Learning about the mill
July 9, 2015 1:23 pm Leave your thoughts
This past two weeks I have talked to a lot of people about how the perceive forestry and with employees of various stations within the sector on how they feel about their jobs. I thought that I might try and discuss the opinions fielded, these are my interpretations of my discussions and what was said in them, so take them as you will. I hope to shed some light to those that read this, the few who do, and hope that you go forth and keep helping to make forestry better and stronger.
There are a few things I have noticed myself within the woodlands department that work really well, and other areas that could improve. First off, there is a dynamic group that make up the many parts of the woodlands team. There are older veterans that have been at the job for quite a few years who carry so much knowledge and experience and I can see that not all of that material is not being passed onto the fresh blood that gaining more and more responsibilities. The noobs don’t know what to ask ahead of time until there’s a matter that directs them to the questions they need. And the greybeards in the office are either so busy with their own work or assume that everyone else already knows what they have gained through centuries (ok, maybe a couple decades) of life experience. So I see this information gap that is hard to bridge but, if it is, it could allow the prevention or aversion of future issues that consume time and energy, resources that are finite and could be used more efficiently elsewhere.
I also see a need for improvement in the field technology and equipment. As demands for accuracy are getting tighter and tighter and the need for good, reliable stats on stands and area there should be a co-evolution of the field equipment used to gather that info and perform field tasks like block layout or river and stream mapping. If we’re using technology that fails often, or GPS units that map out your lines but jump back and forth 20 meters to either side of you while standing still, how can you get accurate and reliable data from that? It may be just that I am inept at using these really expensive paper weights, but in talking with a lot of people who use them, this opinion seems to be prevalent.
A friend of mine works in a government position dealing with harvest approvals and fire investigations. We had coffee the other day and I could not help myself and asked her what her perspectives were on foresters working in the mills that she dealt with, and what it was like to work in government. First off, she stated she was lucky to get in when she did as the hiring ‘frost’ started basically as soon as she was hired there. And she gets her own office, which is a rare thing now as more buildings and offices are going streamline and changing things for the better and putting everyone in cubicles. I don’t know how a cubicle is supposed to increase productivity, especially for a forester. Anyone who’s seen a forestry office has seen the plethora of reference books and stockpiles of maps that are required for the job; where are you supposed to put all of that in a cubicle? And what about the gear needed for the job, cruise vest, boots, helmet, shovel etc., etc.? All that in a say, 10×10 square with maybe one shelf. I can’t see that being a positive work environment.
Nextly, she and her coworkers are treated with disdain and contempt by some mills. There was an impression that just because they work for the province, that they are automatically going to take every chance that they get to criticize the mill’s plans, or operations and fine them every chance that they get. Which is not true. My friend has had a couple occasions where she was either not taken seriously for some reason or treated with outright hostility for doing her job, for making sure that the mills are following all of the rules; to protect the environment and for the mills protection. But not everyone sees it like that I guess. It’s like as soon as someone criticises one’s work, it instantly becomes a personal attack on the individual, especially if said person has been working in the field for a while.
So the summer planting has begun recently and Taylor and I were basically the senior representatives for the mill and were dealing directly with the planting contractor. A third party contractor was hired on to be a consultant and the go between the mill and the planting company. He has had lots of experience in forestry, harvesting and reclamation, but has never worked on a plant. To me, again this is my own humble opinion, but for a relatively complex operation with multiple locations and some helicopter access planning, one would think that he would have been either been brought in a week or two early and shown the ropes or have a more senior staff working alongside him to help him instead of having him show up for the start-up meeting and then say go, expecting everything to run smoothly. There was a lot of waiting at the start of the planting contract and of re-walking areas because the planters didn’t have enough of a head start to get trees in the ground.
Thanks for reading and take what I have said as you may, this is just one man’s small perspective on a very large world. If anyone has questions feel free to comment and we can discuss further on this or past weeks blog posts.
Cheers.