Green Horizons

A logging crew from East Perry Lumber Company has been recognized by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) as "Missouri Logger of the Year." This award recognizes a person or crew that practices sustainable forest management. East Perry's three-man crew consists of Tim Schmidt, Adam Hoehn and Ron Stelling.

2012 Loggers of the Year (l to r): Ron Stelling, Adam Hoehn, and Tim Schmidt

"The Missouri Logger of the Year award is our way of recognizing the great work of Missouri's best loggers," said MDC Forest Products Program Supervisor Jason Jensen. "Forests require management just like a garden, farm or herd of cattle. The key is to manage the forest in a way that ensures its future health and productivity. Adam, Ron and Tim have demonstrated their ability to manage our forests while ensuring the forest's future health."

The East Perry Lumber Company has been a family owned business since 1945.

"Providing high quality, professional logging services has always been a high priority for East Perry Lumber Company," said East Perry Procurement Manager Tommy Petzoldt. "The award really validates our commitment to hard work and quality that we've always practiced."

Petzoldt said quality, professional logging is in the best interest of the landowners the company works with, Missouri's future forests and the wildlife that live there. MDC Resource Forester Mike Keeley, said this ethic, combined with safe harvesting methods is what gained the crew the statewide honor. "I have witnessed this work first hand as East Perry's crew has worked on several MDC timber sales," Keeley said.

Award winners are chosen by professionals representing MDC, the Missouri Consulting Foresters Association and Missouri Forest Products Association (MFPA). Criteria includes good working relationships with landowners and foresters, minimal damage to remaining trees and resources, prevention of soil erosion, aesthetics of the site after harvesting, safe work performance and use of equipment, utilization of harvested trees, desire to address wildlife management concerns, and use of proper forest management techniques. The logger must have completed the Professional Timber Harvester's Training Program sponsored by MFPA and MDC.

Crader Distributing Company, headquartered in Marble Hill, the exclusive distributor of STIHL Outdoor Power Equipment in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Southern Illinois, sponsored the 2012 Logger Award program. STIHL donated a protective kit to each Regional Logger Award recipient and a new chainsaw to the State Logger of the Year.

For more information on this program, visit www.mdc.mo.gov.