Case Studies

FEATURED
CASE STUDY

Huu-ay-aht

Stanley
Park

Urban Forest
Canopy Cover

Clients

We have had the privilege of working on thousands of projects over the years with over 800 unique clients, ranging from governmental organizations to law firms to universities.

Canadian Federal Government

Your Subtitle Goes Here
L

Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada – Kamloops

Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada – Summerland

Canadian Forest Service

Department of Public Works & Gov Services

Gulf Islands National Park Reserve

National Research Council Canada

Natural Resources Canada

Pacific Agri-Food Research Station

Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative

Parks Canada Agency

Provincial and Territorial Governments

Your Subtitle Goes Here
L

Alberta Agriculture and Forestry

Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development

100 Mile House Forest District

BC Ministry of Environment & Climate Change Strategy

BC Ministry of Forests

BC Park

BC Parks and Conservation Officer Service

BC Parks Cariboo District

BC Parks North Fraser Area

BC Parks Omineca Region

BC Parks Prince George Region

BC Timber Sales Program

BC Timber Sales

BC Timber Sales Headquarters

BC Timber Sales Provincial Operations

BC Wildfire Services

Campbell River Forest District

Chilliwack Forest District – Rosedale

Chilliwack Natural Resource District

Forest Science, Planning and Practices Branch

Governance & Natural Resources Department

Minister of Forest

Minister of Forests – BC Wildfire Service

Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations

Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship

Ministry of Attorney General

Ministry of Environment

Ministry of Environment – 100 Mile House

Ministry of Environment – Cariboo Region

Ministry of Environment – Fort St. John

Ministry of Environment – Nanaimo

Ministry of Environment – Penticton

Ministry of Environment – Prince George

Ministry of Environment – Surrey

Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy

Ministry of Environment Terrestrial Ecosystem Information Management Services

Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks

Ministry of Forest, Lands and Natural Resource Operations

Ministry of Forests – Northern Interior Forest Region

Ministry of Forests – Protection

Ministry of Forests – South Island Natural Resource District

Ministry of Forests and Range

Ministry of Forests and Range – Arrow Boundary Forest District

Ministry of Forests and Range – Campbell River

Ministry of Forests and Range – Cascades Forest District

Ministry of Forests and Range – Coast Forest Region

Ministry of Forests and Range – Kamloops

Ministry of Forests and Range – Kamloops Forest District

Ministry of Forests and Range – Okanagan Shuswap Forest District

Ministry of Forests and Range – Sunshine Coast Forest District

Ministry of Forests and Range – Williams Lake

Ministry of Forests, Lands & Natural Resource Operations

Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations

Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development

Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development

Ministry of Land, Water & Resource Stewardship

Ministry of Transportation

Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure

Nadina Natural Resource District

North Island- Central Coast Natural Resource District

Quesnel Forest District

Robson Valley Forest District

Science Council of B.C.

Sea to Sky Natural Resource District

South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority

South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority (TransLink)

South Island Forest District

Squamish Forest District

The Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy

Thompson Rivers Forest District

Vancouver Forest Region

Government of Yukon (K-918)

Yukon Energy, Mines and Resources

Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board

US Government

Your Subtitle Goes Here
L

US Fish and Wildlife Services – Alaska Region

Regional and Municipal Governments

Your Subtitle Goes Here
L

Abbotsford Fire Rescue Service

Bowen Island Municipality

Capital Regional District

Capital Regional District – Regional Parks

Capital Regional District – Watershed Protection Division

Cariboo Regional District

City of Abbotsford

City of Coquitlam

City of Delta

City of Kelowna

City of Maple Ridge

City of Merritt

City of Mission/p>

City of Nanaimo

City of North Vancouver

City of Penticton

City of Port Alberni

City of Prince George

City of Revelstoke

City of Richmond

City of Surrey

City of Vancouver

City of Vancouver – Purchasing Dept., Board of Parks and Recreation

City of West Kelowna

Columbia Shuswap Regional District

Cowichan Valley Regional District

CRD Water

Creston Fire Rescue

District of Central Saanich

District of Elkford

District of Highlands

District of Kent

District of Kitimat

District of Lake Country

District of Lantzville

District of MacKenzie

District of Mackenzie Fire Department

District of North Saanich

District of North Vancouver

District of Sooke

District of Squamish

District of Taylor

District of Tofino

District of Wells

District of West Vancouver

Fraser Valley Regional District

Greater Vancouver Regional District

Maple Ridge Fire Department/p>

Metro Vancouver

Metro Vancouver Regional Parks

Metro Vancouver Watershed Protection

Nelson Fire Department

North Coast Regional District

Powell River Regional District

qathet Regional District

Regional District of Central Kootenay

Regional District of Central Okanagan

Regional District of East Kootenay

Regional District of Kootenay Boundary

Regional District of North Okanagan

Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen

Regional Municipality of Peel

Resort Municipality of Whistler

Sooke Fire Rescue Service

Squamish – Lillooet Regional District

Strathcona Regional District

The Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District

The City of Port Moody

The Corporation of Delta

The Corporation of the City of Fernie

The Corporation of the City of Fernie Fire and Rescue

The Corporation of The City of London

The Corporation of the City of Nelson

The Corporation Of The City of Rossland

The Corporation of the District of Saanich

The Corporation of the Town of Princeton

The Corporation of the Village of Valemount

The District of Clearwater

The Greater Vancouver Water District

The Regional District of Fraser-Fort George

The Village of Masset

The Village of Port Clements

The Village of Queen Charlotte

Town of Creston

Town of Oliver

Township of Langley

Union of B.C. Municipalities

View Royal Fire Department

Village of Anmore

Village of Belcarra

Village of Gold River

Village of Harrison Hot Springs

Village of Lytton

Village of Midway

Village of Nakusp

Village of Pemberton

First Nations

Your Subtitle Goes Here
L

Akis’qnuk First Nation

Blueberry River First Nations

Cowichan Tribes

Ehattesaht First Nation

First Nations’ Emergency Services Society of British Columbia

Gwawaenuk Tribe

Haida Enterprise Corporation

Haisla Nation Council

Hesquiaht First Nation

HFN Forestry LP

Huu-ay-aht First Nation

Huu-ay-aht First Nation Development Corporation

Huu-ay-aht First Nations

K’ómoks First Nation

Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k’tles7et’h’ First Nation

Ka:yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k’tles7et’h’ First Nations

Klahoose First Nation

Kluane First Nation

Kwanlin Dun First Nation

Kwiakah First Nation

Lil’wat Nation Land and Resources Department

Matsqui First Nation

Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation

N’Quatqua First Nation

Nanwakolas Council

Nupqu Development Corporation

Nuxalk Nation

Saulteau First Nations

Seabird Island Band

Splitrock Environmental

Squamish Nation, Emergency Planning and Response

Squamish Nation, Squamish Valley Operations

Stoney Nakoda Nations

Sts’ailes

Stuwix Resources Joint Venture

Stz’uminus First Nation

T’Sou-ke Nation

Taan Forest (Part of the HaiCo Group of Companies)

Thichum Forest Products

Tla’amin Nation

Toquaht Nation

Tsawwassen First Nation

Tseshaht First Nation

Uchucklesaht Tribe

Uchucklesaht Tribe Government

We Wai Kai Nation

Yinka Dene Economic Development Limited Partnership

Yuulu?il?ath First Nation

Educational Institutions

Your Subtitle Goes Here
L

British Columbia Institute of Technology

Bulkley Valley Research Centre

Capilano University

Hinton Training Centre

UBC Malcolm Knapp Research Forest

UBC/Alex Fraser Research Forest

University of Alberta

University of British Columbia

University of British Columbia – Institute for Resources and Environment

University of British Columbia Dept of Geography

University of Victoria

University of Victoria – Biol Dept

Non-government Organizations

Your Subtitle Goes Here
L

APEGBC

Association of BC Forest Professionals

British Columbia Community Forest Association

British Columbia Conservation Foundation

Burns Lake Community Forest Ltd.

Canadian Federation of Professional Foresters Associations

Cheakamus Community Forest

Coast Forest Conservation Initiative

Creston Valley Community Forest

Forest Practices Board

FPInnovations

Gambier Island Community Association

Harrop-Procter Watershed Protection Society

Little Prairie Community Forest

McBride Community Forest

Misty Isles Economic Development Society

Nakusp & Area Community Forest (2013) Inc

Nature Conservancy of Canada

Nature Trust of British Columbia

Nature United

Okanagan Region Wildlife Heritage Fund Society

Southern Interior Stockmen’s Association

Sunshine Coast Community Forest

The Islands Trust Fund

The Land Conservancy of British Columbia

The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Trust of British Columbia

The Truck Loggers Association

Wells Gray Community Forest Corporation

Western Forestry Contractors’ Association

Property Owners

Your Subtitle Goes Here
L

Iverson and MacKenzie

Keystone Wildlife

Lidstone, Young, Anderson

Forest Industry

Your Subtitle Goes Here
L

Aspen Planers Ltd.

Babine Forest Products

Bondar Forest Planning Inc.

C & C Wood Products Ltd.

Cabin Forestry Ltd.

Canadian Forest Products Coastal Operations

Canadian Forest Products Ltd.

Canoe Forest Products Limited

Cattermole Timber

Crumpit Woods Developments Squamish Ltd

Forestry Innovation Investment Ltd.

Husby Forest Products Ltd.

International Forest Products – Burnaby

International Forest Products – Hope

International Forest Products – Sechelt

International Forest Products Limited

International Forest Products Ltd.

