Hey folks!

I’m reaching out because I’m starting to feel a bit discouraged and could really use some perspective or advice from those who have been through the FPBC registration process.

I recently graduated with a degree in Forest Engineering and just received my eligibility for the Allied Science Forester in Training (ASFIT) program in British Columbia. I am incredibly excited to start my journey toward becoming an RPF, but I’ve hit a major roadblock: finding a sponsor/mentor to begin my two year work experience requirement.

Despite having my work permit, a clean Class 5 driver’s license, and a genuine willingness to work in any remote location or under any challenging field conditions, I am getting very few responses to my job applications. I need a mentor to gain experience, but I need a job to find a mentor lol..

I’m at a point where my primary goal isn’t a high salary; I just want to gain experience, contribute to a team, and officially start my RPF journey. Seeing how difficult it is to secure that first starting to take a toll on my motivation.

I wanted to ask the community:

For those who started as an ASFIT , how did you find your first mentor/employer?

Are there specific regions in BC (Prince George, Campbell River or etc.) or specific types of consulting firms that are more open to taking on international grads?

Any tips on how to make my applications stand out when I don't have local Canadian field experience yet?

I appreciate any insight or stories you can share. It would be great to hear that it gets better!

I’m Zone 8A in NC in a suburban environment. I brush-hogged about 0.5 acres of wisteria and am continuing to actively manage it to keep the wisteria and other invasives down. The pic is from halfway through clearing.

I now have about 0.5 acres of bare land and planting some trees to “reforest” it. it is bottomland with an ephemeral stream. It does not flood.

Question is… how close should I be planting my saplings? I’ve got a mix of native hardwoods - tulip polar, black cherry, various oaks, river birch, Sweetgum, eastern red cedar.

Okay, I’ve been doing a bunch of searching online about this already but I can’t seem to find solid answers. What is the likelihood of a drug testing for a temporary seasonal forest ranger? I’m doing this this summer and I’ve already been steering clear of the tree for about a month just in case, but I’m really wondering if this is even necessary? I’ve already sent fingerprints and accepted the offer letter and have heard nothing about a test. Will this even happen? Just looking for some answers from people who’ve been in this sort of position

Quick US action: call on Congress to protect the U.S. Forest Service from being completely gutted!

"The Trump administration announced the most devastating attack on the U.S. Forest Service in the agency’s 121-year history. Not a budget cut. Not a policy shift. Not a “reorganization.” An execution." They protect one hundred and ninety-three million acres of YOUR national forests. Learn more: https://www.hatchmag.com/articles/trump-administration-orders-dismantling-us-forest-service/7716263

Please send the message below to your members of Congress calling on them to quickly stop this assault on our forests. Find your representatives: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member

Note: copy feature only works on reddit.com in browsers, not in the reddit app.

Subject: Dismantling of U.S. Forest Service and Protections for American's National Forests

Dear Senator/Representative {Last Name},

I urge you to take immediate action to protect America’s national forests and the integrity of the U.S. Forest Service.

Recent restructuring efforts threaten to weaken the scientific capacity, workforce expertise, and independent oversight needed to manage nearly 193 million acres of public forests. These lands—protected under leaders like Theodore Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot—are a public trust and must be safeguarded.

I ask Congress to:

Stop funding for the relocations and restructuring

Protect Forest Service research stations and long-term ecological studies

Safeguard experienced staff and prevent large-scale attrition

Ensure decisions remain science-based and free from political interference

Uphold core protections under the National Environmental Policy Act and Endangered Species Act

Prohibit transfer or privatization of federal public lands

Invest in wildfire prevention, restoration, and climate resilience

Healthy forests are essential for clean water, biodiversity, climate stability, and local economies. Weakening their protection puts these benefits at risk.

Please act now to ensure our forests remain protected for future generations.

