Diane Nicholls becomes the province’s newest chief forester, Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Minister Steve Thomson said today.

Thomson confirmed her appointment and promotion to assistant deputy minister at the Association of BC Forest Professionals Annual General Meeting. Nicholls, who is the province’s 17th chief forester, has been acting in the position since November 2014.

As chief forester, Nicholls is responsible for determining timber harvest levels for each timber supply area and tree farm licence in the province. Reporting to the deputy minister, she will also provide key strategic guidance and direction on forest stewardship to forestry practitioners in the ministry and industry.

She graduated from the University of British Columbia with a bachelor’s degree in science in forestry and is a registered professional forester. She has almost 30 years experience working in different capacities in the forest sector. She joined the B.C. government in 2006 as director of the then Forest Practices Branch and has held positions with increasing amounts of responsibility ever since.