Rory Thompson

Researcher

My career started in Peace River in 1972 on the timber management crew up the old Chinchaga Road where I continued to work in the summer while I finished high school and NAIT. I next worked in the Rocky Clearwater Forest on the Phase III crew (Alberta's Inventory System) in the summer while I finished University in Montana. Upon completing my education I spent a winter in Slave Lake before becoming a permanent employee in High Level were I stayed for 3 years planting trees, fighting fire and fighting bugs. I then moved to Lac La Biche as the Forester I/C for twelve years allocating timber, learning about public processes and of course fighting fire before moving back to Rocky Mountain House as the Forest Area Manager.

After 22 years in the field it was off to Edmonton as the Center Manager of Forest Management Planning, Genetics and Grazing. With the election came the standard reorganization of the Department, in which I was moved to head up the Land Use Planning Section. However, budget cuts came and so did the Land Use Planning Section. I worked for a year as the Senior Forestry Adviser to the Deputy Minister before moving into a secondment position with FERIC as a researcher in the winter of 2003.

In my career of 30 years to date I have been chased by black bears, stalked by a grizzly, crashed in helicopters, faced the disgruntled public, had to out run a fire or two and broke an ankle. I fished and hunted were ever I went, I have been a volunteer with Duck Unlimited for 20 years and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation for 7 years, became involved with 20 Century Fox on a major motion picture (The Edge), traveled throughout Canada, once to Mexico.

E-mail: Rory Thompson

Phone: (780) 914-7353