DNR Announces 2004 Maryland Forest Service Awardees

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ANNAPOLIS — Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) State Forester Steven W. Koehn recently honored the dedication and professionalism of three employees of the Forest Service by presenting them with the 2004 Forest Service Awards.

The 2004 Forest Service Awardees are:

• Forester of the Year – Brian J. Stupak (Lusby, Md.) works in the Southern Region of Anne Arundel, Prince George’s and Calvert Counties;

• Ranger of the Year – P. Shannon Wolfe (Leonardtown, Md.) works in the Southern Region of St. Mary’s and Charles Counties;

• Employee of the Year – Ric Lillard (Clear Spring, Md.) works in the four counties of Western Maryland (Allegany, Frederick, Garrett and Washington).

“Congratulations to these 2004 award recipients for all of their outstanding contributions to managing, restoring and protecting Maryland’s forest and tree resources,” said Steven W. Koehn, State Forester and Director of the Maryland Forest Service. “Truly each one of these individuals is to be commended for an exceptional year of accomplishments in 2004!”

The recipients of these awards were nominated by their peers and colleagues, and then acted upon through a review and selection process conducted by members of the Forest Service Leadership Team. This peer-review process ensures that the awards are truly an endorsement of the outstanding contributions of these individuals to advancing the mission of the Forest Service.

For a full description of each award recipient’s accomplishments, please see the attached memo from the State Forester.
 

Memorandum

To: Forest Service Personnel
From: Steven W. Koehn, Director / State Forester
Subject: 2004 Forest Service Awards
Date: March 8, 2005

It is with a great deal of pleasure that I announce the recipients of the 2004 Maryland Forest Service Awards. These Awards were established to recognize the contributions of those individuals who have performed their duties in an outstanding manner, and have gone above and beyond expectations.

The recipients of these Awards were nominated by their peers and colleagues, and then acted upon through a review and selection process conducted by members of the Forest Service Leadership Team. This peer-review process ensures that these Awards are truly an endorsement of the outstanding contributions of these individuals to advancing the mission of the Forest Service.

Please join me in extending congratulations to our 2004 Award recipients (a few significant work accomplishments for 2004 are highlighted for each). We will arrange for the recipients to be formally recognized at the earliest possible convenience.

Forester of the Year – Brian J. Stupak

During 2004, Brian completed 30 Forest Stewardship Management Plans, 115 FCMA / WAP / Tree Farm Inspections, and coordinated all Southern Region CREP state land plantings re-establishing 10.3 acres/1.8 miles of riparian forest buffers. He also coordinated a 25 acre prescribed burn for wildlife habitat enhancement at the US Navy Greenbury Point facility as part of a long-term Cooperative Agreement, assisted with the Emerald Ash Borer eradication project in Prince George’s County, and served as an instructor for S-212, power saw operations, S-130/S-190, basic fire behavior/suppression, and S-270 basic Air Ops at Fire Camp. Additionally, he coordinated/assisted with three forestry field tours, one for landowners, one for government planning and zoning officials, and one for Brazilian students on an international exchange program. He also assisted with forest harvest layout and inventory for a 46-acre timber sale at Cedarville State Forest, and continued to deliver all FS programs in three counties in the Southern Region to assist in meeting workload demands created by workforce vacancies.

Ranger of the Year – P. Shannon Wolfe

During 2004, Shannon served as the Southern Region representative on the statewide Stewardship Plan Map Team, and was the individual responsible for developing the new Stewardship Plan GIS Map templates and the technical procedures for using the templates. He collected woodland field data and mapped information on 31 properties and more than 1,500 acres, completed 25 WAP inspections, created a database to track repeat offenders of open air burning laws, and assisted with two forest harvest/sales, one at Cedarville State Forest and one at Doncaster Demonstration Forest. Shannon also worked with three communities to involve them in the PLANT program, acquired FCA grant money to plant trees at an Elementary School, and presented the Tree City USA and PLANT Awards to the Base Commander at Patuxent Naval Air Station during their annual Earth Day ceremony. Additionally, he served as Crew Boss on one interagency fire assignment, completed his task book for Crew Representative, completed five advanced fire training S-courses, as well as instructed S-211 Portable Pumps at Fire Camp.

Employee of the Year – Ric Lillard

During 2004, Ric prepared a successful SFA Hazard Mitigation Grant to upgrade four Forest Service automated fire weather stations to GOES satellite technology. This technology will enable Maryland to provide fire weather data through WIMS for input into national weather products such as the national Fire Danger forecast maps that are used by fire agencies and the media in seeking current fire information. Ric also catalogued past fire history for the Green Ridge station and utilized state-of-the art fire software to produce the first (and currently the only) fire danger pocket card which serves as a reliable indicator for large fire potential in the Allegany County vicinity. Additionally, he successfully completed certification as a MFRI Instructor/Evaluator, allowing students taking DNR courses to receive MFRI credits, and utilized VFA funding to purchase and outfit every Western Region fire company with fire suppression handtools. Ric also assisted in the production of a new fireline construction video and has been instrumental in the development, training, and equipping of a volunteer fire crew in Washington County.

Once again, congratulations to these 2004 Award recipients for all of their outstanding contributions to managing, restoring, and protecting Maryland’s forest and tree resources. Truly each one of these individuals is to be commended for an exceptional year of accomplishments in 2004!!

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March 17, 2005

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 446,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 11 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov