The following article, written by Brett Hanson, appeared in The Working Forest Newspaper on March 30th, 2012.

Forest technicians may be barred from practicing forestry in New Brunswick if proposed new legislation is accepted.

The New Brunswick Forest Technicians Association (NBFTA) is sounding the alarm over this proposed legislation. The legislation, drafted by the Association of Registered Professional Foresters of New Brunswick (ARPFNB) is  entitled ‘An Act to Incorporate the Association of Registered Professional Foresters of New Brunswick’ and is intended to define the profession of forestry, its accountability, and establish disciplinary procedures and offenses for violations. However, the document clearly states under “Right to Practice” that no person shall practice professional forestry unless registered as a Registered Professional Forester (RPF). It is this portion that has Gareth Davies, NBFTA President deeply troubled.‘

Davies says that this wording bars forest technicians from practicing forestry in the province. The NBFTA contends that this will not only have profound effects on forest technologists but the industry and province at large.

“This is the third attempt at bringing right to practice legislation to New Brunswick. The technician’s association has always been interested and involved in this process,” Davies said. “The NBFTA had a vote in our association in April 2011 to oppose the legislation and to discontinue our participation in it. The reasons for that being that both ourselves and the foresters association failed to get broad-based support for it in the forestry sector.”

You can read the rest of the article at http://www.workingforest.com/nb-forest-technicians-unhappy-proposed-legislation/