Sam Coggins

Sam is a Registered Professional Forester with over 25 years’ experience in natural resource management. Originally from the UK, Sam has a technical diploma in forestry and woodland management, a bachelor’s degree in forest resources management, and a PhD in forestry from the University of British Columbia. His graduate work defined an approach to use multi-scale remotely sensed imagery to detect low-level mountain pine beetle infestations. After finishing graduate studies in 2011, Sam moved to Terrace and worked with First Nations, in environmental consulting, and was a sessional instructor at Northwest Community College (in the School of Exploration and Mining) and at the University of Northern British Columbia. Sam was the Director of Lands and Resources with Kitselas First Nation, he established a multi-disciplinary lands and resources department who managed Kitselas’ reserve lands and the Traditional Territory. In 2017, he moved to Victoria to work for the Forest Practices Board as the Director, Investigations.

Sam is now self-employed and lives in Smithers. In his spare time, Sam enjoys exploring the backroads of British Columbia on his adventure motorcycle, woodworking, staying active, and looking after his property in rural Smithers.