George Graham has a long career as a hands-on forest manager, consultant, employer and business owner in Northern Ontario. The forest industry and delivery of forest practices and operations which support that industry are an important economic foundation for communities in the Great Clay Belt region. 

A Registered Professional Forester, George has lived and worked in Hearst for forty years. He graduated with a forestry degree from Lakehead University in 1978 and was recognized by the Ontario Professional Foresters Association (OPFA) for exemplary contributions to the practice in 2015.

The owner of Thunderhouse Forest Services Inc. since 1994, his team delivers forest management planning and technical services to the forest industry.  Through a major client, Hearst Forest Management Inc., George enjoys the challenge of his role as senior forester, working for a board that includes First Nations and communities. He authored and guided several forest management plans and has many years of experience working with government to deliver complicated and regulated practices on the ground.

George’s passion and experience is ensuring a future forest. He has extensive silvicultural experience both in planning and costing of future forests and 40 years in the tree planting business.  His firm has planted over 100 million trees.     

For 10 years his team delivered Forest Resource Inventories (FRI) for nine forests throughout Ontario. FRI is the building block on which the profession relies to plan forest sustainability.  His team conducted field sampling and used sophisticated photo interpretation technology to produce the data and maps required by Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources. 

Presently a member of the OPFA Crown Lands Forestry Committee, George also sits on the board of Nord-Aski Regional Economic Development Corporation, a Community Futures Development Corporation.  He was also on provincial teams with MNR and industry on Silvicultural Standards (1994) and Forest Management Planning Manual (1993-94), a member of the Ontario Lumber Manufacturers Association Forestry Committee (2002-2004), Northeast Regional Advisory Committee (2002-2004), and Hearst Forest Local Citizen’s Committee (1988 to present). 

George is stepping back from career work and looks forward to more time at his cottage, with family and contributing to Northern Policy Institute.