The ABCFP, in concert with other provincial professional associations through the Canadian Federation of Professional Forestry Associations (CFPFA), developed a new set of standards for the accreditation of university programs and the certification of candidates who apply for ABCFP membership. These standards have now been adopted nationally and will be used for evaluating competency of candidates for certification in the profession of forestry and for accrediting university forestry programs.

The old certification standards have been replaced with a new set of core competency standards. The new outcome-based process has been adopted with the purpose of:

• Allowing for more inclusivity and recognition of a broader range of forest practitioners;
• Providing ‘fairness’ in the system of entry to the forestry profession; or
• Encouraging innovation in education and training for forestry professionals.

Competencies for Foresters-in-Training (FIT)
If you have graduated from a forestry program accredited by the Canadian Forestry Accreditation Board (CFAB), you will generally not be required to do additional work (e.g. taking additional course work, etc) in any competency area during your enrolment period.

Competencies for Allied Science Foresters-in-Training (ASFIT)
If you have not graduated from a CFAB accredited program, your competencies must be assessed and you may be required to do additional work within certain competency areas. Core competency deficiencies may be addressed by completing accredited courses, on-the-job training, or, where available, through a qualifying exam set by the association. See the Registration Policy and the new Core Competency Standards (RPF Route) document for further details about the competency areas.

New ASFITs and those admitted from June 2009 onward who need to have their competencies assessed must go through the national assessment process. In 2011, one national assessment will be held. The assessment is planned for October 2011. After 2011, the assessments will generally be held twice a year, in the months of April and October. For further information on important dates please contact the registration department.

For more information and to secure a copy of the handbook for credential assessment through the national assessment process, please visit the Canadian Forestry Accreditation Board website.

ASFITs who were admitted under the previous ABCFP academic standards (16 standards) may continue completing their outstanding requirements following the standards or they may choose to complete the new core competency requirements. See the Registration Policy and the ABCFP Academic Standards document for further details about the subject areas and for additional information about appeals and reassessments under the old academic standards. Information on accredited courses is available from the ABCFP. You should contact the registration department () for this information prior to attending any courses.

Once your application for membership has been approved, you will be sent written notification by e-mail indicating whether you will be required to complete the core competency assessment process and/or other elements of the certification standards during your enrolment period. 

Competencies for Trainee Forest Technologists (TFT)
We have defined 15 core competency standards and four scope of practice competency standards necessary for applicants seeking to become Registered Forest Technologists (RFTs). For the most part, applicants seeking to become RFTs must have graduated from a two-year forest technology diploma program recognized by the ABCFP. This includes programs accredited by the Canadian Technology Accreditation Board (CTAB) and the ABCFP. The general rule is that if you have completed a CTAB/ABCFP accredited diploma in forestry, you have met the academic/core competency requirements. While this rule holds true in almost all cases, there are times when additional requirements are deemed necessary even though the program is CTAB accredited. Visit the Routes of Entry page for a list of accredited programs.

Competencies for Allied Science Trainee Forest Technologists (ASTFT)
If you have not graduated from a two-year forest technology program recognized by CTAB/ABCFP, your competencies will be assessed and you may be required to do additional work within certain competency areas. Core and scope of practice competency deficiencies may be addressed by completing accredited courses, on-the-job training, or, where available, through a qualifying exam set by the association. See the Registration Policy and the Core Competency Standards and Scope of Practice Competency Standards (RFT Route) document for further details.

Once your application for membership has been approved, you will be sent written notification by e-mail indicating whether you will be required to complete the core competency assessment process to determine what, if any, additional core competencies you may be required to meet during your enrolment period. 

Forms & Publications
ABCFP Academic Standards (previous standards)
Core Competency Standards (RPF Route)
Core Competency Standards and Scope of Practice Competency Standards (RFT Route)
Guidelines on Scope of Practice for Registered Forest Technologists
Registration Policy
National Certification Standard for the Practice of Forestry in Canada

Additional Resources
Work Experience
Registration Exam
Practice and Development

More Information
Contact the registration department for more information about core competency requirements. [more]

Some of the above documents are in PDF format. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view them. You can download Acrobat Reader here.