Presenters:

Jason Grant, Principal, Jason Grant Consulting, Sepastopol, CA

Ryan Temple, President, Sustainable Northwest Wood Distribution, Inc., Portland, OR

Abby Mages, Merchandizing Manager, Ecohaus, Portland, OR

Peter Hayes, Owner, Hyla Woods, OR

 As the green building movement builds momentum, it is rightfully challenging itself to go deeper and wider in the scale of its influence.  At the same time, climate change, diminishing forests, and challenged regional communities are prompting us to ask if our purchasing choices can promote a better and more sustainable forest economy.  While there are shining examples of exemplary triple-bottom line forestry, institutional barriers inhibit their widespread entry into the market place.

This session will begin with a whirlwind tour through the history of humanity’s relationships to forests and how our relationship to forests, and the pathways toward a sustainable forest products industry may evolve into a more sustainable future. The second half of the session will feature brief presentations by leaders in Cascadia’s rapidly emerging ecological forest products industry, and will focus on the opportunities and challenges to building bridges between responsible resource stewardship in the region and green building movement. Regional leaders in forestry and wood products will evaluate the supply chain from the forest to distribution to market and highlight models that build direct connections between local rural economies and green building.

Acknowledging that meaningful change requires broad replication, the session will encourage participants to express the challenges they face and stimulate group dialogue on regional solutions.  In the end, the session will be a launching off point for the structure of a regional economy that balances forest capacity with community needs and green building expansion.

Presenter Bios

Jason Grant

 For more than 15 years, Jason Grant has been a leader in the movement toward a sustainable forest products industry. In 1992, he co-founded EcoTimber, among the first companies in the world to bring to market products from forests certified to the stringent standards of the FSC. In 2001, Jason helped launch the first trade association for the FSC forest products industry. He now consults to both companies and NGOs in his area of expertise.

Ryan Temple

Ryan Temple is President of Sustainable Northwest Wood, a wholesale distribution yard committed to connecting the building industry with regional producers of sustainable wood products.  This work is an outgrowth of his 8 year tenure as Program Director for the Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities Partnership. As lead coordinator of the National Community Forestry Business Alliance, Ryan also worked to document successful models of community forestry across the U.S.  Ryan is a founding board member of the Build Local Alliance, a network of forest owners, mills and builders in Oregon who promote the uses of sustainable and local building materials.  Specific areas of expertise include marketing, business strategy, financial management, and sustainable economic development.  Ryan is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and holds a Masters Degree in Natural Resource Management and Planning from the University of New Mexico. 

Abby Mages

Abby Mages co-founded Portland-based Environmental Building Supplies (EBS) in 1993 with her husband, Markus Stoffel. She helped turn the company into a multi-million-dollar business, and was integral in the process of merging EBS with Environmental Home Center to form Ecohaus. While at EBS, Mages delivered superior results in merchandising and customer service. She has extensive knowledge in green building materials and has directed numerous commercial projects. She is considered an expert in the industry, and is a sought-after speaker in the Portland area. Mages has a Bachelor of Music degree from New England Conservatory of Music and is a GIA-certified gemologist.

Peter Hayes

Owner of Hyla Woods and Oregon Board of Forestry member