awards
forester of the year
William Horn is the 2009 Washington State Society of American Foresters Forester of the Year. In a continuing capacity to SAF over the years, Bill's attendance at chapter/state meetings and conferences is enviable and remarkable. Notably, he is ready to help in any way necessary without fuss or drawing attention to him. He steps forward and volunteers stating, "I can do that." Many remember the number of times and ways he contributed at the recent 2007 Portland national convention. His active engagement shows today in his valuable prospective as a forester and leader to the Washington State SAF Executive Committee as Member-at-Large. Bill is a critical part of WSSAF's efforts to reach out to the citizens of Washington State. He manages our booth at the Western Washington Fair (Puyallup Fair), a place where SAF's message reaches the urban population of the Seattle metropolitan area. It is the largest single attraction held annually in the state. Bill has been a proponent of the Certified Forester program and professionalism of SAF. He served on the national SAF Committee on Registration & Licensing, and the Washington State SAF Licensing Committee. He continues to advocate and mentor professionally.
The Forester of the Year Award is presented annually to a member of the Washington State Society selected to be recognized by his/her peers for contributing to both the profession and the public through application of his/her professional skills to the advancement of forestry in Washington and through public service that benefits his/her community or some larger segment of society. Past recipients.
Download nomination form here (pdf).
carl alwin schenck memorial award
Recognizes demonstrated and outstanding performance in the field of forestry education. Challenging and innovative forestry education is a founding principle of the Society of American Foresters and of the forestry profession. This award recognizes individuals whose educational efforts exemplify those of Carl A. Schenck, founder of the Biltmore Forestry School.
Richard A. Hopkins, the 2005 recipient, has been a full time faculty member in the Natural Resources Department, Technology Division at Green River Community College for the past 11 years. A caring and enthusiastic teacher, Hopkins is renowned for his tireless efforts to update and expand the Green River forestry curriculum and for dedicating himself to the success of his students. Fieldwork and field trips are two central components of his teaching and, thanks to his contacts at timber companies and natural resources organizations, he is able to provide his students with first-hand experience of forestry as it is practiced in the "real world."
Hopkins manages the college's 160-acre forest without compensation and guides his students in planning, implementing, contracting, and administering small harvest and road construction operations every other year. As adviser and faculty representative to the College's SAF student chapter, he has counseled his students on both academic and professional matters and pushes them to succeed by holding them to the program's motto: performance counts. He joined SAF in 1972.
chapter of the year
The Southwest Chapter is the 2009 WSSAF Chapter of the year. The Southwest Chapter has earned the Chapter of the Year award for their outstanding service to the community, fellow foresters, and the forestry profession. They sponsored and organized the WSSAF Legislative Breakfast, a forest field day in Pacific County, and created a scholarship for college students enrolled in forestry programs. In addition, they were the sponsoring chapter for the 2008 WSSAF Annual Meeting. Congratulations.