Angela French

“Most people that get into forestry love the outdoors,” says Angela French of Salmo, British Columbia. Angela moved to the area from Abbotsford in 2013 for Selkirk College’s Forestry Program. Afterwards, she worked for a forestry consultant then at a local family-run mill for five years. …She is worried that the industry and governments are not focusing seriously enough on the immense challenges facing forests today, like increasing drought, wildfires, and damaging insects. …It was harder than Angela thought to make changes from within the industry, although she worked for a supportive, community-centred mill. …Angela thinks the forest industry brings many good things to her province. …In August, Angela was hired by the Creston Community Forest as a supervisor. “I love community forestry. It’s how all forestry should be conducted across the province and globally. It’s based on community-centric values,” says Angela.