Island Timberlands

Ledcor Forest Products Partnership

Let’s Plant Trees Ltd.

Princeton Standard Pellet Corporation

Richmond Plywood Corporation Limited

Riverside Forest Products Ltd.

Rocky Point Forest Services Ltd

SenseNet Inc.

Southern Interior Forestcraft Ltd

Sunpine Forest Products

Swanson Forestry Services

Teal Cedar Products Ltd

Terminal Forest Products Ltd.

The New Forest Woodland Inc

The Teal-Jones Group

TimberWest Forest Corp.

Tolko Industries Ltd

Watkins Sawmills

West Fraser Mills Ltd.

West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd.

Western Forest Products – Campbell River

Western Forest Products – Manager Environmental

Western Forest Products – Saanichton

Western Forest Products Inc.

Western Forest Products Inc. – Port McNeill Forest Operation

Western Forest Products Inc. – Queen Charlotte Forestry Operation

Western Forest Products Ltd. – Gold River Woodlands

Western Forest Products Ltd. – North Vancouver Island

Weyerhaeuser Company – Seattle

Weyerhaeuser Company Limited – Princeton Timberlands

Weyerhauser Company Ltd – Timberlands and Properties Division

Weyerhauser Company Ltd. – Nanaimo Woodlands

Weyerhauser Company Ltd. – North Island Timberlands Unit

Weyerhauser Company Ltd. West Island Timberlands Cameron Operations

Weyerhauser Company Ltd. West Island Timberlands Franklin Operation

Weyerhauser Company Ltd. West Island Timberlands Great Central Lake Operations

Williams Lake Plywood

Bioenergy Industry

Your Subtitle Goes Here
L

BC Bioenergy Network

First Bioenergy AB

TallOil Canada Inc.

U.S. EcoFuels, Inc.

Utilities and Power Producers

Your Subtitle Goes Here
L

Alterra Power Corp

ATCO Group

Barkerville Gold Mines Ltd.

BC Hydro

Bosa Development (Lynn Valley) Limited Partnership

CH2M HILL Energy Canada Ltd.

Choice Electrical Ltd.

Cloudworks Energy Inc.

Coeur Silvertip Holdings Ltd.

Colonial Coal Inc.

Creek Power Inc.

Elemental Energy

Innergex

Lhtako Energy Corporation

Narrows Inlet Limited Partnership

Plutonic Power Corporation

Teck Metals Ltd.

Teck Metals Ltd. (Kimberley)

Teck Resources Ltd. – Legacy Properties

Toba Montrose General Partnership

Consultants

Your Subtitle Goes Here
L

Acres International

Aether Environmental Education Ltd.

Alex Voth Design Consulting

Aplin & Martin Consultants Ltd.

Aplin Martin Consultants (Surrey Central Branch)

Atticus Financial Group

Atwell Contracting

Brinkman & Associates Reforestation Ltd.

Ebbwater Consulting Inc.

Ecofish Research Ltd.

Ecologic Consulting

EDI Environmental Consultants Inc.

ERA Ecosystem Restoration Associates Inc.

ERM

ERM Consultants Canada Ltd.

Fire Line Consulting

Forsite

Gage Forest Management Ltd.

HB Lanarc Consultants Ltd.

Hedberg and Associates Consulting Ltd.

Hedgehog Technologies

Horizon Engineering Inc.

J. Sunderland Consulting Ltd.

J.E. Anderson & Associates Ltd.

J.S. Thrower and Associates Ltd.

Jacobs Consultancy Canada Inc.

John Cathro, RPF

Knight Piesold Ltd.

Northwest Hydraulic Consultants Ltd.

Pacific Phytometric Consultants

PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP

Sage on Earth Consulting Ltd.

Snowline Ecological Research

Stantec

TERA Environmental Consultants

Tera Planning Ltd.

Tetra Tech Canada

The McElhanney Group Ltd.

Thurber Engineering Ltd.

Triton Environmental Consultants Ltd.

True Consulting

Urban Forestry & Environmental Services

Urban Systems

Westland Resources

Westrek Geotechnical Services Ltd.

WSP Canada Inc.

Legal Services

Your Subtitle Goes Here
L

Alexander, Holburn, Beaudin & Lang, LLP

Baker Newby LLP

Botterell & Company

Boyle & Company

Branch MacMaster LLP

Davis LLP

DLA Piper (Canada) LLP

Dolden Wallace Folick

Donovan & Company

Goepel Lawyers-Advocates

Guild Yule LLP

Hickling Harrison Law

Hunter Litigation Chambers Law Corporation

Lawson Lundell LLP

Nathanson, Schachter & Thompson LLP

Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP / S.E.N.C.R.L., s.r.l.

