Outstanding Landowner of the Year
Outstanding Landowner of the Year
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Outstanding Landowner of the Year
Outstanding Landowner of the Year
The landowner of the year award was developed to recognize outstanding stewardship of private forest lands. Landowners who actively implement forestry related activities including silviculture, insects and disease, fuels, BMPs and habitat enhancement on their lands, as well as promote landowner education/outreach and community service programs.
2024 Landowner of the Year
Jack and Celia Corson (Belle-Otte Ranch)
Garrett, WY
Jack and Celia (Bell-Otte Ranch) have been managing their forest resources for nearly 30 years now. Beginning with the implementation of fairly large scale forest products sales in the late 1990s due in part to a large Mountain Pine Beetle infestation in their lodgepole pine forests in the north Laramie Peak range. Through these forest product sales the landowners removed Mountain Pine Beetle infested and killed lodgepole pine trees, as well as implementation of commercial thinning and clearcutting of sawtimber size mature lodgepole pine stands. Jack and Celia have continued to manage their forest areas throughout the years implementing pre-commercial thinning, aspen enhancement and prescribed burn projects. Jack and Celia worked in conjunction with the Bureau of Land Management to implement a prescribed burn on Smith Mountain to improve forage, regenerate declining aspen stands and reduce wildland fuel loading. Recently, they have implemented aspen enhancement and lodgepole pine pre-commercial thinning projects on their property. The aspen enhancement projects were implemented in conjunction with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, with pre-commercial thinning projects being implemented mostly through the NRCS and Wyoming State Forestry Division landowner incentives programs. The landowners have been implementing these forest management sales and projects not only to improve forest health and reduce fuel loading on their property, but to encourage other forest landowners to participate in the programs to implement forest management projects on their properties. The ranch is presently working with Wyoming State Forestry Division to implement a Forest Products Sale on their property, as well as providing access to the State of Wyoming, Bureau of Land Management and possibly the Forest Service for implementation of forest product sales on their adjacent forested lands. The intent is to sell and implement forest products sales on all ownerships at the same time to minimize more long term impacts to access roads, as well as implement management across a more landscape scale in these drainages to increase forest health, reduce available wildland fuels, improve wildlife habitat, as well as increasing water availability.
Jack and Celia (Bell-Otte Ranch) and previous family members have been participating in the Forest Stewardship Program since their original Forest Stewardship Plan was completed in 1996. In 2019 Wyoming State Forestry Division started working with Jack & Celia to develop a Forest Stewardship/ Tree Farm Plan revision. Due to the large size and fragmentation of the land ownership in the area, it was determined that three separate “Management Unit” plans would be developed. The first “Flat Top Mountain Management Unit” Forest Stewardship/ Tree Farm Plan Revision” was completed in 2020, thus the landowners also became participants in the Tree Farm Program. The second “Forty Mile Peak/ Smith Mountain Management Unit” Forest Stewardship/ Tree Farm Plan Revision was completed in 2021. The third and final “North Laramie River Management Unit” Forest Stewardship Plan Revision in 2024. They are very diligent in trying to follow the forest management recommendations outlined in their management unit plans and work closely with Wyoming State Forestry Division personnel to make sure projects are lined out and implemented.
Jack and Celia have a long track record of implementing forest management practices on their property. They lead by example and will make their property available for educational purposes and as demonstration areas for other landowners to view first hand various implemented forest management practices.
2023 Landowner of the Year
Marc and Nancy Nichols
Foxborough, WY
The Nichols purchased their 25 acre property in 1999. The forest had been severely high-graded previously so they set to work, starting with defensible space around the cabin they built. In 2018 they received a Forest Stewardship Plan and have completed timber stand improvement throughout their forested acres since. In 2020 the Mullen fire burned their entire property but the management that had occurred helped save their structures and almost all of their forest.
The Nichols' story was featured in the summer 2021 edition of Barnyards and Backyards.
CONTACT:
CONTACT:
Jonathan Sloan
Senior Resource Forester
307-941-0352
OR
Your Local WSFD District Office
2022 Landowner of the Year
Tim and Dawn Pexton (Saddleback Ranch, Inc.) received the 2022 award. They have been managing their forest resources for nearly 40 years, and received their first Forest Stewardship Plan in 1992. They are very diligent in trying to follow the forest management recommendations outlined in their management plan and work closely with Wyoming State Forestry Division personnel to make sure projects are lined out and implemented. Projects have included commercial harvest sales, as well as timber stand improvement, pre-commercial thinning, hazardous fuels reduction and aspen enhancement projects. Tim and Dawn have a long track record of not just implementing forest management practices on their property, but promoting forest management with other landowners. They lead by example and make their property available for educational purposes and as demonstration areas for other landowners to view first hand various implemented forest management practices.
2014 Wyoming Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year
2014 Wyoming Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year
On February 12, 2015 Charles Pearson was honored as 2014 Wyoming Tree Farmer of the Year. The award recognizes outstanding sustainable forest management on family owned woodlands. A tree farmer since 1992, Mr. Pearson, a third generation rancher, learned the value of forest stewardship from his father, who taught him that sustainable management would provide the family with income, lumber for buildings, corrals and fences and firewood to heat their home. Pearson is passing on the stewardship principal to the next two generations. Both his sons and grandchildren are active on the property and with forest management. Three generations of the Pearson family attended the ceremony.
2013 Wyoming Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year
2013 Wyoming Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year
While we all do our part to conserve our nation’s greatest asset, we are proud to honor individuals who go above and beyond in their commitment to responsible forest management. ATFS recognizes the superior stewardship of its members through the annual Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year recognition program. These landowners are recognized for their remarkable efforts to enhance and sustain their forests and for spreading the practice of sustainable forestry.The Wyoming Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year is chosen from the nominations submitted by the certified tree farm inspectors. On January 30, 2014 the Wyoming Tree Farm Committee honored Paul and LuAnn Jacobson as 2013 Wyoming Tree Farmers of the Year.
STIHL, Inc. is the exclusive sponsor for this award and the sole lightweight outdoor power equipment provider for ATFS.
2012 Wyoming Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year
2012 Wyoming Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year
On January 4, 2013 the Wyoming Tree Farm Committee honored Dick and Bernie Terry as 2012 Wyoming Tree Farmer of the Year. This award recognizes outstanding sustainable forest management on family owned woodlands. The Terry family was first certified twenty-one years ago and they are also recognized under the Forest Stewardship program. The family is committed to being good stewards of our natural resources as they practice sustainable forestry both on a personal level and professional level. Dick is an Assistant District Forester at Wyoming State Forestry Division as well as a Tree Farm inspector. Terry’s daughters, Juliann and Bailey are both in natural resource fields as well. Family forest owners like the Terry family exemplify how the American Tree Farm System grows stewardship from the roots.
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