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James M. Kitz 1999 Award for Rob Davis
In 1995, the CIF/IFC created the James M. Kitz Award to recognize individuals who make outstanding contributions early in their profession. This award is named after a person who was a member of CIF/IFC and the Alberta Registered Professional Foresters Association. Jim Kitz made several outstanding contributions to forestry early in his career, but suffered a sudden and untimely death at age 36. This award recognizes the contributions made by Jim, both professionally and personally and is awarded to those who exemplify Jim’s approach to all aspects of life while making an outstanding contribution to forestry early in their career. We are pleased to have Jim's widow, Mrs. Connie Kitz here with us this evening to assist in presenting the award.
The recipient of the James M. Kitz award 1999 is Mr. Rob Davis.
Mr. Davis graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor Science in forestry with First Class Honours in 1987 and a Master of Science in Forestry with honours in 1991. In 1992, he began his career with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Rob's post-graduate thesis focused on a model Silviplan, where the Strategic Forest Management Model had its roots. Rob was hired by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources to work with the OMNR Forest Resource Assessment Project (FRAP) and to refine the SFMM to better reflect user needs and to improve SFMM's ease of use.
The 1990s brought many changes to the way Ontario's forests were managed and SFMM met these requirements. By 1997, all forest management plans used SFMM to complete their analysis. Rob continued refining SFMM based on suggestions and requests from users. Some of the most significant improvements were improved representations of the shelterwood and selection silvicultural systems. For Ontario's Lands for Life Land Use planning project, Rob further adapted SFMM to be able to be used with other analytical tools in order to predict impacts (forest condition, wood supply, wildlife habitat) from the creation of new Parks. Although developed for Ontario, SFMM is being used outside Ontario, primarily by consultants. Among these applications was a global wood supply study. As well, Michigan's Department of Natural Resources has purchased SFMM and has received training in its use. Rob is presently working with other analysts to integrate SFMM and Stanley a commercially available stand blocking and silviculture scheduling model. Through the SFMM-Stanley modeling hierarchy the spatial implications of strategic planning can be analyzed.
Rob is a member of the Ontario Provincial Forest Analysis Team and continues to refine SFMM for the needs of today's strategic planning. Rob's commitment to making a product that is adaptive and responsive to the needs of Forest Analysis has made SFMM the most prominent and most widely embraced model in Forest Management in Ontario today. Rob is also a member of the Ontario Professional Foresters Association.
As a former colleague of Jim's, I am most honoured to be able to present this award on behalf of the CIF/IFC with Mrs. Kitz to Rob Davis.
Presented by
Evelynne Wrangler, R.P.F President, CIF/IFC and Mrs. Connie Kitz
About the James M. Kitz Award
The CIF/IFC recognized that there are many individuals involved in forestry across Canada who are making outstanding contributions early in their profession. The award recognizes the contributions of those forest practitioners newer to the profession. It has the objective of encouraging excellence in the forestry profession.
This award is named the James M. Kitz Award, after a person who was a member of CIF/IFC and the Alberta Registered Professional Foresters Association. Jim made several outstanding contributions to forestry early in his career , but suffered a sudden and untimely death at age 36. This award recognized the contributions made by Jim, both professionally and personally and is awarded to those who exemplify Jim's approach to all aspects of life while making an outstanding contribution to forestry early in their career.
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Source |
CIF/IFC, October 4, 1999,
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