International Tree Fund (ITF)

Our Vision:

A World in which we love the forest and act accordingly.

Our Mission:

To inspire and enable the growth of ecosystem based forestry in anyway we can.

Overview:

The Trust for Sustainable Forestry was founded by a group of individuals passionate about the forest and the values it bestows on us and the world in which we live. From modest beginnings on Cortes Island, British Columbia, the Trust has grown from contributions and support from Universities, companies, NGOs and individuals who believe in its Vision.

Activities:

1. To support the practice of sustainable ecosystem based forestry, on land which otherwise would be managed in a more industrial fashion, through:

a. Supporting the acquisition of forested land suitable for ecosystem based forestry.

b. Ownership of forestry rights on suitable forested land.

c. The development and registration of suitable ecosystem based forestry covenants.

d. Working with supportive communities in rezoning forested land to allow for ecosystem based forestry and limited density, low impact habitation.

2. To support the education and training of persons in ecosystem based forestry practices.

3. To support research on the environmental, technical, and economic aspects of ecosystem based forestry practices.

4. To work collaboratively with covenant-holding conservation organizations to ensure that relevant eco-forestry covenants are being upheld.

5. To form partnerships and collaborate with individuals and organizations committed to ecosystem based forestry for mutual assistance, collective problem solving and dissemination of knowledge.

Function

Finances

As a federally registered charity, the Trust is empowered to receive land, timber rights, and other donations. It aims to be self-financing; earning money through royalties from selective harvest, forest management activities and services, and through training and education initiatives. It plans to fund partner conservation organizations in monitoring of covenants, support of sustainable forestry initiatives and in the furthering of capacity building programs.

Forestland Acquisition

The Trust is focusing its initial efforts on privately owned forested lands presently at risk of being harvested, and where there is a community willing and able to support the forest being managed on a sustainable basis, using single tree selection and other ecosystem based approaches.

In such areas, a practical approach may be to support the purchase of land, rezone it as a Community Land Stewardship parcel (or other suitable zoning) to accommodate a small number of low-impact and environmentally sensitive dwellings, and at the same time have the forestry/timber rights held by the Trust. Over time, this approach will allow an expansion of protected forest areas together with the harvesting of timber and the manufacture of wood products in an ecologically sensitive fashion, which in turn will reinvigorate and sustain local economies.

To achieve these results, the Trust works closely with a for-profit entity called the Living Forest Partnership whose management team was recruited by the Trust’s founders. The Trust is keen to work with individuals or groups interested in acquiring forestland, and who want to manage the forest on a sustainable basis. The Trust will provide support as required and as feasible, assessed on a case by case basis, and will work with its partners and sponsors to facilitate the process.

Sustainable Forest Management

Once land has been acquired and rezoned, the viability of sustainable forest management must be demonstrated. The Trust will aid in the acquisition of data from the lands on which it owns timber rights and elsewhere, and support the undertaking of scientific and economic research. It will facilitate the offering of training in the art and science of sustainable forest management, using land where it owns timber rights for practical demonstration purposes. The findings will be widely available through publications, its web site, and partnerships with other organizations.

Our People:

Ann Mortifee CM (President and Chair)

Ann Mortifee is an internationally known singer, composer, playwright and producer. As a keynote speaker, she has addressed conferences on the topics of health, ecology, creativity, women's issues, and the arts. She is CEO of Eskova Enterprises Ltd., Jabula Music, Mabela Music, Jabula Records and Eco Initiatives Inc.

Ms. Mortifee was honoured with the Order of Canada and the YWCA Woman of Distinction Award, and she has served as Chair of the BC Arts Council and several other charitable organizations.

With her brother, Dr. Peter Mortifee, she co-founded the Somerset Foundation, a private charitable foundation committed to "a better world through strategic philanthropy".

Ms. Mortifee has lived on Cortes Island, B.C. since 1999.

Ron Bazar, B.Com, MBA (Vice President)

Ron Bazar was educated at McGill University (B.Com) and Harvard (MBA), and has spent many years as a small business manager, entrepreneur, and consultant to both large and small businesses, including manufacturing, import and export, software and retailing.

He is CEO of WorldBuyDirect.com, an innovative, e-marketing Internet business encompassing all major industries that enables both large and small producers to sell directly to businesses and consumers worldwide. The site encompasses over 1200 stand alone industry and country-specific web sites, all interconnected. In addition he founded and manages Arbutus Arts of the Gulf islands, a woodcraft production company located in Tiber Bay on Cortes Island; a community he co-founded which is the inspiration for the model furthered by the Trust.

John Blaxall (Secretary)

John Blaxall is a development economist from the UK, who spent most of his career at the World Bank, based in Washington D.C. His experience there included long periods working on rural development and low-cost water and sanitation, with a focus on encouraging poor communities to identify and solve their own problems. He is especially familiar with countries in South and East Asia, and in Eastern and Southern Africa.

