Presidents Message

"Welcome to the online home of the Model Forest of Newfoundland and Labrador.
As a representative of our Board of Directors, I’d like to acknowledge the spirit and energy of our partners in making the Model Forest what it is today.  The Model Forest is a network of partners with varying values.  They work from within a designed framework to truly impact sustainable forest management and economic development.

Our organization today forms two distinct services for our partners.  The first is a continuation of 15 years of forest and wildlife models, natural resource and socio-economic research, best management practices and communication and educational products and approaches.  The second service is the delivery of the national Forest Communities Program (FCP).

Forest based decisions that affect our citizens and communities both on a private and public level need to be supported by a multitude of stakeholders involved in the stewardship and economic utilization of our forests.  For rural communities especially, new and emerging forest-based industries will play a crucial role in the economic viability of sustaining their growth and prosperity.  Model Forest is engaging a select number of communities and working toward developing forest-based economic diversification models that can be applied in other areas of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Our vision for the future is fairly simple in concept but challenging in reality:
Resource-based rural communities that are equipped and empowered to be innovative in meeting opportunities and challenges of a healthy and changing forest sector.

We believe that achieving success will be based on the people and organizations that we engage and their willingness to venture outside their fields of comfort.  Thinking traditionally will not prove a worthwhile path to follow.  We need to challenge ourselves to try new approaches to community engagement, economic development, product and market research, opportunity investment and knowledge transfer.

We hope you find this site informative and useful.  If you still require further information, please call a member of our staff and we’ll be happy to assist in whatever capacity we can.   We ask you to keep coming back. As events and activities unfold, so will our content and features.  
Thanks for your interest."

Dr. Muhammad Nazir
Chairman, MFNL Board of Directors