FORREX, in partnership with the British Columbia provincial government’s Forest Investment Account - Forest Science Program and Mountain Pine Beetle Program, continues the delivery of the Provincial Forest Extension Program (PFEP; the Program). The Program plan defines goals, outcome objectives, and strategies that contribute to the provincial goal of world leadership in environmental stewardship, a globally competitive forest sector, public confidence and trust in forest-sector competence, and the ability to achieve sustainable forest management goals.

Annual Workplan Projects: 2009–2010
FORREX is in its 12th year of operations and its 5th year implementing the Provincial Forest Extension Program, made possible with funding from the Forest Investment Account–Forest Science Program (FIA–FSP). There is an art and science to program planning. By focusing on strategic, longer-term priorities while remaining responsive to emerging and imminent needs for the best available knowledge, FORREX ensures that its programs remain relevant, timely, and useful. By designing products and services to meet client demand, we also ensure that there is a direct and measurable benefit to program investments. Past evaluations show that over 70% of people in government, industry, and First Nations who participate in our programs find the services relevant and useful, and over 50% of those same people apply what they learn in their daily decisions. But FORREX cannot rest on past successes. We will continue to adapt and improve to meet the challenges facing our constituents. How will we do this?

What is Extension?
Extension is the process of empowering people with knowledge. Extension professionals engage information providers and users in various strategies to move information along a continuum from questions to solutions.

FORREX will:

• build on and improve on past performance;
• be guided by strategic plan and emerging priorities;
• balance delivery approaches;
• strive for longer-term outcomes while addressing shorter-term priorities;
• recognize imminent BC Ministry of Forests and Range and other provincial priorities; and
• build for future strategies.

This year’s plan continues to focus investments to meet the following objectives:

1. Forestry professionals will become more aware of current scientific, experiential, and Indigenous knowledge related to sustainable forest management.
2. The forestry community will have increased trust, and is therefore more likely to use, information products and providers.
3. The forestry community will increase its knowledge and skills about current and relevant scientific, experiential, and Indigenous knowledge relating to sustainable forest ecosystem management.
4. There will be an increase in science-based decisions that will result in reduced risk and uncertainty, and increased forest sector competitiveness.
5. Forest managers and the engaged public will aspire to use forest ecosystem management principles and adopt an improved way of defining values and strategies to manage for those values.
6. Co-operative extension and continuing education program planning and delivery will be more effective and efficient.

Co-operation is an important element in meeting these objectives. FORREX program staff actively work with partners to enable a continuous learning community. Indeed, contributions of services and knowledge capital in-kind over the last 4 years exceeded $2.5 million. Working with the forest, range, and natural resource science community, the Provincial Forest Extension Program (the Program) focuses on activities and products that will inform and assist resource practitioners in adapting to economic and environmental changes.

This year, the Program is emphasizing synthesis and demonstrating where FIA–FSP and other research has made a difference in informing improvements to policy, plans, and management actions. Like many other organizations this year, the Program team is working with 43% fewer financial resources. More than ever, we’re relying on volunteer contributions from partner organizations to ensure that these products reflect the state of the art and science on priority topics. To keep costs down, we will be limiting our print distributions, but will remain committed to the print-on-demand option. Events, outreach, and peer assistance will be delivered using partnerships, and information and social networking technology where feasible. To make it easier for you to find the information you need, we’re making an effort both to improve our web content as well as our profile on websites that are most likely to be used by our constituents.

Our FIA–FSP Program annual work plan projects are listed below and grouped by their primary outcome objective. Topical areas of focus are reflected in the project title. I encourage you to review the list and contact us if you’d like more information, or if you’d like to contribute your knowledge to our efforts.

Increasing awareness and synthesis of sustainable forest management science, Indigenous knowledge, and innovations

1. A synthesis of the art and science of sustainable forestry and ecosystem-based management
2. Facilitating knowledge exchange between FIA–Forest Science Proponents and end-users
3. Improving the linkages between the Forest Science Program and client needs
4. Publishing high-quality, science-based information
5. Synthesis for stand-level planning and decision making
6. Synthesis of social, economic, and cultural information needed for sustainable natural resource management
7. Synthesizing information on the ecological effects of climate change
8. Synthesizing the latest information on ecosystem management and conservation biology
9. Using social, economic, and cultural indicators in policy, planning, and operations
10. Watershed management science synthesis

Maintaining and enhancing access to sustainable forest management science, indigenous knowledge, and innovations

11. Aboriginal forestry and Indigenous knowledge website
12. Accessing forest resource dynamics information through the worldwide web
13. Watershed management information exchange using eLists and the Internet
14. World wide web products on ecosystem management and conservation biology
15. Culture, values, and land use: A written synthesis
16. Maintaining access to science-based information

Increasing awareness, knowledge, and skills to enable a knowledge-based forestry community

17. Approaches to land use planning, Indigenous knowledge, and values: Pilot project
18. Climate change impacts and policies: Social, economic, and cultural dimensions
19. Enabling adaptation to social, economic, and environmental changes experienced by First Nations in British Columbia
20. Engaging with experts in managing riparian zones, small streams, and aquatic habitat
21. Forest dynamics for changing values
22. Socio-economics information and sustainable natural resource management
23. Sustainable forestry extension for small tenures
24. Extension programming to increase awareness and knowledge of Aboriginal forestry and Indigenous science and knowledge
25. Management strategies for biodiversity, species, and ecosystems at risk
26. Watershed management extension education

Enabling science and knowledge-based sustainable forest management policies and practices based on sound ecological, social, and economic principles through communities of practice

27. Climate change adaptation in Natural Resource Management
28. Cumulative impacts and natural resources community of practice
29. Knowledge exchange and conservation of biological diversity
30. Coastal landscape ecology and conservation biology
31. Disturbance effects on water quantity and quality
32. Forest operations and worker safety
33. Forest resource dynamics extension programming for adapting to change
34. Watershed management information needs assessment
35. Climate change and water resources

Managing for ecological, social, and economic values

36. Grasslands and dry forest stewardship
37. Management questions—science answers: Science to management forum series

Enabling a knowledge-based forest sector

38. Enabling a knowledge-based natural resource sector

FORREX is pleased to continue to work with the Forest Science Program (FSP) and our Partners in the forestry community to link the resource community with credible and relevant scientific, indigenous, and experiential knowledge.