Canadian Forest Owners (CFO) is proud to award its $15,000 Peter deMarsh Memorial Bursary to Université Laval researcher Sanjoy Roy whose boreal forest research is aimed at increasing carbon storage while providing wood to meet Canada’s material and energy needs. Roy’s forest modeling work will provide an important decision-making and support tool for CFO members because it addresses sustainable forest management and timber production while ensuring ecosystem resilience in our changing climate.
“Importantly, by improving the tools currently available to small forest landowners, Roy’s results will inform both public forest planning and private woodlot management, helping address the technical and policy barriers they face,” comments Andrew de Vries, Chief Executive Officer, CFO.
Roy’s research simulates long-term, climate-adaptive silviculture in heterogeneous, mixed-species forests in Quebec. As part of the Department of Wood and Forest Sciences research team, this work is inspired by the recommendations of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on climate change mitigation. Roy’s research aligns with the team’s aim to provide concrete actions, adapted to local and international communities, which contribute to strengthening their intervention capacities.
“It is our family’s hope that this award will give Sanjoy the financial boost needed at the end of his doctoral studies to help him complete this much needed thesis and support his long-term commitment to community forests,” comments Peter’s son Luke deMarsh.
CFO’s $15,000 bursary was created to honour the memory of Peter deMarsh, who worked all his life to convince tens of millions of forest owners around the world to act collectively within local, regional, national and international organizations to better defend their interests.