Future of the Sector: Taylor Sprangers, RPF

Taylor Sprangers, RPF

Meet Taylor Sprangers, Registered Professional Forester (RPF). Just 31, he’s an Operations Engineer at Teal Jones leading parts of the Fraser Valley Operation including timber development in the Pitt Lake Logging Division. In this role, he supervises road building, bridge construction, engineering, and coordinating of other registered professionals. He works with archaeologists, geotechs, biologists, and professional engineers to ensure regulations are followed. Overseeing contractors, quality control, and supervision are all in a day’s work for him.

As the seasons change, so does Taylor’s responsibilities. He visits logging camps twice a week in the summer, overseeing timber development field work as well as inspecting the progress of road and bridge construction, ensuring plans are being properly implemented. In the fall, he ensures field work is completed, reviews field notes, and prepares and submits permits. When winter arrives, he’s budgeting and forecasting. And in early spring, he starts to plan for the following season.

Taylor started post secondary at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. He wanted to spend more time outdoors for his career, so he enrolled at UBC in the Faculty of Forestry where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Forestry with a major in Forest Operations. Taylor earned his RPF designation from the Association of BC Forest Professionals. He’s also encouraged and sponsored some of his colleagues at Teal Jones to earn their designations, something he’s incredibly proud of.

Taylor hopes to inspire young adults to join the industry: “Give it a shot — lots of companies are hiring so there’s no shortage of jobs. Although it can be difficult mentally and physically, there are great days that outweigh the challenging ones.” It’s a great opportunity to explore new areas of the province and do something outside your comfort zone.