The success of the Future of Forests conference was attributable to the efforts, enthusiasm and support of a wide range of organizations and individuals.
FAO is extremely grateful to the Government of Thailand, Chiang Mai Province, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Royal Forest Department for their assistance in organizing the conference and particularly to Mr. Pyroj Sangpuvong, Deputy-Governor, Chiang Mai Province and Mr. Paisal Kuwalarath, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, for lending their time to open the conference proceedings.
Sincere appreciation is expressed for the financial and in-kind support provided by institutional partner agencies, including Asian Development Bank (ADB), United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Asia Forest Network (AFN), Regional Community Forestry Training Center (RECOFTC), International Society of Tropical Foresters (ISTF), International Model Forest Network (IMFN), and New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF).
Special mention and thanks to the dedicated efforts of partner agencies and friends who went far beyond the calls of duty in collaborating to arrange travel, logistics and administration: Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) Forest and Trees Programme staff led by Sairusi Bulai; Chiang Mai University’s Forest Restoration Unit (FORRU) led by Steve Elliott; and the Asia-Pacific Association of Forestry Research Institutions (APAFRI) secretariat team led by Sim Heok-Choh, including Ms. Syuqiyah binti Abdul Hamed, who worked assiduously to prepare the conference CD.
Grateful thanks are offered to all of the many expert presenters, panelists and facilitators from a wide variety of institutions both in Asia-Pacific, and from around the world, for lending their expertise and knowledge and especially for their dedication in providing the high quality papers included in these proceedings. Thanks are also due to those who prepared organizational displays and posters, including all of the Asia-Pacific Forestry Sector Outlook Study (APFSOS) national focal points who prepared national posters, and many of whom made country presentations.
Sincere appreciation is due to the many FAO staff and consultants who contributed to the success of the conference including the organizing committee: Patrick Durst, CTS Nair, Simmathiri Appanah, Chris Brown, Kallaya Meechantra and Brian Cohen assisted by Ken Shono, Akiko Inoguchi, Jeremy Broadhead, Supaporn Daophises and Chanida “Tammy” Chavanich. Much appreciation is also due to the APFSOS Scientific Committee for their guidance and assistance in developing and implementing the program.
Finally, particular thanks to our colleague Brian Cohen, who shouldered much of the heavy administrative burden and carried out a large number of the many “thankless” tasks in arranging the conference, often without receiving due credit and recognition. Many thanks, Brian!
