction in harvested wood volumes. Under these conditions, major changes in forestry practices will be required to ensure the long-term sustainability of timber supply. Adaptation strategies will need to be tailored to regionally-specific conditions .

Sean Greene

Forest Engineer/NL Forest Service, Dept. of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture

Presenting: Provincial Checkup - NL's Forest Sector.

Sean Greene

Forest Engineer/NL Forest Service, Dept. of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture

Sean was born and raised in Stephenville, Newfoundland, and attended UNB and completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Forest Engineering in 2003. Sean worked at various forestry jobs including tree planting in New Brunswick and forest engineering on Vancouver Island. Sean completed an Advanced Diploma in GIS at the Centre of Geographic Sciences in Nova Scotia in 2007. Sean has been working for the NL Forest Service since 2010. Sean lives in Corner Brook, on Newfoundland’s west coast, with his wife and four tween/teen daughters. __________________________________________________________________ Presenting: Provincial Checkup - NL's Forest Sector Newfoundland and Labrador’s forests play a critical role in the province’s economy, ecology, and culture. __________________________________________________________________ This session will provide an update on the state of the forest sector, covering key areas such as sustainable forest management, forest protection, and industry challenges.

Rakesh Mishra

Head of Research-Remote Sensing & AI / Northern Hardwoods Research Institute Inc.

Presenting: Modernizing Forest Inventories with AI and Remote Sensing

Rakesh Mishra

Head of Research-Remote Sensing & AI / Northern Hardwoods Research Institute Inc.

Dr. Rakesh Mishra, Head of Research-Remote Sensing & AI, is a leader in AI, remote sensing, and scientific research, with over 15 years of experience. He holds a Ph.D. in Remote Sensing & Photogrammetry from the University of New Brunswick (UNB). Dr. Mishra leads interdisciplinary research in AI, quantum computing, and satellite data analytics, tackling climate change, resource management, and forestry. Also an Adjunct Professor at UNB, he excels in fostering innovation, securing research funding, and collaborating with diverse stakeholders. His expertise spans AI modeling, machine learning, and geospatial analytics, with applications in precision forestry and environmental sustainability. _________________________________________________________________ Presenting: Modernizing Forest Inventories with AI and Remote Sensing _________________________________________________________________ New Brunswick’s forests are a vital part of the province’s economy, environment, and way of life. They provide jobs, support biodiversity, and offer essential ecosystem services like clean water and soil protection. However, managing these forests efficiently and sustainably has become increasingly challenging due to costly and outdated forest inventory methods. Traditional approaches rely on expensive and time-consuming field surveys, aerial photo interpretation, and expensive LiDAR acquisitions that quickly become obsolete as forests continue to grow, change, and respond to natural and human influences. This presentation will showcase NHRI’s precision digital forest inventories solutions (PFIS) initiative. The PFIS utilizes advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI), deep learning, machine learning, and remote sensing technologies, creating a faster, accurate, and cost-effective way to collect and analyze forest inventory data. This modernized approach empowers decision-makers at all levels—forestry professionals, policymakers, Indigenous communities, and small woodlot owners—by providing high-frequency and accurate insights into the types of cuts (clear cuts, partial cuts), regeneration characterization, tree species, basal area, tree vigor, and growth rates.

Maurice LeBlanc

Forsite Consultants

Presenting: Seeing the Trees for the Forest: Advances in Remote Sensing.

Maurice LeBlanc

Forsite Consultants

Maurice was born and raised in New Brunswick, where he continues to live today. His forestry experience spans industry, government, and consulting, covering key areas such as strategic and operational planning, remote sensing, artificial intelligence, forest stewardship certification, forest carbon, and forest inventories. As a leader in innovative forest inventories, Maurice is currently the Production Solution Specialist with Forsite Consultants. He ollaborates with clients to develop customized forest inventory solutions, integrating traditional methods with advanced forest inventory methods. ___________________________________________________________________ Presenting: Seeing the Trees for the Forest: Advances in Remote Sensing. ___________________________________________________________________ Remote sensing technologies provide precise, large-scale tree-level data to enhance forest management decisions. This presentation examines current remote sensing methods and their practical applications in forestry. / Precision Forestry & Harvest Optimization: Enhancing harvest efficiency and sustainability through data analysis. / Wildfire Risk & Response: Identifying fire-prone areas and planning mitigation strategies. / Biodiversity & Habitat Mapping: Assessing ecosystem health and species distribution. / Carbon Sequestration & Climate Monitoring: Measuring and tracking carbon storage. By integrating remote sensing with GIS and data analytics, forest managers can improve accuracy, efficiency, and sustainability in resource management.

