At the West Boundary Community Forest (WBCF), we work together to ensure the decisions we make in our forest have the best interest of the community in mind. We view our community forest as a shared space, inviting diverse points of view for every decision. To us, people play a key role in the prosperity of the community forest and help build healthy communities.
This feature is our opportunity to amplify the voices of friends of the West Boundary Community Forest, those who help us ensure every project follows community values, goals, and objectives. Today we introduce Randy Trerise, owner of Trerise Forestry Consulting and a volunteer with WBCF, who has been dedicating time to enhance the community forest through his insight and hard work on the trails.
Randy Trerise moved to Midway from the Coast in the late 1970s. There, he and his wife raised two boys and lived for 20 years before first moving to Grand Forks, and
finally to Jewel Lake, where they run a
small forestry consulting business.
“I have worked in forestry in the Boundary for over 40 years. I went to the University of British Columbia to study geology, but I switched to forestry and never looked back. I did my degree there, worked on the Coast for a few years and then came to Midway, and have been in the Boundary area ever since,” said Randy, who is also a director on the Boundary Woodlot Association board.
Randy, who is secretary for the Jewel Lake Environmental Protection Society – a community-based group – has been volunteering for many years, helping maintain and restore the local recreational trails.
“The WBCF has a large area on the west side of Jewel Lake that is part of the community forest. The WBCF did a wildfire mitigation project to reduce fuel loading in that area and also did work on upgrading and adding to the recreational trails in the forest,” noted Randy.
“I've been installing our new trail map signs as well as signs that identify wetlands in order to protect the wetlands on and near the trails. I also do trail maintenance including cutting windfalls and brush and doing cleanup to make sure the trails are clear and as safe as possible.”
For Randy, the community forest has been an opportunity to stay involved in forestry, get out in nature, and be a part of decision-making for the betterment of the community.
“It is certainly a positive collaboration between the West Boundary Community Forest and the communities involved. The community forest creates important jobs and adds to the economics of our area while undertaking risk/fuel reduction projects. It also provides recreational opportunities and manages the forest sustainably for the betterment of the community,” noted Randy.
For Randy, the community forest has helped to create awareness of forest values, provided a healthy environment through educational and outdoor recreational opportunities, as well as proved it has the ability for the public and community to give input and learn about socially and environmentally responsible forestry.
“The values that the West Boundary Community Forest brings to the table are providing local employment and creating opportunities for people to get out and enjoy the forest. Obviously, there are important environmental values too – we have to take care of the ecosystem, the wildlife, the water and all the benefits that the forest provides to the well-being of our communities.”
Randy believes the Community Forest also allows the public to participate in the management of local forest resources with the hope that public participation will continue to grow and be reflected in the improved stewardship of the land and its resources.
Healthy Forests. Healthy Communities
