Thomas George Wright has several hats in his wardrobe; academic, consultant, company Chief Forester and private woodlot owner/manager. He has worn each one with enthusiasm, dedication and conviction.
Malcolm Knapp, a long-time member of the Department and Faculty of Forestry at the University of British Columbia (UBe and first Registrar of the Association of British Columbia Professional Foresters (ABCPF)
He believes the first person in British Columbia to actually function as an 'industrial' forester in the modern sense was his UBC colleague Tom Wright, who was employed by Bloedel, Stewart & Welch Ltd. as a consulting forester in the summers of 1941, '42 and '43. Wright is careful to describe an industrial forester as a professional forester 'employed by industry rather than government who prescribes appropriate forest management practices to ensure sustained yield.' These included making forest inventories, devising appropriate fire protection schemes, calculating allowable annual cuts and planning for the reforestation of burnt or cutover lands.