Jean-Martin Lussier

Research Scientist NRCAN-Canadian Forest Service

Presenting: Using Harvester Head Data to Predict the Yields of the Next Cut Block.

Jean-Martin Lussier

Research Scientist NRCAN-Canadian Forest Service

Jean-Martin Lussier is a forest engineer and research scientist in silviculture at the Canadian Forest Service since 1998. He works at the Laurentian Forestry Centre (Quebec City), and was a member of the former Canadian Wood Fibre Centre. Over the last 20 years, Jean-Martin's research was centered on the development of partial cutting systems adapted to hardwood, mixedwood and softwood stands. More recently, his focus is on the development of solutions to accelerate the digitalization of the forestry sector, for the optimisation of timber and bioenergy supply. Jean-Martin is an adjunct professor at Université Laval and Université de Moncton. ___________________________________________________________________ Presenting: Using Harvester Head Data to Predict the Yields of the Next Cut Block ___________________________________________________________________ Single-grip harvester are collecting data on the size of the bole and logs for every harvested trees. This is a unique source of forest inventory data, with rich information on tree taper and the volume of products per sorts. By combining this data with remote sensing (Lidar, multispectral satellite imagery and photo-interpretation), we are able to predict the volume per log sort for each cut block. Advanced machine learning techniques were developed and tested to push the limit of the precision of the predictions. We will present the first results of this project and discuss about its application in forest operations

Dennis Bedford

Owner/Operator D. Bedford Forestry Services Inc.

Presenting: Empowering the Next Generation of Forestry Operators.

Dennis Bedford

Owner/Operator D. Bedford Forestry Services Inc.

Dennis Bedford has been a leader in Nova Scotia’s forestry industry for nearly 30 years, specializing in silviculture, primarily pre-commercial thinning. As President of the Nova Scotia Forestry Contractors Association and a Board Member of the Forestry Sector Council, he is dedicated to strengthening the workforce and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the industry. With experience in both partnership and independent operations, Dennis is developing a living classroom—a hands-on training program designed to attract and support new brush-saw operators. ___________________________________________________________________ Presenting: Empowering the Next Generation of Forestry Operators ___________________________________________________________________ Having witnessed the decline in new operators and the lack of tailored training, Dennis developed a living classroom—a structured program that mentors inexperienced brush-saw operators and removes barriers to entry. By identifying ideal candidate profiles and fostering community relationships, he has created a sustainable workforce model that reduces attrition and builds long-term industry success. In this session, Dennis shares how his innovative approach is contributing to the future of forestry training in Nova Scotia

Blake Brunsdon

Retired Forester

Presenting: Regulating the Practice of Professional Forestry in New Brunswick.

Blake Brunsdon

Retired Forester

Blake Brunsdon is a registered professional forester who retired after a 39 year career with J.D., Irving, Limited in 2018. He now spends most of his time around his woodlot and home in Hampton, New Brunswick. ___________________________________________________________________ Presenting: Regulating the Practice of Professional Forestry in New Brunswick ___________________________________________________________________ Over the past four years, the Association of Register Professional Foresters of New Brunswick (ARPFNB) and the New Brunswick Forest Technician's Association (NBFTA) have been working on an initiative to regulate professional forestry practitioners in New Brunswick. The presentation will provide an overview of our proposed legislation, its benefits and impact on forestry practitioners, and an update regarding our progress and timelines.

Dr. Lucas Roscoe

Research Scientist, Natural Resources Canada

Presenting: Hemlock Woolly Adelgid: A New and Important Threat to Atlantic Canada's Hemlock.

