April-June, 2007
News from Missouri
Recently the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) requested from foresters across the state nominations for the MDC Logger-of-the-Year Award. There were several loggers nominated for the awards.
MDC awards one Regional Logger of the Year Award to each of the eight MDC regions. Out of the eight regional winners one winner is chosen for the MDC State Logger-of-the-Year Award.
This year five regional winners were chosen. These winners were Tom Heidlege, Southwest Region; Roger Whetstine, Northwest Region; Buster Logging, Northeast Region; Dustin Lindgren, Southeast Region; and Ron Tuttle, Ozark Region. Each of these loggers were awarded the MDC Regional Logger-of-the-Year Award based on the following criteria: how well they carried out low impact logging, how well they worked with landowners and foresters, they could not have had any recent history of problems dealing with landowners, they had to be practicing safe working habits, and they must have been through the Professional Timber Harvesters course and still be current with the training.
After the loggers were chosen for the Regional awards, a five person panel was formed to determine the MDC State Logger-of-the-Year winner. Ron Tuttle, Ozark Region winner, was chosen the State winner. Ron will be presented the MDC State Logger-of-the-Year Award at the Missouri Forest Products Association's summer meeting on July 28, 2007.
Ron Tuttle and his brothers, Gary and Don, have logged for most of their lives. They live in Shannon County near Summersville, MO. The Tuttle Logging crew was nominated by a Pioneer Forest forester and by a Missouri Department of Conservation forester. Each forester in their nomination explained that the Tuttle Logging crew really does an outstanding job taking care of the remaining trees on site. The foresters also explained how it was a pleasure to work with this crew and how they were willing to do what needed to be done to make the logging job a success.
I feel that there are many loggers in Missouri that do not get the recognition they deserve for doing a good job protecting the natural resources during timber harvesting. These awards were created to give these loggers the credit they deserved.
If you are looking for a buyer for your standing timber either give me a call or call your local forester. John Tuttle (573)522-4115, extension 3304.