Canfor - Forester - Planning and Site Manager

Introduction

There are hundreds of interesting jobs in the forest industry. One of these career paths is that of a forester. Foresters are the managers of our forests.A forester can work in many different types of jobs, from the bush to the boardroom.

Peter Baird is a forester who is a Planning and Site Manager. The responsibilities of this position include managing all of the forestry activities for Canfor in the Fort St. James area. Peter plans the harvest of 1 million cubic metres of wood and the planting of over three million trees every year!

Next: The Job

The Job

The Fort St. James working forest provides about 5% of the provincial timber harvest in BC. The forest is owned by the government, but managed by Canfor and other companies. The timber harvest here creates more than half of all the jobs in this town of 2,800 people and more than 300 of them are Canfor employees.

The Planning Manager has a very important job. Peter oversees the planning for all of the road building, logging, weeding, spacing and tree planting for Canfor's part of the working forest. This forest covers an area of approximately 400,000 hectares.

It's a real team effort to do the planning. Technicians and specialists gather information about trees, soil, wildlife, fish, and streams. All of this data is entered into a computer Geographic Information System (GIS) and associated databases. Peter and his co-workers will look at the data and make decisions about how and where to do the logging. They have to balance the needs of people for products, recreation and cultural heritage, along with habitat requirements for fish and wildlife.

To do this kind of planning means you need to communicate with lots of people and find out their needs or concerns. The mills, First Nations, Ministry of Forests, Ministry of Environment and local community groups all have a stake in how the forest is managed. Peter's plan has to accommodate all of these environmental and social needs.

Planning becomes more complicated every year. In the old days, it would take one company forester and a forester for the Ministry of Forests to sit down to discuss and decide a whole range of planning issues. Today the company forester would have to talk with a long list of Ministry personnel, as each now handles separate pieces of the Forest Practices Code. The code is so complex that the Fort St. James ministry office has more than 70 individuals! The company however only has 15 foresters and technicians and each one has to have a good working knowledge of the whole code and all the guidebooks.

Next: The Path

The Path

How did Peter end up as a planner in the complex world of forestry?

Peter always had a keen interest in the outdoors and recreation. He grew up on a farm with the bush as his backyard! Fishing, hunting and camping were an important part of his life. School however was not. "When I finished high school I wasn't interested in going to university...so I got a summer job and didn't really consider further education as a priority." Peter's parents had different ideas about that priority, so they offered to pay for a year at university to encourage him to give it a try.

Choosing what path to take for that year wasn't too difficult. Peter had been immersed in forestry through his life by the fact that he lived in a rural area, and that his father's work had a forestry connection. As a wildlife biologist, his Dad was often involved in forestry issues. Discussions around the house were often about forestry topics. Peter's own keen interest in the bush led the way to the forestry faculty and he never looked back.

To be a planning forester requires years of forestry expertise. Jobs gathering inventory data, working in a nursery, doing layout and surveys, supervising tree planters, to name just a few, all helped build a solid background in all aspects of forestry. A planner has to be a "big picture" thinker; shaping all the pieces of a complex puzzle together to form a sustainable picture! The results of the plan can be hundreds of years away!

Next: That’s Cool

That’s Cool

Forestry planning is complex, but some parts are really fun. Peter has logged lots of airtime in helicopters checking out timber quality and quantity, sensitive areas, road locations and wildlife habitat. Helicopter work gets you into some incredible areas, with a view of nature many people will never get to see!

What Peter thinks is cool about his job is seeing the whole renewable picture unfolding. From the first step of looking at a new area, through to the laying out of roads and harvest blocks, harvesting, planting and watching it grow. Seeing the complex plan of balancing resources turn into a program of sustainable actions is very satisfying! "This is especially the case when working for a company like Canfor which has such high forest management standards" says Peter.

Next: Yikes!

Yikes!

Working in the bush can be dangerous! Peter has had some close calls with some big animals.

Doing survey work deep in the woods, he and his partner ran into a cow moose and her two calves. Mama didn't like people near her babes so she charged after them. Peter shoved his partner up a tree and spent what seemed like forever running around and around a tree till the moose gave up and wandered off in search of her calves. At 800 pounds and almost 6 feet high at the shoulder that's one big angry mama!

Next: The Best

The Best

The best part of being a planning forester is the incredible people Peter gets to work with. People that are committed and dedicated to sustainable management. "It's very rewarding to work with a renewable resource, but the people involved are really special!"

Living in a small town, close to nature is a big bonus for Peter. Fort St. James is about 160 km Northwest of Prince George. This close knit community sits on the shores of beautiful Stuart Lake. "A great place for outdoor recreation and a good place to live" says Peter.

Next: Advice

Advice

Peter can't stress education enough! "Those years of school have been critical for me!" Peter had a terrible car accident 5 1/2 years ago and lost the use of his legs! "Without that degree behind me where would I have been?" Peter's education and experience proved to be valuable assets! His education gave him options! His awesome internal fortitude and the support of his family, friends, co-workers and employer, helped him surmount the obvious difficulty of being wheelchair-bound. However Peter feels that without the university degree it would have been extremely difficult to find any work, let alone a challenging career in an area you love!

Next: The Person

The Person

Peter spends the majority of his spare time enjoying in outdoor activities such as hunting, boating, fishing and training his dog (or vice-versa!). In addition to this active lifestyle, Peter is also an avid fan of most sports and follows many of them on his prized satellite dish. Peter also volunteers his time on several local forestry-related committees.

Next: Questions?

Questions?

If you have any questions about being a Planning and Site Manager send us an e-mail or visit the Professional Foresters web site at http://www.rpf-bc.org".

