The 2026 FPBC Forestry Conference & AGM opens with a timely and thoughtful plenary session, An Update from the Provincial Forestry Advisory Council: A New Model of Land Care for Stable Ecosystems, Communities, and Economies. This opening conversation brings together Shannon Janzen, RPF of Hypha Consulting and Garry Merkel (nadi’ denezā), PhD, RPF, from UBC’s Faculty of Forestry, moderated by Christine Gelowitz, RPF, CEO of Forest Professionals British Columbia. Framed as a fireside discussion, the session previews key themes from the Provincial Forestry Advisory Council’s forthcoming final report, including land governance reform, regional stewardship models, biodiversity and wildfire resilience, and long-term supply stability for communities and mills. The plenary sets the stage for the conference by exploring how ecosystem health and a resilient forest sector are deeply interconnected — and how new partnerships, structures, and tools can translate vision into on-the-ground action.