Since retiring, he has undertaken consulting assignments and a variety of volunteer activities, including service as president of the World Bank's retirement association, and as president of a foundation established by the World Bank to facilitate charitable giving by its staff in countries around the world.

He and his wife are part owners of the first model to be rezoned into the innovative Community Land Stewardship zone on Cortes island, the project from which was birthed the Trust for Sustainable Forestry.

Dr. Peter Mortifee (Treasurer)

Dr. Mortifee was educated at the University of British Columbia where he earned a B.Sc. in Biochemistry, a Medical Doctorate, and specialty training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He is a member of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia and is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. As Clinical Assistant Professor with the Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of British Columbia, he has been active in research and clinical teaching. Dr. Mortifee has worked extensively in both public and private health care systems in British Columbia as a Medical specialist consultant.

With his sister, Ann Mortifee, he co-founded the Somerset Foundation, a private charitable foundation committed to "a better world through strategic philanthropy." With extensive experience with financial planning and investment strategy, Dr. Mortifee is currently the director of a number of charitable organizations and foundations where the focus of his contributions relates to corporate structure, investment management, and financial sustainability.

David Butterfield (Director)

The founder and President of The Trust for Sustainable Development, Mr. Butterfield is also the President of one of Vancouver Island's largest development companies. He is committed to developing examples of sustainable communities and sustainable buildings. In 1995-96, he directed the planning and creation of the Community of Civano, a sustainable community of 2,400 homes in Tucson, Arizona. Subsequently, Mr. Butterfield founded the Loreto Bay Company and the Villages of Loreto Bay, an 8,000-acre sustainable community currently under development in Loreto Bay, Mexico. Other projects include the award-winning Shoal Point condominium; a 425,000 square feet mixed-use development fronting the Victoria harbor recognized as Canada's most advanced sustainable building.

Mr. Butterfield is committed to integrating in-depth environmental, economic and social analyses with the realities of real estate economics, making him one of the world's prominent experts in sustainable community development.

Doug Stables, BSF, MBA, RPF (Director)

Mr. Stables earned an undergraduate degree in Forest Resources Management from the University of British Columbia, a Masters of Business Administration from Royal Roads University and is registered with the Association of British Columbia Forest Professionals.

Mr. Stables is also Vice President of the Canadian Institute of Forestry, President of Global Strategy Inc., a management consulting firm focused on sustainability initiatives, and Associate Professor in the School of Environment and Sustainability at Royal Roads University in Victoria British Columbia.

Mr. Stables has been a strong advocate of environmentally sustainable practices for the past 15 years; his focus has been in forest industry and small business. He believes in and strongly supports capacity building for First Nations groups and education and training initiatives that create and support environmentally sustainable practices.

Doug Makaroff, BA, MCS, MCIP

Mr. Makaroff has nineteen years experience as an urban planning and real estate professional, most of which have focused on applying the principles of Sustainability and New Urbanism to highly marketable real estate projects. As a principal of a previous firm he completed numerous downtown revitalization plans, land use bylaws and official community plans for public sector clients, as well as rezoning and development plans for private sector developers. From 1997 to 2003, he partnered with David Butterfield on the development of the award-winning mixed-use Shoal Point condominium project in Victoria, B.C.

In 1997, Mr. Makaroff became the Vice-President of The Trust for Sustainable Development and was responsible for the municipal planning for the Community of Civano in Arizona and much of the early planning for The Villages of Loreto Bay in Mexico. From Dec 2003 to May 2006, he was the VP of Planning and Permitting for the remarkably successful Loreto Bay Company (see www.tsd.ca).

Mr. Makaroff is currently the president of Living Forest Communities (www.livingforestcommunities.com). He was recruited to lead this initiative that demonstrates ecosystem-based forestry and New Urbanist community building principles.

Educated at the University of Saskatchewan (B.A. in Urban Planning) and Regent College (M.C.S.), Mr. Makaroff is a registered Urban Planner with the Canadian Institute of Planning.

Merve Wilkinson (Honorary Member)

In 1938, when Merve Wilkinson established Wildwood, his philosophy of forest management was based on the idea of sustainability. These principles were sharply different from common practices of the day. Over the years his management has been influenced by scientific insight, intuition, experimentation and experiences, including those of the many visitors from around the world. Sixty years of ecoforestry have illustrated that the forestry practiced at Wildwood has not decreased the productive capacity of the forest, or put ecosystem function at risk. Now Wildwood is widely recognized as a model for ecoforestry. It has become a learning site for those wanting skills in ecoforestry, and is often used by college and university students as a site for field studies. Merve has been very generous in sharing his knowledge and experiences with others and over the years he has taken thousands of people through his forest.