An Eagle In Flight now soars about Waters.
A carving on red cedar by Coast Salish artist Doug Horne was presented to Quesnel’s Alan Waters by the Association of BC Forest Professionals (ABCFP) during the organization’s Annual General Meeting. It was to recognize Waters as one of two 2022 Distinguished Forest Professionals. The presentation was made at the Prince George Civic & Convention Centre on Feb. 9 as part of ABCFP’s 75th annual convention.
The Distinguished Forest Professional award recognizes a registrant for outstanding contributions to the forestry profession over the course of their career.
“Alan’s career exemplifies his integrity and commitment to achieving real and meaningful success in forestry and ensuring we are sustainably caring for B.C.’s forests for future generations,” said Jamie Jeffreys, RPF, ABCFP’s incoming president.
“During his career, Al worked passionately to achieve forest management excellence as well as training and inspiring many trainee forest professionals.”
Waters graduated from UBC in 1978 with a BSF (Honours) degree, and won the Canadian Institute of Forestry gold medal.
It was said at the convention that “Waters was a consummate field silviculturist who consistently worked 15-hour days, walking every area he managed, completing field prescriptions and executing high standards of fire hazard abatement and reforestation on every cutblock. He perfected summer broadcast burning on thousands of hectares of north aspect devil’s club sites.”
Waters also established more than 40,000 hectares of free-growing stands by supervising the planting of 30-million seedlings, naturally regenerating pine stands to target densities, and executing almost every silviculture treatment imaginable.
Waters worked with the forest service as well, starting as a regional research forester and later in Victoria as a silviculture specialist, legislation forester, and leader of the Woodlot Licence Program.
In 2005, Waters formed a forest consulting corporation, purchased two woodlot licences, and conducted small-scale harvesting and silviculture treatments designed to maximize timber production.
The Association of BC Forest Professionals is responsible for registering and regulating the province’s 5,300 professional foresters and forest technologists.
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