On March 17, The Ubyssey pub­lished an article entitled “Pine beetle plagues forestry students” written by Ian Turner. I am pleased to see that forestry is­sues are making it to the pages of The Ubyssey. However, I am disappointed by the portrayal of the mountain pine beetle (MPB) epidemic, the use of a title incongruent with the content of the article and the misuse of quotes. Unfortunately, this results in confusion instead of offering readers insight into the issues and opportunities facing forestry students.

I would like to point out that it is specifically because of the MPB epidemic that I happen to find myself happily employed. I am looking forward to my second summer as a forestry technician working on the “Forests for To­morrow” reforestation program, a provincial program set up to respond to the MPB epidemic and seasonal wildfires. Far from “plaguing” me, the epidemic has led to meaningful summer employment and opportunities to think creatively and critically about how we manage forests within this province.

Based on my personal experi­ences, I think the title is off the mark. Furthermore, it fails to reflect the content of the article, which focuses on changing em­ployment opportunities for forest­ry students. These changes are the result of a number of variables, including the collapse of the US housing market, the global eco­nomic downturn, retirement of baby boomers and growing inter­est in alternative forest products and services, including bioenergy and carbon sequestration. The ar­ticle contains clear, direct quotes that plainly spell this out. The article says nothing about impacts that the MPB epidemic has had on forestry students.

Change is inevitable, and the education we receive in the UBC Faculty of Forestry positions us to respond dynamically. The range of pressing issues facing our society presents forestry students with the opportunity to develop progressive and innova­tive strategies for the steward­ship of our natural resources.

—Natalie Swift
BSc NRC, UBC Faculty of Forestry