Owen Bird Law Corporation

Ratcliff and Company

Richard Buell Sutton

Robertson, Downe & Mullally

Rosenberg and Rosenberg

Russell J. Bailey, Associate Counsel

Watson Goepel Lawyers-Advocates

Whitelaw Twining Law Corporation

Risk Management Services

Your Subtitle Goes Here
L

Coast Claims Insurance Services

Coast Claims Service Ltd.

Properties and Development

Your Subtitle Goes Here
L

Afdon Contracting Ltd.

Ajia Canadian Building Systems Inc.

Apex Western Homes Ltd.

ARC Construction

Baker & Osland Appraisals Ltd.

Bayside Property Services Ltd.

BEL Contracting

Blackfish Homes Ltd.

Box Canyon Hydro Corporation

Brenric Construction Ltd.

British Pacific Properties Ltd.

ColyVan Pacific Real Estate Management Services Ltd.

Creo Stone Inc.

Creo West LP

Cressey Development Group

Design Studio 8 Modern Structures and Interior Design

GHD Ltd.

Grouse Mountain Resorts LP

Hasler Homes Ltd.

Hollyburn Properties

Hub Engineering Inc.

J.W.C. Construction Ltd./p>

Ketza Pacific Construction Ltd. 1993

MacDonald Commercial Real Estate Services Ltd.

McElhanney

Noort Homes

Northland Properties

On Side Restoration Services Ltd.

Pavilion Homes (AXIS) Inc.

Peter Kiewit Infrastructure Co.

Sage Construction Ltd.

Takaya Developments

The Capilano Estate

Twin Lions Contracting

Finance

Your Subtitle Goes Here
L

Intact Insurance Company

Victor Insurance Managers Inc.

Zurich Insurance Company Ltd.

Recreation & Tourism

Your Subtitle Goes Here
L

Barkerville Historic Town & Park

Brew Creek Centre

Gravity Logic Inc.

Northlands at Grouse, Limited Partnership

Sea To Sky Gondola

M

Thomas 
Corbett

BScF, LFR

Thomas joined Blackwell in October 2024 after graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Forestry from the University of British Columbia. Thomas’ previous work experiences include four years of tree planting in BC, consulting for Cathro Consulting, contract firefighting in Princeton, BC, and volunteer firefighting in Maharashtra, India.

Since joining Blackwell, Thomas has been involved in FireSmart assessments for homeowners on Bowen Island and has completed his training as a qualified Local FireSmart Representative. Moving forward, he will be a part of the firm’s fertilization team, participating in aerial forest health flights and landscape level fertilization plans and implementation in all phases from reconnaissance through operational planning, treatment supervision, quality assurance, and reporting.

Thomas is planning to register as a Forester-In-Training in the near future, working towards a Registered Professional Forester designation.

M

Joshua 
Sunderwald

BScF, DipTech, LFR

Joshua graduated from the University of British Columbia Forest Resource Management Program and joined B.A. Blackwell & Associates Ltd. in 2024. His previous experience includes a diploma in Forest Resource Technology from Vancouver Island University and 5 years of wildland firefighting with Alberta Wildfire.

Since joining Blackwell, Joshua has been involved with several Community Wildfire Resiliency Plans, fuel management prescriptions, prescribed burn planning, and assessments of Ministry-funded Crown Land Wildfire Risk Reduction (CL WRR) prescriptions and treatments. Involvement has included field data collection, such as wildfire threat assessments, qualitative and quantitative stand description, riparian assessments, and fuel typing; post-field data compilation; and spatial data organization. Additionally, Joshua is a certified Local Fire Representative and has conducted a number of FireSmart Assessments for the District of West Vancouver.

>Joshua is planning to register as a Forester-In-Training in the near future, working towards a Registered Professional Forester designation.

M

Matt
Day

DipTech For, SAS

Matt is an accredited silviculture surveyor with 33 years of experience working in the natural resource sector, including over 28 consecutive years focused on silviculture related field work in BC. Matt began his silviculture career working as a tree planter and taking part in other stand tending contracts outside of the tree planting season before becoming a crew foreman and camp supervisor responsible for the day-to-day field operations of silviculture crews working on various reforestation and stand tending projects.

Matt has extensive experience working with tree planting and manual brushing crews and has been involved in planning, logistics, hiring, training and quality control. Matt started carrying out silviculture surveys in 2003 and has since gained many years of experience working as a silviculture survey contract field supervisor, senior surveyor, and crew leader responsible for daily field operations including preparation, planning, logistics, training, and quality control. Matt is experienced in collecting data and completing compilations and prescriptions for a broad range of silviculture surveys and stand tending treatments for a variety of clients in both the public and private natural resource sectors.

Matt has worked with Community Forests, First Nations woodlands license holders, private industry licensees, BCTS, and MFLNRORD to carry out silviculture field work in numerous Forest Districts. Matt has conducted surveys in the Cariboo annually since 2016 with extensive experience conducting post-wildfire assessment in managed stands. Additionally, he has conducted post wildfire stocking and salvage surveys in unmanaged stands in the DQU under the Forests for Tomorrow (FFT) program, as well as post-wildfire stocking assessments and reforestation prescription and planting supervision in the Chilliwack District (2015-2016).

