CANOPY Schedule
Below are working topics and confirmed speakers for 2026. Please check back for updates.
Keynote: Forestland Returns - Has the Calculus Changed?
Forestland has long been an attractive asset for institutional investors interested in reducing volatility in their portfolio, hedging against inflation, and generating predictable cash flows. More recently, the development of carbon markets and other non-timber values have added to forestland's appeal as a sustainable, nature-based investment. What's behind the surge in investor interest in this asset class, and have the fundamental drivers of return changed? To what degree are returns being driven by timber versus other values? Has the basic calculus of investing in forests changed, or do the fundamentals even matter anymore?
- Dave Walters, Vice President of Acquisitions and Business Development, Green Diamond Resource Company
Session: Softwood Lumber Outlook
How have US tariffs and other trade barriers impacted softwood lumber demand and manufacturing? What is the domestic outlook for softwood lumber in non-residential construction?
State of Tariffs, Impacts on Trade and Manufacturing
- John Cooney, Equity Research Analyst, ERA Forest Products Research
Opportunities for Softwood Lumber Outside of Traditional Market Segments
- Cees de Jager, President and CEO, Softwood Lumber Board
Session: Navigating Pulp Mill Closures - Impact on Timberland Investors and Development of New Markets
What factors are contributing to mill closures in the U.S. South, and what risks do they pose to the pulpwood sector, timberland investors, and forest management? What regulatory changes are required to spark reinvestment in pulp infrastructure? How can strategic alliances with non-timber industries, such as poultry and steel, create alternative markets for small-diameter wood?
Pulp Mill Closures and Risk Across the US for the Industry and Timberland Investors
- Amanda Lang, President and COO, Forisk Consulting
Regulatory Pathways and Policy Changes Needed to Drive Change and Investment in the US Pulp Sector
- Julie Landry, Vice President of Government Affairs, American Forest and Paper Association
Strategic Cross-Sector Alliances for Small Diameter Wood Markets
- Matthew Pelkki, Director of Arkansas Center for Forest Business, and Clippert Chair of Forestry at College of Forestry, Agriculture, and Natural Resources, University of Arkansas at Monticello
Session: Unlocking Investment Opportunities Across the Forest Economy
Momentum is building as venture capital firms, timberland managers, and mission-driven funders look to scale ideas that can strengthen markets, support rural communities, and drive sustainable growth. Emergent investment opportunities are particularly important to timberland investors as they grapple with challenging wood markets in the U.S. and Canada, especially for low-grade and small-diameter timber. This panel highlights examples of endeavors to scale early-stage ventures both within and beyond the forestry sector.
- Moderator: Trevor Cutsinger, Vice President of Natural Capital Solutions, U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities
- Kyle Welborn, Co-Founder and General Partner, Cultivation Capital
- Paul Young, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Conservation Resources
Session: Pricing and Demand for Voluntary Carbon Credits
Voluntary carbon markets remain dominated by a highly concentrated buyer base. Against this backdrop of lopsided demand, what is driving carbon pricing, and what does it mean for small and large forest owners looking to participate in the market? What forest carbon project attributes are most likely to command premium pricing? How can the carbon sector broaden both its buyer and supplier bases?
What Trends are Driving Market Demand, How are Prices Impacted, and What is the Carbon Price Outlook?
- Nicholas Baldwin, Vice President of Carbon Markets, MSCI
Implications for Forest Owners - What Forest Project Attributes Command Premium Pricing?
- Dylan Jenkins, Vice President of Commercial Operations, Finite Carbon
Session: Shared Stewardship in Action - Wildfire Risk Reduction Across Ownership Boundaries
Private and Tribal forest owners are working with the US Forest Service to proactively mitigate wildfire risk. How do Shared Stewardship Agreements work in the context of wildfire?
- Moderator: Dave Tenny, President and CEO, National Alliance of Forest Owners
Session: Climate-Smart Forestry - Action, Standard, or Branding?
Are "climate-smart" certification standards, climate risk frameworks, and investor mandates fundamentally changing forest management or simply improving reporting? What is driving demand for "climate-smart" forestry? Is climate risk reduction reflected in valuation and risk premia?
Call for Speakers
If you are interested in presenting or sitting on a panel at CANOPY 2026, please complete the form below.