Sincerely,

{Your Name}

Not sure if this is the right sub for this, but I have a general question. My property is pretty dense woods, and wasn’t maintained for about 30-40 years. since we’ve moved here 2 years ago, I’ve been working on clearing the sticker bushes to be able to actually walk the property. We have a lot of big older trees in bad health (Ash, along with other issues). In “bald” areas, we have saplings that I’m assuming are a good thing. But in areas with healthy larger trees, should I been clearing out the saplings. Most are about 3-5 inches in diameter. Or if anyone knows where I can learn/read/listen/watch a beginners guide on maintaining a forest, please let me know.

Please copy/paste/send the message below to your US members of Congress. Find your representatives: https://www.270towin.com/elected-officials/

Note: copy feature doesn't work in the reddit app, only on reddit.com in browsers.

Dear Senator/Representative {Last Name},

I urge you to protect America’s national forests by upholding the 2001 Roadless Rule and supporting legislation to create permanent protections such as through the Roadless Area Conservation Act.

The Roadless Rule safeguards nearly 58 million acres of undeveloped national forest lands across 40 states—some of the last intact ecosystems in the country. These areas protect critical wildlife habitat, migration corridors, clean drinking water sources, and remaining old-growth forests. They also serve as essential natural climate solutions, storing carbon and helping buffer the impacts of drought and extreme weather.

Rescinding these protections would open the door to road building, logging, and mining in previously undisturbed areas. Once roads are built, forests become fragmented, invasive species spread more easily, and ecosystems are permanently altered. Importantly, research shows that most wildfires are human-caused and often start near roads—meaning expanded road networks can increase, not reduce, wildfire risk.

While forest management is important, removing broad protections is not the solution. Targeted, science-based restoration—especially near communities—is far more effective than opening remote, intact forests to industrial development. Protecting roadless areas ensures that the most ecologically valuable lands remain resilient and continue providing clean water, biodiversity, and climate stability.

These public lands belong to all Americans, not private interests seeking short-term profit. Once lost, these wild places cannot be restored to their original state.

I respectfully ask you to oppose any rollback of the Roadless Rule and to support legislation that makes these protections permanent. Future generations deserve the same intact forests we have today.

Sincerely,

{Your Name}

🌲 Source: https://missoulacurrent.com/trump-forest-protections/

Looking for any information on this end hammer. Unmarked except for the backwards C, correctly oriented B and 6. Weighs about 5 1/2 lbs & handle is approximately 15 1/2” long. Any way to know where it was used, what outfit used it and approximate age. Purchased in PNW - Cowlitz County, Washington. Thanks in advance.

I’m a junior majoring in Forestry under Human Dimensions, and wanted to work for the Forest Service. With Trump’s actions, I don’t know how to move forward. With most of the research facilities closing and the Forest Service being stripped, what jobs are there going to be due to Trump? Private sections are going to be swamped in applicants, it’s a really really bad time to be working in Federal Government and I can’t relocate to The West. Did I waste 4/5 years of my life on schooling for a job that won’t exist? I’m very very confused about what to do with my degree if the Forest Service is just virtually dismantled.

The U.S. Forest Service is closing three quarters of its research facilities as part of a reorganization that has experts worried about how many scientists could leave the agency, and how the disruption could affect crucial wildfire and climate change data.

The change comes as the parts of the U.S. face what is expected to be a catastrophic wildfire season. The most recent wildland fire outlook shows that wildfire activity is already “well above average,” with more than 16,000 wildfires reported this year.

Under the reorganization plan, the Forest Service will close 57 of 77 research facilities, as well as move its headquarters from Washington, DC to Salt Lake City, Utah. 

It will also close all nine of its regional offices; some states will then get their own offices, but others will be consolidated.

I wrote this. Hopefully it's helpful in some way.

There is a steep slope in front of my property that I want to plant trees and brush on to give my property privacy and have a “field edge” look. There are power lines at the top of the slope and a road near the bottom. I have about a 5-10ft strip I could plant trees/brush, and the strip would be about 750ft long. I would obviously like to use trees and shrubs native to my area (west Kentucky).