Matt has a long-standing working relationship with Blackwell, since 2012, including silviculture and wildfire management/rehabilitation project work under PwC recipient agreements.

M

Simon
Murray

B.A., RFT, ISA Certified Arborist, TRAQ

Simon is a Registered Forest Technologist with 34 years of forestry experience. He has extensive experience with forest management, project supervision and contract management. Prior to joining Blackwell in 2023, Simon provided professional consulting services ranging from preparation of site plans, stand management prescriptions, and forestry operations management, to tree risk assessments, forest health surveys, and tree health inspections.

Simon’s years of experience on the BC coast has given him expert knowledge of silviculture practices and coastal terrestrial ecology and a well-developed network of colleagues and contractors in the coastal forest industry. Recent urban forestry work for Blackwell has included extensive tree risk assessment (TRAQ) of hemlock looper impacted trees, layout, and arborist supervision of tree removals in Stanley Park; supervision of tree protection and removal related to mountain bike trail development on Grouse Mountain; and preparation of arborist reports and wildfire hazard assessments for new home construction as required by wildfire hazard Development Permit Area (DPA) bylaws and Building permits.

Simon has also completed tree risk assessments (TRAQ) and windthrow hazard assessments for a Streamside Protection and Enhancement Area in the City of Coquitlam including a prescription for tree removals and modifications. He is also a Riparian Areas Protection Regulation Qualified Professional.

M

Kasia 
Humphreys

BScF, LFR

Kasia joined Blackwell in June 2024 after graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Forestry Operation from UBC. She has had a number of years of relevant experience prior to joining Blackwell: she has trained and worked as a trail builder in the Kinbasket Region, funded by the Columbia Trust Basin; she was part of a unit crew with BC Wildfire Services in 2020; and, in 2021, she worked as a Silvicultural Assistant, which involved silviculture surveying and report writing for Northpac Forestry Ltd.

Kasia was also an intern for FP Innovations, on their Wildfire Operational Research team, in 2022. In this role, she was responsible for data collection and compilation with their Instand Microclimate project, and research block layout and data collection in Pelican Mountain, Alberta, and Fort Providence, Northwest Territories.

For Blackwell, Kasia has been involved with several Community Wildfire Resiliency Plans, fuel management prescriptions, prescribed burn planning, and assessments of Ministry-funded Crown Land Wildfire Risk Reduction (CL WRR) prescriptions and treatments. Involvement has included field data collection, such as wildfire threat assessments, qualitative and quantitative stand description, riparian assessments, and fuel typing; post-field data compilation; and spatial data organization. Additionally, Kasia is a certified Local Fire Representative and has conducted a number of FireSmart Assessments for the District of West Vancouver.

Kasia is planning to register as a Forester-In-Training in the near future, working towards a Registered Professional Forester designation.

M

Cait
van Vliet

B.A., DipTech, TFT, LFR

Cait joined Blackwell in May 2023 after completing a technical diploma from the Forest and Natural Areas Resource Management program at BCIT. Prior to joining the forestry sector, Cait earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from the University of Victoria.

Her previous forestry experiences include an internship at UBC’s Malcolm Knapp Research Forest, as well as field work for Infinity Pacific Stewardship Group. These experiences provided her opportunities in public education; silviculture surveying; field data collection and compilation; report development; harvest block design and layout; planting prescription development; site plan development; and fire plan preparation.

For Blackwell, Cait has been involved in the development of multiple fuel management prescriptions and Community Wildfire Resiliency Plans. She was also participated in field work for the fuel treatment assessments of the BCWS Crown Land Wildfire Risk Reduction program. These projects involved: field data collection, such as wildfire threat assessments, qualitative and quantitative stand description, riparian assessments, and fuel typing; post-field data compilation; spatial data organization; map preparation; and document drafting and finalization. Cait has applied experience in various phases of wildfire management, including pre- and post-treatment data collection, fuel typing, FireSmart compliance, access/egress and evacuation corridors, fuel treatment prescription development, structure vulnerability, plan production, and spatial data preparation.

Cait is qualified as a Local FireSmart Representative and currently enrolled with FPBC as a Trainee Forest Technologist, working towards her Registered Forest Technologist designation.

M

Esther
Dueling

DipTech, ISA-certified Arborist, TRAQ, LFR

Esther is an ISA-certified arborist and a graduate of BCIT’s Forest and Natural Areas Management program with three years of experience in urban forestry. Esther spent two seasons at the City of Coquitlam in the urban forestry department working on forest management and ecological restoration projects, including invasive species management.

