BSI nominee wins Richard Stanton Award
BSI is delighted that Dr. Marie Yee from Forestry Tasmania was chosen as the worthy recipient of the inaugural Richard Stanton Award.
Dr. Yee was nominated by Mr Ross Garsden, BSI’s Forest Management Systems specialist. Ross audits the majority of Australia’s larger forest managers and is in the box seat when it comes to seeing the extensive innovations and improvement in forest management being achieved by many organisations throughout Australia.
Ross said, ‘Marie’s work on the development of Forestry Tasmania’s Landscape Context Planning System prompted the nomination. Supported by a team of dedicated specialists, Marie has developed a system of forest management planning that provides a high level of certainty that biodiversity is being managed effectively within the forest at a landscape scale. This is fundamental to the principles of sustainable forest management. The technology has immediate applicability elsewhere for any organisation responsible for sustainable management of native forests.’
The award was presented by the Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Senator Anne Ruston, at the Australian Forestry Standard Annual General Meeting in Melbourne on 21 October 2015.
The award honoured the life of Richard Stanton, the former Executive Officer of AFS Ltd who was killed in a tragic accident earlier this year. AFS Ltd chair Kate Carnell said Mr. Stanton’s knowledge, commitment and enthusiasm for the Australian Forestry Standard was extraordinary. “He had always been devoted to expanding sustainable forests,” she said.
"Richard was a wonderful colleague, a dear friend, and well respected within the PEFC family. We appreciate that this award keeps his memory and his dedication to responsible forestry alive," said Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC International.
The award, jointly sponsored by BSI, aimed to recognise those who have made a significant and valuable contribution to sustainability though their innovation, improvement or excellence in forest management.
Marie’s work is underpinned by Forestry Tasmania’s commitment to the AFS certification scheme and sustainable forest management.