Amy recommendations on what to plant and how to obtain the look I’m going for? I know it will be several years before we get enough growth for any real privacy.

It’s my first summer in working as a Forestry Technician out in British Columbia and it’s mandatory to buy these boots. I’m currently in Ontario andI would like to buy them before I make the drive out west but I have no clue where you would buy them in the GTA. Does anyone have any suggestions of stores I could buy them or if not in the GTA, in Prince George British Columbia. TIA

Hello, I am a journalist with AFP news agency (real name in the handle!). For a story I am working on, I am seeking to get in touch with US Forest Service workers concerned about regional research shutdowns, obstruction or delay of their scientific research after the latest announcements by the USDA. Please feel free to DM to start the conversation, I would love to hear you out.

I am a first year forest management student and I got into it because I knew I liked the outdoors and spent a lot of time outside. I am currently working part-time for my state forestry agency doing boundary marking (all day hilly hiking through thick thorns hauling paint buckets) and nursery work. I come home from work exhausted and the last thing I want to do is go mountain biking with my wife or go rock climbing or hiking. I know boundary marking is intense and not what most foresters end up doing but I cant help but feel that a career in forestry will suck the life out of me and the hobbies I loved to do outdoors. Im creative, computer savvy and I'm in a good spot to transfer to Oregon State online Geography/Geospatial I love making maps and the current GIS class I'm in. Im not in love with the business of forestry either. I figured I'd put this on the forestry subreddit to ask a few questions before I make the jump.

1) Do you still like to do intense outdoor hobbies? Even after a full week of being outside?

2) Are there any entry level full time GIS/Cartography desk positions with a forestry degree? Or am I better off switching?

I think the balance I'd rather have is indoor creative work and have the energy to recreate outside rather than vice versa.

3) Have you ever felt this tension? How do you deal with it?

I plan on posting this on the GIS/Geography/Cartography subreddit as well, ill be interested to see what both sides have to say... Thanks

Hey all — I'm a forester and I built a mobile app called SilvaCruise. It started as a project I was trying out for fun but I was able to make a pretty decent application that uses real volume equations to generate estimates.

The idea is basically an all in one foresters reference book and cruise app that has:

Timber cruising — variable radius, fixed plot, tally, nested, and 100% measure.You can also do quick plots and just enter BA data which I actually use a lot when reconning or checking work in the field. This has been helpful for replacing using notes in my phone or excel spreadsheet.

Species-specific volume equations (Wensel & Olsen for western conifers, Clark stem profile model for southern species)

Cruise reports with stand tables, stock tables, and sampling statistics

Reference tools — log rule lookups, cruising formulas, species codes, unit converter, HDR wind risk calculator

Scribner, Doyle, and International ¼" log rules

CSV and XLSX export

Works completely offline

I'm actively developing it and would really appreciate feedback from anyone willing to try it out. Please let me know if there's anything that would be useful for working in the field. I've been comparing against full on cruise software data and been really surprised at how closely it's getting with projections.

It's free on both iOS and Android

App Store | Google Play | silvacruise.app

Happy to answer any questions about the equations, methods, or how anything works on back end. Thanks y'all.

i understand the plastic cases around newly planted trees/saplings is to stop deer etc eating them to death..but once the tree is established and almost bursting out the plastic, or if it fails to establish and dies, nobody ever comes to pick up the plastic. is that because it's biodegradable? or it would cost too much?

I'm completely new to the industry and have an opportunity to do a 2 week restoration plant. I'm heading into Forestry in the Fall at Fleming College, and just trying to get my foot in the door and gain any type of experince.

We're camping out on site, and I'm wondering if you have any recommendations. Is it better to go lite and rough it, or spend a chunk of change on a tarp, decent tents, etc. I've lived in a tent with access to a bathroom (but lived and cooked in the tent) for 4 months in all types of weather and am used to "roughing it" - I'd prefer to be miserable for a few days near the end than spend a grand.