Since joining Blackwell in 2023 as a Forest Technician, Esther has conducted arborist, wildfire hazard DPA and windfirming assessments for municipalities throughout the Lower Mainland, including tree risk assessments for the City of Coquitlam and arborist assessments for the District of North Vancouver.

Esther has also contributed to the Stanley Park hemlock looper response, including completing tree risk assessments, providing project management support, and site supervision. In addition to her urban forestry experience, Esther has completed field data collection, data compilation and analysis, and mapping and reporting for a range of fuels management projects, including post-treatment assessments and fuel management prescriptions. She also supports GIS activities for all Community Wildfire Resiliency Plans and fuel management projects, producing spatial data and maps and conducting spatial statistics.

In addition to her TRAQ credentials, Esther is qualified as a Local FireSmart Representative.

M

Marissa
Hallaway

BScF, RPF

Marissa joined Blackwell in May 2023 and is based on Vancouver Island. She is a Registered Professional Forester with the Forest Professionals of British Columbia and a graduate from UBC with a Bachelor of Science in Forest Resource Management.

Prior to joining Blackwell, Marissa gained over 10 years of forest industry experience with Western Forest Products/Tsawak-qin Forestry Limited Partnership in Port Alberni as a Silviculture Forester. This work involved site plan and cutblock development, silviculture surveys, planting and brushing project development and supervision, as well as higher level planning and landscape reserve designs.

At Blackwell, Marissa has been a part of the firm’s aerial forest fertilization programs on Vancouver Island and the Mid Coast. This has included helicopter assessments of areas to determine treatment suitability, conducting ground assessments to identify potential prescription areas and assisting with operational planning and implementation, including monitoring and supervising. This work also includes referrals with licensees, collaborating with Ministry staff and First Nation information sharing. She has also been involved in aerial surveys for the Ministry of Forests’ annual aerial overview forest health survey program in the Coast Region.

M

Max
Catt

BScF, FIT, LFR, TRAQ

Max joined Blackwell in May 2021, after graduating from UBC with a Bachelor of Science in Forest Resource Management. Max has over five years of forestry and parks experience. His previous experience includes forest development/environmental field assessments and layout; silviculture surveys in various locations throughout BC; and two seasons with Metro Vancouver Parks, including extensive public relations/education.

Max’s recent work at Blackwell has been focused on all aspects of fuel management and community wildfire resiliency including Community Wildfire Resiliency Plans (CWRP) for Sts’ailes and the District of Kitimat (plan development lead), Squamish Nation, Township of Langley, Village of Belcarra, City of Coquitlam, Strathcona Regional District Electoral Area D, Quadra Island, and We Wai Kai First Nation (plan development technical assistance). Max has completed the following tasks throughout CWRP document development: field data collection (wildfire threat assessments, fuel typing, fuel type change plots, identification of proposed treatment areas, and qualitative assessments regarding the seven FireSmart disciplines); document preparation; stakeholder and/or First Nations consultation; and GIS activities.

Max has also been involved in field data collection and compilation for several fuel management prescriptions, including the Village of Sayward, the City of Delta, and the Resort Municipality of Whistler, and prescription document development for the Village of Gold River, Klahoose First Nation, and Galiano Island. He has also been involved in operational supervision of fuel treatment implementation for the Resort Municipality of Whistler.

Max also has experience completing field work and extensive data collection for a large-scale multi-phase project on post-wildfire regeneration in Old Growth Management Areas. His wildfire-related experience is complemented by two seasons of operational forestry experience completing silviculture surveys, timber cruising, block layout, and riparian assessments in the Okanagan with Ntityix Resources LP (Westbank First Nation) and prior experience conducting block and road layout, stream assessments, silviculture surveys, and wildfire salvage layout throughout BC. He is also a Local FireSmart Representative and has conducted numerous Home Ignition Zone and Critical Infrastructure assessments.

Max has conducted silviculture surveys and forest development field work for Ntityix Resources in the Westbank First Nation Community Forest where he completed regeneration, free to grow, and stocking surveys for Quesnel. More recently, Max’s role in Blackwell also includes various urban forestry projects, involving tree risk and arborist assessments, project management support, and site supervision. He is a qualified tree risk assessor (TRAQ).

M

Brin
Farrell

BTech, DipTech, ASFIT, SAS, LFR

Brin joined Blackwell in June 2020, after graduating from BCIT with a Bachelor of Technology in GIS and a Technical Diploma in Forest and Natural Areas Management. During her technical diploma, Brin specialized in wildland and community fire management and community resource planning. Brin has a background in natural resource management and has five years of operational experience as a tree planter for numerous clients and forest tenures.

Through her work at Blackwell, Brin has gained experience in community wildfire management. She has led the development of multiple Community Wildfire Resiliency Plans (CWRP) / Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP) for local government clients throughout BC. Brin has experience in various phases of wildfire management, including pre- and post-treatment data collection, fuel typing, FireSmart compliance, access/egress and evacuation corridors, fuel treatment prescription development, structure vulnerability, plan production, and spatial data preparation. Brin is a Local FireSmart Representative certified through FireSmart BC.

