Faces of Forestry is an initiative of the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) to highlight people doing great work to enhance our forests throughout British Columbia. This month, we feature Jennifer Erlendson, Operations Superintendent at Interfor.

Jennifer graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Forestry, majoring in Natural Resources Management from the University of British Columbia in 2000 and has been a Registered Professional Forester with the Forest Professionals of BC since 2002.

“When I was graduating from high school, I wanted to find a program that was science-based and allowed me to figure out potential employment opportunities after completing four years of university. I also enjoy being outdoors, so a career in forestry seemed like a good fit,” she recalled. “I could also work towards and earn a professional designation.”

For the last seven and a half years, she has been working at Interfor, starting at Adams Lake as a Harvesting Supervisor and then moving over to the Kootenay Woodlands to work in Nakusp as an Operations Superintendent. Currently, she is based out of the Grand Forks site with a new role as of last summer, working with the BC Interior woodlands team and focusing on environmental practices, certification standards, timber pricing and tenure requirements.

“I have a diverse array of topics that may fall on my desk on any given day, so I enjoy that about my job—it can range from forecasting stumpage rates (a fee that the company pays to the government for harvesting timber from Crown land) to reviewing company performance on annual allowable cut control levels to lobbying government on a proposed wildlife habitat area,” she explained.

Throughout her career, Jennifer has valued the positive teamwork, collaboration and problem-solving in forest management in order to find workable solutions that meet multiple objectives and interests on the land base.

While working for a major licensee, Jennifer has had opportunities to collaborate with FESBC and various organizations for better fibre utilization (maximizing the use of the full tree and reducing wood waste in the forest) and wildfire risk reduction. For example, she was involved with FESBC’s project to transport low-quality logs and residual fibre from the north end of Adams Lake all the way to the Domtar facility in Kamloops.

Jennifer has also seen the project completed around the community of Nakusp to reduce wildfire risk through fuel reduction treatments and thinning stands. She started volunteering with the Nakusp and Area Community Forest (NACFOR) Board of Directors in early 2023 and appreciates the opportunity to see forest management from a community governance perspective. 

For Jennifer, forests are valuable in many diverse forms, ranging from parks to explore to timber for building homes and furniture.  Managing forests sustainably is critical, so future generations can also enjoy these benefits. She expressed the importance of understanding the temporal aspect, as stands are dynamic and progress through stages over time, which include natural disturbances such as wildfires.

In addition, Jennifer is a Search and Rescue volunteer, where she is able to combine her interest in the outdoors, and the value of helping ensure everybody returns home safe.

Thank you, Jennifer, for your dedication to community safety and passion for managing British Columbia’s forests for generations to come.