NEW YORK--Timberland investing has seen resurgence of late, coming to the North American market from a growing Chinese demand for lumber and investors discovering new opportunities in biomass and carbon credits.

“There are a lot of the environmental challenges we face right now with earthquakes and natural disasters that are going to have an impact, we also have to look at what’s going on with the cost of fuel that has been impacted by the unrest in the Middle East”

Gary Vitale, President of the North American Wholesale Lumber Association, will keynote at Finance IQ’s 9th North American Timberland Investment Summit on June 22-24 at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Vancouver, BC.

In a recent Finance IQ interview with Vitale, he was optimistic about the future of timberland trading despite the various environmental and economic challenges being currently faced. During the interview, he also focused on several environmental issues impacting the supply-side, including natural disasters and the attack of the pesky Mountain Pine Beetle.

“There are a lot of the environmental challenges we face right now with earthquakes and natural disasters that are going to have an impact, we also have to look at what’s going on with the cost of fuel that has been impacted by the unrest in the Middle East,” he said.

You can listen to the complete interview here.

Vitale will expand on these issues at his session, “Factors Affecting the North American Supply: Mountain Pine Beetle, Harvesting Trends, and the Health of the Supply Chain”. His session will review recent economic downturns, quantifying extent of harvest delays and forecasting the impact of regulatory changes.

Vitale will be part of an expert speaker faculty comprising of seasoned players in investments, forest management and government bodies including:

* Danielle DiMartino, Analyst, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
* Chung-Hong Fu, Managing Director, Timberland Investment Resources
* Jim Carle, Leader, Forest Management Team, FAO of the United Nations
* Liane Luke, Managing Director, Four Winds Capital Management.

View the brochure for the complete program.

For all media inquiries, interview requests, sponsorship opportunities, and conference details please use the following contact information.

SOURCE: Timberland