As part of her community wildfire planning work, she has facilitated Community FireSmart Resiliency Committees and supported local government in all aspects of FireSmart program delivery, including FireSmart assessments, workshops, presentations, and funding application guidance. Brin supports GIS activities for all CWRP and fuel management projects, producing spatial data and maps and conducting spatial statistics. She has also managed and/or contributed to numerous fuel management prescriptions and two operational treatment projects. Brin played a leading role for a multi-year post-wildfire regeneration research project in coastal Old Growth Management Areas from 2020 to 2022.

Brin has training and skills in TIPSY. Her recent work at Blackwell is focused on silviculture surveys and wildfire risk reduction projects. She has also conducted permanent sample research plot measurements. Brin is an accredited silviculture surveyor and has completed survival, regen delay, and free growing surveys for BCTS. She has participated in all phases and activities from survey plots and rationales for block determinations/recommendations to survey report compilations and map development.

Brin is registered in the Allied Science Forester-in-Training program, working towards her designation as a Registered Professional Forester.

M

Emma
Law

DipTech, TFT, SAS

Emma graduated from the Forest and Natural Areas Management program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology in 2022 and joined Blackwell in June of 2022. She has previous experience as a summer intern at the Burns Lake Community Forest where she participated in the preparation and implementation of prescribed burn treatments in partnership with Dr. Sonja Leverkus of Northern Fire WoRx and the BC Wildfire Service. She was also involved in silvicultural surveys, site plans, block boundary layout, and the development of their Forest Stewardship Plan.

At Blackwell, Emma has been an integral part of the firm’s aerial forest fertilization program. This has included helicopter assessment of areas to determine treatment suitability, collecting field data, developing maps, generating prescription documents and supporting report writing. She has conducted ground assessments to identify potential prescription areas and assisted with operational planning and implementation, including water quality monitoring and supervising. She has also been involved in aerial surveys for the Ministry of Forests’ annual aerial overview forest health survey program in the Coast Region.

Emma is an Accredited Silviculture Surveyor. With Blackwell, she has several years of surveying experience, which has included western redcedar juvenile spacing surveys in the Arrowsmith TSA to identify potential candidate stands for treatment and survival, regen delay, and free growing surveys in the Shuswap Lake area.

Emma is currently a Trainee Forest Technologist working towards her Registered Forest Technologist designation.

M

Ali
Rahi

PhD Forestry, RPF, ISA Certified Arborist, TRAQ, WDTA, LFR

Ali has a PhD in Forestry and Soil Science from UBC and is a Registered Professional Forester, an ISA certified arborist, wildlife danger tree assessor (WDTA), and qualified tree risk assessor (TRAQ). Ali has worked for the Ministry of Natural Resources in Ontario as a forester and as an independent consultant on numerous projects across BC and Alberta.

Ali joined Blackwell in early 2020 and, since then, been involved in numerous tree risk assessment and windfirming and windthrow assessment projects across the Lower Mainland and in the Sea to Sky corridor. Project work has included tree inventories and tree risk assessments along the Resort Municipality of Whistler Valley Trail system, advanced tree risk assessment and windthrow assessment for the City of Coquitlam and ongoing arboriculture assessments for municipal and private clients. He has also conducted field assessments of hemlock looper infestation and associated tree risk in North Vancouver for Metro Vancouver (Lynn Headwaters Regional Park) and for the District of North Vancouver.

Most recently, Ali conducted survey design, detailed site / forest health evaluations, and TRAQ assessments for the Stanley Park Hemlock Looper impact and Wildfire Risk Assessment, an i-Tree Eco Analysis for the City of Colwood, BC. In addition to his urban forestry experience, Ali has contributed to a number of community wildfire plans and fuel management prescriptions. Ali is also a certified Local FireSmart Representative and has conducted multiple FireSmart home assessments for the District of West Vancouver and several fuel treatment prescriptions for municipal parks in the City of North Vancouver.

M

Jeff
Fisher

BScF, RPF

Jeff is an operations specialist at Blackwell with over 40 years of experience in forest management. With Blackwell, Jeff has planned and supervised various forestry and restoration operations throughout the Sea to Sky corridor and within Metro Vancouver, and performed wildfire hazard assessments for various property owners. Jeff has performed slash burning for woodlot licensees, a BCTS licensee, and private property owners, and facilitated and supervised fuel management prescription projects for N’Quatqua and other municipal clients.

Prior to joining Blackwell, Jeff was the President and Forestry Manager for Sqomish Forestry LP, overseeing all aspects of forest management for the Squamish First Nations-owned forestry and logging company. Jeff also spent 20 years with Interfor, where he supervised all facets of forest operations and planning in the Squamish area, including broadcast burning. Jeff was the previous President of the Sea to Sky Woodlot Association, member of the Spotted Owl BMP Working Group, and a forestry representative on the Sea to Sky Land and Resource Management Plan Public Planning Forum.

