Yes I know its like 5 inch diameter maybe and like 15 feet tall and theres no wood there, but I did it. No a 10 inch bar on an electric chainsaw is not acceptable for what i would call a saw, Im just using what I got😭

We just happened to come into our dream property and it had one on it. It operated as one of the largest collections of diverse and rare conifers in the world for 30 years. Those folks retired and sold it to someone who let the property go after a bad accident for the last 5 years. We are hoping to pick up where the old folks left off but we literally know nothing about trees and I am struggling with where to even start?!

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Hey everyone,

I’ve been seriously considering taking the BCFTS course to become a certified faller in BC, but before I commit the time and money, I’m hoping to get some honest input from people who are actually working in the forestry industry.

My biggest concern is the current state of the BC forestry industry. With mills shutting down, logging operations slowing down, and the uncertainty surrounding the industry, I’m worried about spending the money to get certified only to find out there isn’t much work available, especially for someone with no experience.

I understand that falling is a demanding and potentially dangerous job, and I’m prepared to put in the work and learn. I’m not expecting to walk straight into a high-paying job, but I do want to know if there’s a realistic opportunity to build a career and find steady work.

For those of you working as fallers, contractors, or in other areas of BC forestry, I’d really appreciate your honest opinions.

A few questions I have:

Is there still decent demand for certified fallers in BC?

How difficult is it to get your foot in the door with no experience?

Are companies willing to hire newly certified fallers?

Is it realistic to find relatively steady work, or is it mostly seasonal and dependent on contracts?

Knowing what you know now, would you recommend getting into falling in 2026?

Thanks in advance to anyone willing to share their experience or advice.

I've been feeling this way for a while now and wondering if anyone else in the field feels the same way so thought I'd post it here. I've been a forester in public and private positions up and down the west coast for about 10 years, now in my 30's. Started inventory, lay out and moved into silv, now working entirely dealing with pre and post wildfire at WA DNR.

The coming challenge is enormous. I feel for you all in OR, CA, BC, and the rest of the west where fires are consuming all our forests and rangelands. Looking at black trees all day is not good for the heart. We're lucky in WA in a way that the worst of the climate and wildfire impacts haven't reached us yet. Our fire sizes are still relatively small (I am not saying this isn't affecting people's lives, I know it does) and severities are mixed mostly. But the response from our state and feds is so incredibly poor.

All the lip service to history of fire suppression and the need for fuel reduction but there is no real effort to reverse these trends. It starts with money of course, but then we need changes to the laws to allow prescribed burning like changes to clean air restrictions and liability insurance for burn bosses. We need changes to the market (or increased subsidies) for our small diameter trees and less desirable species. The FS is completely hamstrung by outdated management plans and laws restricting upper diameter limits among other things. TIMOS and REITs dominate the rest of our gated forests and can't manage past next quarters return. Things will burn and they'll plant it all back the same way. And the small push to incorporate Traditional Ecological Knowledge into our management (more lip service of course). Asking Native Americans to do the things they were brutally punished for doing 100 or more years ago is just embarrassing.

And I thought there was a housing crisis? Where are the subsidies for our logs? Why do people in Iowa get paid to grow corn but our forest owners don't? And then you see articles from people decrying the Canadian lumber market. Yes, trade is unfair, because they actually care about their market. You would think with all the lobbying those wood products groups do things would look different.

Coworkers and consultants seem to continue on like everything is going according to plan. We all have to keep stiff upper lips and do our best to manage our forests. Sorry, this is a long read but god dam it feels so miserable.