Vancouver—Bob Craven, RPF, of Campbell River, was one of three forest professionals presented with Distinguished Forest Professional awards by the Association of BC Forest Professionals (ABCFP) at its annual forestry conference in Kamloops last week.
The Distinguished Forest Professional award recognizes members for outstanding contribution to the forestry profession and for furthering the principles of the Association of BC Forest Professionals.
“Bob’s career serves as an example of how integrity and commitment are key attributes necessary to achieving real and meaningful success in forestry and ensuring we are sustainably caring for BC’s forests for future generations,” said Morgan Kennah, RPF, and ABCFP president.
Craven was nominated for his contributions and commitment to the forestry profession, his colleagues, the public, First Nations, and all communities in which he has worked. He has been involved in various major legislative overhauls to improve forestry practices. He was an instrumental forest industry representative helping the province craft the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA) and working with numerous environmental organizations in the Great Bear Rainforest to reach a historical mutually supported agreement that was the foundation of the Great Bear Rainforest Order.
His high level of commitment and accomplishment was acknowledged when Craven was awarded the Premier’s Award in 2016 for “Promoting Innovation and Excellence for the Negotiation of Final Ecosystem Based Management in the Great Bear Rainforest”.
Craven, who recently retired from Interfor, is also a past ABCFP president. (Also in the Campbell River Now)
Other Winners of the Distinguished Forest Professional Award are Bill Waugh, RPF, of Bowser, and Carman Smith, RPF(Ret), of Barriere.
Bill Waugh, RPF, recently retired from Island Timberlands as the company’s Chief Forester, is described by his colleagues as a person with an ardent commitment to professional independence, a leader in the forestry profession, and someone that consistently balanced his responsibility to the public, his employer, the profession, and other members.
Carman Smith, RPF(Ret), is a woodlot owner/operator and former woodlands manager for Gilbert Smith Forest Products. Smith has contributed to forest policy development and land use planning in the Kamloops TSA, included Mountain Caribou Recovery Planning, the Kamloops TSA Land and Resource Management Plan, and technological advances in timber pricing, cruising and scaling.
Other award winners recognized by the ABCFP are: John Pousette, RPF, Prince George – Professional Forester of the Year; and Jim Mclean, RFT, Lone Bute – Forest Technologist of the Year.
The ABCFP Climate Change Innovator Award was presented to eight professionals who worked on the provincial climate-based seed transfer policy, a response designed to ensure that seed deployed matches current climate, and the climate anticipated over the next one-third of a rotation. The winners are: Brian Barber, RPF; Leslie McAuley, RFT; Diane Nicholls, RPF; Greg O’Neill, Ph.D., RPF; Jim Snetsinger, RPF; Margot Spence, RPF; Jack Woods, RPF; and Susan Zedel, P.Ag.
Bronwen Beedle, RPF(Ret), of Campbell River, and Jamie Skinner, RPF, from Kamloops, shared in the Jim Rodney Memorial Volunteer of the Year Award for their volunteer work with the ABCFP and within their communities. Rick Chester, a natural resource instructor at BCIT, was made an Honorary Member of the ABCFP for his many years of volunteer work with ABCFP education committees.
Congratulations to all the winners. Photos available on request.
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The Association of BC Forest Professionals is responsible for regulating BC’s 5,400 forest professionals. It is the largest professional forestry association in Canada.
For more information:
Dean Pelkey, Communications Director
Direct: 604-331-2321; E-mail: dpelkey@abcfp.ca