VANCOUVER — Wes Bieber, RPF, of Clearwater has been named the Association of BC Forest Professionals (ABCFP) Professional Forester of the Year.
The award was presented Feb. 22 during the ABCFP annual conference in Victoria.
Since 2008, Bieber has operated his own forestry consulting firm, Longfellows Natural Resource Management Solutions, in Clearwater. Nominations for Wes spoke extensively of his professionalism, his understanding of scope of practice, his high level of ethics, and his influence and support for new forest professionals.
The nominations also mentioned his willingness to speak to the public about forest practices; his planning for fuel management treatments in the District of Clearwater; and his encouragement of small tenures such as woodlots and community forests to adopt high levels of silviculture and forest management practices.
READ MORE: Meeting looks at fuel management program (Jan. 31, 2011)
READ MORE: Community forest seeks increase for annual cut (Jul. 29, 2012)
READ MORE: ABCFP seeking Forest Capital of B.C. nominations (Jul. 3, 2011)
“The ABCFP recognized Wes for his many years of public service and innovation through his dedication and expertise in pursuit of sound forest management practices. Wes’s achievements serve as an inspiration to our members who diligently and passionately work day in and day out to ensure B.C.’s forests are sustainably managed for future generations,” said Mauro Calabrese, RPF, RPBio, and ABCFP past president.
In addition to Bieber’s award the ABCFP presented five other awards to forest professionals from Victoria, Nelson, Houston, and Port McNeill.
Two individuals were also named as honorary members for their outstanding contributions to forestry and the profession.
Other award winners:
• Lorne Bedford, RPF, Victoria, Distinguished Forest Professional of the Year: Lorne Bedford is the manager of harvesting and silviculture practices with the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development where he has played an important role in the strategic and scientific work vital for seedlings to become the future timber supply.
• Walter Tymkow, RFT, LL, Houston, Forest Technologist of the Year: Walter Tymkow has worked in the forest sector for 38 years, the past 22 years with Canfor where he is responsible for managing all silviculture activities in Canfor’s Houston operating areas, including developing annual business plan targets and managing contractors that plant eight million seedlings in the Houston area.
• Erik Leslie, RPF, Nelson, Forest Innovation Award: Erik is the first winner of the ABCFP Forest Innovation Award. He manages the Harrop Procter Community Forest in the Kootenays where he has developed and implemented innovative ecosystem-based practices in the wildland urban interface, using carefully designed partial cutting to provide timber to the community forest mill, while protecting water and restoring ecological integrity.
• Kathy Hopkins, RPF, Victoria, Climate Change Innovator Award: Through her work for the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Kathy Hopkins has been instrumental in developing B.C.’s science, data and tools foundation and policy framework for climate change adaptation. Her work has provided the science-policy foundation for the Ministry as it incorporates climate change considerations into its daily business.
• Mike DesRochers, RPF, Port McNeill, Jim Rodney Memorial Volunteer of the Year Award: Mike is a practices forester with BC Timber Sales in Port McNeill, where he has been an outstanding volunteer with the ABCFP. He is a past member of the Professional Practice Committee, served on the Climate Change subcommittee; participated in the ABCFP Career Learning development workshop; and currently sponsors seven enrolled members.
The association also inducted Darlene Oman and Don Pigott as honorary members.
• Darlene Oman of Victoria is the director of corporate performance and communications for the Forest Practices Board, where she has worked for the past 20 years.
• Don Pigott, of Ladysmith, has dedicated his life to the advancement and improvement of silviculture in B.C. He is the founder of Yellow Point Propagation Ltd; he has a valued sense of history of the tree seed business and is a recognized expert in the field of cone collection, seed processing, seed production, tree improvement and forest regeneration.
