Ontario'due south forests.
Our responsibility.

Caring for Ontario'southward forests since 1957.

Photograph past: Marc Johnson

The Ontario Professional Foresters Association (OPFA) 
is committed to actively contributing to sustainable forest management by assuring the highest professional person standards of practice in forestry. OPFA carries out this mandate by: Advocating the highest standards of practice; Establishing and enforcing high standards of professionalism among members; Promoting competency and standing education among members; and enhancing public awareness about professional forestry.

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News & Events

News & Events

2022 OPFA Virtual Almanac Briefing and Annual Full general Meeting

The 2022 Virtual Annual Conference and AGM was held April 12 -14 and was a dandy success thanks to our organising team, the sponsors & exhibitors, speakers and of form everyone who attended!

The theme of this years conference was: Supporting Resilient Forests and Growing Trust

The recorded sessions are at present available on the virtual conference platform for those that registered for the briefing.

The 2023 Almanac Conference and AGM is being planned to be held in Peterborough as a hybrid briefing; with both in-person and virtual omnipresence options..

News & Events

COVID-nineteen update

Due to the electric current situation with COVID-xix, our physical OPFA office is airtight.

All the same our staff are working from home, and OPFA Members and the public tin can go along to contact us using phone and electronic mail.

Due to our virtual office system, we are able to continue to serve the public without any interruption and at that place are no additional changes in OPFA services to Members or the public.

News & Events

Update: Changes to the Professional Foresters Act

December xvi, 2021

Bill 13 Supporting People and Business Act, 2021 received royal assent on December 2, 2021 and the changes to the Professional Foresters Act therefore came into issue upon that engagement. These changes refine the telescopic of practice of professional person foresters and will permit the public to better sympathise their role.

Y'all can notice the changes on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario website: https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/parliament-42/session-2/bill-xiii.

View the updated Professional Foresters Act, 2000 here.

What are the benefits of these changes?

These changes include new definitions, rewording the scope of professional forestry, and clearer wording related to protecting the title used by professional foresters. The changes more clearly define professional forestry and reduce overlap with different occupations that as well work in forestry. Please note that the changes practise non include any changes to Regulation 145/01 ; that is there is no change to the occupations that are excluded.

  1. For the public: A clearer description of the scope of practice of a professional forester raises awareness of what a professional forester does, and means that the public volition be more informed when making inquiries or if they are filing a business organisation or complaint with the OPFA.
  2. For employers and landowners: Clearer definitions and scope of practice mean that employers and landowners volition accept a better agreement of when they would do good from hiring a professional forester.
  3. For OPFA Members: A clearer definition of what professional foresters exercise, with less overlap with other occupations that work in forestry, allows professional foresters to be secure in their role in the workplace. The changes also provide ameliorate championship protection and ensure that only professional person foresters may portray themselves equally such.
  4. For the OPFA: Clearer definitions and scope of practise, with less overlap with other professions working in forestry, and better title protection enable the OPFA to reply to inquiries and accost concerns and complaints more than effectively.

Next steps:

The OPFA looks frontwards to standing to interact with other professions and occupations that provide valuable environmental and business services to the people and employers in Ontario, in areas beyond changes to our governing regulations.

Photo by: Kandyd Szuba

What Foresters Practice

Registered Professional person Foresters (R.P.F.s) are responsible for serving the public interest by sustainably managing forests. R.P.F.southward form part of the professional forestry team responsible for planning and approving all activities related to forest management. They enable landowners to make decisions such as when, where and how to access, harvest and reforest areas. They as well ensure the protection of forest values including fish, wild animals, soil, carbon and water. They assistance protect human infrastructure such as utility corridors and treat and plan urban forests.

Practicing Forestry

OPFA has over 900 members of which approximately 600 are licensed to practice in Ontario today. Today's foresters pursue careers to ensure a good for you future for both people and the environment. Careers range from practical day to twenty-four hours management of our forests to conducting cutting-edge scientific research in a variety of forestry related disciplines. Traditional forestry careers have included wood management to encounter multiple objectives such equally protecting biodiversity and producing forest products. Today professional person foresters work in urban forests, private woodlots and Crown land.

Become a Registered Professional Forester Today

OPFA is dedicated to regulating its members and ensuring the highest standards in the practice of professional person forestry, and in advancing the practise and sensation of the profession  for both public and privately endemic lands in the province of Ontario.

Membership in OPFA is open to anyone who has or is seeking a career in the forestry profession, during or after completion of a Bachelor of Scientific discipline in Forestry from an accredited  Canadian University or has equivalent academic qualifications.

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