Dr. Lucas Roscoe

Research Scientist, Natural Resources Canada

Dr. Lucas Roscoe is a Research Scientist with the Canadian Forest Service of Natural Resources Canada. Based at the Atlantic Forestry Center in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Dr. Roscoe's interests include invasive insects, forest entomology, and chemical ecology. His current research projects include long-term management of the hemlock woolly adelgid, and the natural enemy complex of the beech leaf mining weevil in Nova Scotia. ___________________________________________________________________ Presenting: Hemlock Woolly Adelgid: A New and Important Threat to Atlantic Canada's Hemlock. ___________________________________________________________________ The hemlock woolly adelgid is a serious invasive pest of hemlock trees in Atlantic Canada. Since its discovery in 2017 in Nova Scotia, the adelgid has spread to large range in that province in which it has killed or damaged many hemlock trees. In this presentation, Dr. Roscoe will discuss what this insect it, the threat it exerts on hemlock trees, and the efforts by multiple partners and people to manage it.

Pape Masseck Thiam

Research Scientist, FPInnovations

Presenting: Improving Transportation Efficiency for Canadian Forest Industry: Research Activity Updates.

Pape Masseck Thiam

Research Scientist, FPInnovations

Pape has 15 years of experience in transportation geotechnics. He is a senior researcher & project lead at FPInnovations. His research focuses on truck weights and dimensions. He is currently sitting on the Canadian Task Force on Weights and Dimensions and is a member of TRB’s Trucking industry committee. The impact of Pape’s work to the forest industry in Atlantic provinces includes Winter weights and new configurations in NB, route reclassification in NS and increased payload on existing configurations in NL, which awarded him the TAC Young Transportation Professional Award in 2019 and the SCE top 40 under 40 in 2022. _____________________________________________________________________ Presenting: Improving Transportation Efficiency for Canadian Forest Industry: Research Activity Updates. _____________________________________________________________________ This presentation provides an overview of the current state of forest transportation in the different provinces and and gives an overview of current FPI's research activities including, seasonal weight programs, electric trucks, high efficiency trucks.

Rob Shea

Senior Group Benefits Advisor, Belmont Health & Wealth

Presenting: Canadian Woodland Forum Member Health Plan.

Rob Shea

Senior Group Benefits Advisor, Belmont Health & Wealth

Rob joined Belmont Health & Wealth (JDB Group) focusing on employee group health benefits. Rob is a licensed insurance agent and holds an MBA from Queen’s University along with a Group Benefits Associate designation through Dalhousie and the International Foundation of Employee Benefits Plans. After being on the client side of group benefits for over a decade as Chair of a national health benefit trust he has a solid understanding of how to meet his client’s needs. _______________________________________________________________ Presenting: Canadian Woodland Forum Member Health Plan _______________________________________________________________ The Canadian Woodland Forum Member Health Plan is a cost effective way of providing health benefits for members and their employees. • The benefits program has had rate stability since inception in 2009. • Spreads risk across all agencies participating in Canadian Woodlands Forum benefits program. • Lower Admin Cost - more of the premium you pay can go towards claims before rate increases are required. The Insurer charges less to administer a larger program. • Lawtons discount program – save money on front store items. • Additional savings as Canadian Woodlands Forum Benefits program grows.

Harvey Gray

Executive Director, Forestry Economic Task Force

Presenting: Supporting Sustainable Growth in Nova Scotia’s Forestry Sector.

Harvey Gray

Executive Director, Forestry Economic Task Force

Harvey Gray is the Executive Director for the Forestry Economic Task Force - an industry lead, not-for-profit organization, tasked with building and facilitating the implementation of an economic roadmap for the Sector. Harvey has nearly 30 years of forest industry experience, spread between J.D. Irving, Resolute Forest Products, and Harry Freeman & Son Ltd. More recently, Harvey has taken on various forestry related projects in a consulting role, and has lead operations at a plastic and metal recycling operation. Harvey resides in Bridgewater with his wife Cari and 2 children – Mara and Rowan. _______________________________________________________________ Presenting: Supporting Sustainable Growth in Nova Scotia’s Forestry Sector. _______________________________________________________________ This presentation will provide an overview of the Task Force, its activities, and future plans

Kevin Merriam

Executive Director, Company Maritime Lumber Bureau

Presenting: Opportunities and Challenges in a Rapidly Changing Sector.