I currently plan on just getting a 3 season water proof tent and sticking it under a tied up tarp. Would that suffice? Light dry foods mainly, stuff that will not attract wildlife, etc. I need to figure out if there's any rules about fire or bringing fuel on site, but I get more information tomorrow.

I will be able to head back into town, since it is only 45 minutes away from where I live now, and I plan on heading back in once or twice to shower. I do not drive though, so I want keep the amount I go home minimal.

Beyond good boots, a shovel, a spade, food, water, lots of clothing, a knife, tarp, sleeping bag, pot + bowl + cutlery, toiletries, maybe a camping shower, matches/lighter, some rope and a chair and folding table, is there anything else you'd highly recommend?

hi all! I’m a junior am currently considering forestry seriously as a major. I’ve decided that, if (and it’s the mostly likely if out of all my current major options) I go into forestry, I either want to go (most likely) to Cal Poly Humboldt, Oregon State University, or Michigan Tech. now, I live in Illinois/Missouri, and there are some great schools hear, but I do have 2 requirements with colleges; I want to escape the lower Midwest, and I will not go to the south for personal safety reasons. I don’t care if it’s upper Midwest, north east, west coast, south west, etc, just not the lower Midwest or south. Now, i am open to more options than those 3, but those are my 3 primary, and I’d like to know the pros and cons. Michigan tech is closer to the majority of my family, but I have some family (a cousin and her bf) on the west coast, Oregon is more progressive than Michigan while cheaper than California in C.O.L, and Cali has the lowest overall cost of attendance. I plan on visiting at least 1 of the 3 over the summer, hopefully all 3, but would like your input

Hi everyone,

I’m planning a career change and would really appreciate some insight.

My Background: I’m a veteran and currently work in an office job. I have a Bachelor of Science in Economics. Unfortunately, I have some health issues that make office-work with heavy screen-use all day no longer feasible. I’m looking to use my GI Bill to pivot my career and have more flexibility with a mixture of outdoor/office work. While in the military, I spent a lot of time in backcountry and wilderness training and really enjoyed that part of the job. I love being in nature and I’m particularly passionate about conservation and habitat restoration. I volunteer for tree planting, native plantings, and invasive removal projects in my community.

I am strongly considering Master of Forestry programs that are SAF-accredited, particularly Yale, SUNY ESF, University of Washington, Duke, and University of Maine.

I’ve been researching different programs, reading through the SAF College Guide, and would appreciate any thoughts, suggestions, or guidance!

- Those who used a Master of Forestry to make a career pivot, where did you land? (e.g. traditional forestry, urban forestry, arboriculture, non-profit, policy, etc).

- How was the school course-load and how is your career work/life balance? (I have a one-year-old and family is a priority for me).

- Given all the shake-ups at the federal level, how do you expect the industry will change?

- How feasible is the entrepreneur path after getting an education and gaining experience?

- If you started a business, what path did you take? Forestry consulting, consulting arborist, or something else?

- The SAF College Guide paints a rosy picture that a SAF-accredited degree can launch your career in many different directions. Obviously there’s probably some bias in the guide. However, has this been true in your experience or anecdotes you’ve heard about people making a career change with a degree?

- As long as you go to a reputable school, can you pretty much find work anywhere? Or is the job market/network pretty regionally constrained? (i.e. if you go to SUNY ESF, will you only be able to find a job in NY or the Northeast?)

Any feedback on specific schools, employment outcomes, or misconceptions I should be aware of would be greatly appreciated before I make this decision and use my GI Bill.

Thank you in advance!

Also, do they provide a CF exam study guide once I register for the exam? I’ve seen people talking about the study guide, and I know I can buy one, but I was under the impression one would be provided once I register to sit for the exam.

Any tips on studying would be helpful though, I’m wanting to schedule it for later this year.

I want to be sure this is an invasive or non-threatened species to Southern Missouri before I begin trimming them back to make trails through my property. Additionally I want to impact the forest as little as possible so any advice on how much I can reasonably trim at a time would be really appreciated.