He also served as President/Board Chair of the Cheakamus Community Forest which is a partnership between the Squamish Nation, Lil’wat Nation, and Resort Municipality of Whistler. Through this work, he has planned and supervised forestry development, fuel treatment, and tree removals in urban interface and industrial forestry operating areas, including areas of high recreation value and public use in the Sea to Sky corridor. He has also facilitated numerous stakeholder engagement processes, including site visits, open houses, and meetings. Jeff has extensive experience in environmental and safety management systems. He supported Interfor’s process to achieve SFI and ISO 14001 certifications and developed a comprehensive safety program for Squamish.

Since joining Blackwell in 2021, he has played a key role in project management and site supervision of tree removal and fuel treatment contracts and has conducted and supported a variety of wildfire risk reduction project work. Jeff is intimately familiar with the range of considerations in planning, budgeting, and implementing projects in visually and environmentally sensitive urban interface areas, including measures to protect public safety, environmental, cultural and recreational values, and managing highly constrained work sites.

M

Rob
Sandberg

BScF, GDBA, RPF, ATE

Rob is a Registered Professional Forester, Accredited Timber Evaluator (ATE), and Licensed Scaler with over 30 years of experience in BC forestry. Rob has been an Associate at Blackwell since 2005.

From 2007-2010, Rob managed Blackwell’s 5-year Forests for Tomorrow (FFT) Recipient Agreement. Rob provided fiscal and professional leadership to a broad group of forest professionals and practitioners as the program developed. Under Rob’s leadership the program explored and implemented several innovative silviculture treatments for the rehabilitation of pine beetle impacted stands. This also included the development of unique survey standards, prescriptions, and the implantation of large planting projects. In addition to FFT, Rob also provided strategic advice and managed the original forest tenures for Tall Oil Canada Inc., as it developed its bioenergy business in the Chilcotin and BC central interior.

Rob has worked in a variety of senior management roles for major licensees on the BC coast and in the interior. In the past 12 years, Rob has been practicing forestry throughout coastal BC, primarily in the Fraser Valley and on Haida Gwaii. There, he was also responsible for the corporate silviculture programs of two large licensees. Using his extensive business skills and financial knowledge, Rob has also conducted timber and tenure valuations for private land owners, tenure holders and First Nations. Rob has acted as an expert witness in the BC Supreme Court with respect to private land timber valuation.

Since 2009, Rob has completed valuations in support of Huu-ay-aht First Nation and Nanwakolas Council for treaty land, tenure acquisitions, and other business affairs.

M

Tove
Pashkowski

BScF (Hons.), BA Econ., RPF, LFR

Tove is a Registered Professional Forester with over 15 years of experience with a focus in wildfire risk reduction, complemented by diverse experience in forest operations, silviculture surveys, arboriculture, and wildland fire suppression. She started working with Blackwell in 2009 and is based in Rossland, BC.

Since 2018, Tove has acted as a Wildfire Technical Advisor and subject matter expert for the Columbia Basin Trust’s Community Development and Wildfire Programs, as well as the Crown Land Wildfire Risk Reduction – Columbia Basin Economic Recovery Initiative and the Community Resiliency Investment Program – Columbia Basin Wildfire Resiliency Initiative (funding partnerships with BCWS and Ministry of Forests).

Further in the area of community wildfire resilience, Tove has extensive experience developing Community Wildfire Resiliency Plans and Community Wildfire Protection Plans, in multiple capacities, including project lead, technical advisor, and co-author. Tove has also developed numerous fuel management prescriptions in a wide range of ecosystems for municipal, First Nation, BC Wildfire Service, and industry clients in BC. She applied her technical expertise to develop a draft provincial fuel data and survey collection standard for BCWS in 2020. Tove also has extensive experience managing fuel treatment projects/programs (operational planning, fuel treatment prescription development and implementation supervision) including for the City of Rossland, City of Fernie, District of Elkford, City of Delta, District of North Vancouver, Town of Creston, as well as Kootenay Tri-Regional and Cariboo fuel management programs, Teck Metals private lands, and numerous other projects across BC.

In 2021, Tove developed a silvopasture pilot plan/multi-year program in collaboration with agricultural and livestock experts with the objective of fuel management. Through this diverse project work, Tove has engaged extensively with municipal clients and Ministry staff in all stages of wildfire management/risk reduction projects and conducted extensive consultation with First Nations, the public, land managers, and a wide range of stakeholders. She has provided advisory services to local governments, First Nations, non-profit societies, and community groups within the Columbia Basin and has demonstrated her ability to build relationships with diverse parties to support collaborative wildfire prevention.