Return to Introduction

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	Introduction The Job The Path That’s Cool Yikes! The Best Advice The Person Questions?	Introduction There are hundreds of interesting jobs in the forest industry. One of these career paths is that of a forester. Foresters are the managers of our forests.A forester can work in many different types of jobs, from the bush to the boardroom. Peter Baird is a forester who is a Planning and Site Manager. The responsibilities of this position include managing all of the forestry activities for Canfor in the Fort St. James area. Peter plans the harvest of 1 million cubic metres of wood and the planting of over three million trees every year! Next: The Job The Job The Fort St. James working forest provides about 5% of the provincial timber harvest in BC. The forest is owned by the government, but managed by Canfor and other companies. The timber harvest here creates more than half of all the jobs in this town of 2,800 people and more than 300 of them are Canfor employees. The Planning Manager has a very important job. Peter oversees the planning for all of the road building, logging, weeding, spacing and tree planting for Canfor's part of the working forest. This forest covers an area of approximately 400,000 hectares. It's a real team effort to do the planning. Technicians and specialists gather information about trees, soil, wildlife, fish, and streams. All of this data is entered into a computer Geographic Information System (GIS) and associated databases. Peter and his co-workers will look at the data and make decisions about how and where to do the logging. They have to balance the needs of people for products, recreation and cultural heritage, along with habitat requirements for fish and wildlife. To do this kind of planning means you need to communicate with lots of people and find out their needs or concerns. The mills, First Nations, Ministry of Forests, Ministry of Environment and local community groups all have a stake in how the forest is managed. Peter's plan has to accommodate all of these environmental and social needs. Planning becomes more complicated every year. In the old days, it would take one company forester and a forester for the Ministry of Forests to sit down to discuss and decide a whole range of planning issues. Today the company forester would have to talk with a long list of Ministry personnel, as each now handles separate pieces of the Forest Practices Code. The code is so complex that the Fort St. James ministry office has more than 70 individuals! The company however only has 15 foresters and technicians and each one has to have a good working knowledge of the whole code and all the guidebooks. Next: The Path The Path How did Peter end up as a planner in the complex world of forestry? Peter always had a keen interest in the outdoors and recreation. He grew up on a farm with the bush as his backyard! Fishing, hunting and camping were an important part of his life. School however was not. "When I finished high school I wasn't interested in going to university...so I got a summer job and didn't really consider further education as a priority." Peter's parents had different ideas about that priority, so they offered to pay for a year at university to encourage him to give it a try. Choosing what path to take for that year wasn't too difficult. Peter had been immersed in forestry through his life by the fact that he lived in a rural area, and that his father's work had a forestry connection. As a wildlife biologist, his Dad was often involved in forestry issues. Discussions around the house were often about forestry topics. Peter's own keen interest in the bush led the way to the forestry faculty and he never looked back. To be a planning forester requires years of forestry expertise. Jobs gathering inventory data, working in a nursery, doing layout and surveys, supervising tree planters, to name just a few, all helped build a solid background in all aspects of forestry. A planner has to be a "big picture" thinker; shaping all the pieces of a complex puzzle together to form a sustainable picture! The results of the plan can be hundreds of years away! Next: That’s Cool That’s Cool Forestry planning is complex, but some parts are really fun. Peter has logged lots of airtime in helicopters checking out timber quality and quantity, sensitive areas, road locations and wildlife habitat. Helicopter work gets you into some incredible areas, with a view of nature many people will never get to see! What Peter thinks is cool about his job is seeing the whole renewable picture unfolding. From the first step of looking at a new area, through to the laying out of roads and harvest blocks, harvesting, planting and watching it grow. Seeing the complex plan of balancing resources turn into a program of sustainable actions is very satisfying! "This is especially the case when working for a company like Canfor which has such high forest management standards" says Peter. Next: Yikes! Yikes! Working in the bush can be dangerous! Peter has had some close calls with some big animals. Doing survey work deep in the woods, he and his partner ran into a cow moose and her two calves. Mama didn't like people near her babes so she charged after them. Peter shoved his partner up a tree and spent what seemed like forever running around and around a tree till the moose gave up and wandered off in search of her calves. At 800 pounds and almost 6 feet high at the shoulder that's one big angry mama! Next: The Best The Best The best part of being a planning forester is the incredible people Peter gets to work with. People that are committed and dedicated to sustainable management. "It's very rewarding to work with a renewable resource, but the people involved are really special!" Living in a small town, close to nature is a big bonus for Peter. Fort St. James is about 160 km Northwest of Prince George. This close knit community sits on the shores of beautiful Stuart Lake. "A great place for outdoor recreation and a good place to live" says Peter. Next: Advice Advice Peter can't stress education enough! "Those years of school have been critical for me!" Peter had a terrible car accident 5 1/2 years ago and lost the use of his legs! "Without that degree behind me where would I have been?" Peter's education and experience proved to be valuable assets! His education gave him options! His awesome internal fortitude and the support of his family, friends, co-workers and employer, helped him surmount the obvious difficulty of being wheelchair-bound. However Peter feels that without the university degree it would have been extremely difficult to find any work, let alone a challenging career in an area you love! Next: The Person The Person Peter spends the majority of his spare time enjoying in outdoor activities such as hunting, boating, fishing and training his dog (or vice-versa!). In addition to this active lifestyle, Peter is also an avid fan of most sports and follows many of them on his prized satellite dish. Peter also volunteers his time on several local forestry-related committees. Next: Questions? Questions? If you have any questions about being a Planning and Site Manager send us an e-mail or visit the Professional Foresters web site at http://www.rpf-bc.org". Return to Introduction