Cariboo-Prince George MP Dick Harris hosted a forum in Ottawa on Wednesday for fellow Conservative parliamentarians interested in forestry.
Harris invited UBC forestry professor Sally Aitken to talk about the diverse genetics in Canadian forests to an assembled group of the national forestry caucus. Aitken told the MPs about how genetics play an important role in everything from forest management to tree breeding.
"Research in this area is boosting the forest industry's bottom line and contributing to more than 56,000 jobs in this vital sector within B.C. communities," Harris said in a news release.
The event was held in collaboration with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.
Harris said it's important for MPs who represent areas where forestry is a major economic driver to keep current with the latest scientific advances in the field to ensure the industry continues to survive and thrive.