Kevin Merriam

Executive Director, Company Maritime Lumber Bureau

Kevin has over 25 years of experience of private sector leadership in the forest industry, including management of woodlands operations, sawmilling, regulatory governance and enforcement. Kevin is the Atlantic representative on various national forestry committees and associations. He maintains engagement roles with the National Lumber Grades Authority (NLGA), Canadian Lumber Standards Accreditation Board, Canadian Wood Council and American Lumber Standards Committee. Kevin has a diploma in Forest Resource Technology and is a graduate of the Maritime College of Forest Technology in Fredericton, NB. _______________________________________________________________ Presenting: Opportunities and Challenges in a Rapidly Changing Sector. _______________________________________________________________ Brief discussions on the opportunities and challenges regarding domestic and international wood markets, the building and construction sector and tariffs.

Chris Spencer

Manager, Southern New Brunswick Forest Products Marketing Board

Presenting: New Brunswick's Private Woodlot Sector & Its Contributions to the Provincial Economy.

Chris Spencer

Manager, Southern New Brunswick Forest Products Marketing Board

Chris discovered his passion of working in the provinces forests in his hometown of Chipman, NB. Recognizing there was more to a forestry career than operating equipment and chainsaws, he enrolled in the Maritime Forest Ranger School and graduated as a Forest Technician in 1985. Chris began his employment with SNB Wood Co-operative in 1986 as a field technician, working with private woodlot owners and producers in Southern NB. Over the following years, Chris has held many positions at SNB and is currently the manager for SNB Forest Products Marketing Board. _______________________________________________________________ Presenting: Presenting: New Brunswick's Private Woodlot Sector & Its Contributions to the Provincial Economy. _______________________________________________________________ There are more than 40,000 woodlot owners in NB that collectively own 1.8 million hectares (30%) of the province's forests. As more pressure is placed on provincial crown land for values other than fiber, the private land wood basket is being looked upon to help fill these gaps. How can Marketing Boards and the province encourage more owners to become "engaged" in forest management ? This presentation will look at some of the current challenges and possible solutions that exist for private woodlot owners - and the opportunities for the workforce that provides these services.

Sébastien Maranda

General Manager, GSF

Presenting: Applying Advanced Analytics to Forestry Operations

Sébastien Maranda

General Manager, GSF

Sébastien holds bachelor's degrees in Computer Engineering and Geomatics from Université Laval. Since joining the software development community in 1997, he has gained extensive experience in software development, software architecture, and IT security through his roles at Bell Canada, Enode Group, and now GSF. Sébastien is currently the General Manager at GSF, where he is dedicated to fulfill GSF's mission which is to support forestry operation companies in their digital transition with user-friendly tools and reliable data, empowering them to be autonomous in planning, operations, and compliance in forest harvesting. _______________________________________________________________ Presenting: Applying Advanced Analytics to Forestry Operations _______________________________________________________________ Advanced analytics emerged in the early 2000s, transforming business performance through data-driven decision-making. Initially pioneered by tech giants and financial institutions, these sophisticated analytical techniques quickly spread across industries, enabling unprecedented insights and operational efficiency. In forestry, this revolution has been equally impactful. Advanced analytics can now transform timber management through sophisticated data collection techniques in the machines, LiDAR scanning, drone monitoring, etc..

Dirk Neilsen

Territory Manager, Weiler Forestry GSF

Presenting: Opening Remarks

Dirk Neilsen

Territory Manager, Weiler Forestry GSF

Dirk is the Canadian and North East US territory sales manager for Weiler Forestry Equipment. Working with Caterpillar dealers across Canada and in New England selling and supporting logging equipment gives Dirk a great perspective on the forest industry. Dirk is in his 3 year as chair of the Canadian Woodlands Forum and is a strong advocate of the organization and the work we do. In his spare time Dirk likes to mountain bike around the Gatineau hills and spend as much time as he can in the woods. Forestry is a way of life and is his passion.