Garry Merkel

Garry Merkel is a Registered Professional Forester who served as the Co-Chair of the Old Growth Review Panel appointed by the Government of British Columbia. This panel conducted an extensive outreach process that received input from thousands of people across British Columbia and helped inform their final report, “A NEW FUTURE FOR OLD FORESTS, A Strategic Review of How British Columbia Manages its Old Forests Within its Ancient Ecosystems” (OGSR). Garry was asked to return as a member of a 5-person Old Growth Technical Advisory Panel responsible for conducting a technical analysis to identify deferral areas that met the criteria established in the OGSR Recommendation 6. Garry is now an independent mentor, coach, facilitator and advisor who supports the government, forest sector and ultimately the land sector of the province through this transition. Garry also has extensive foundation and program design and delivery experience as an inaugural board member of Forest Renewal BC, the Columbia Basin Trust and the Tahltan Heritage Trust. Garry is a member of the Tahltan Nation whose territory is the Stikine River Watershed in northwestern BC.