FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 19, 2019
District Forester Jason Ellis wins 2019 Forest Stewardship Forester Award
Jason Ellis, Jacksonville District Forester for Texas A&M Forest Service, was awarded the 2019 Forest Stewardship Forester Award by the USDA Forest Service Southern Region and the Southern Group of State Foresters. Throughout his career, Ellis has consistently excelled at helping rural, private landowners achieve sustainable management of their forested lands throughout his district.
“Jason is the obvious recipient of a stewardship award because he believes he owns each and every acre and, therefore, his advice and assistance starts with that in mind,” said Texas State Forester Tom Boggus.
This award is presented to a person who has made a significant contribution to the advancement of the Forest Stewardship and Rural Forestry Assistance Program in their state or across the landscapes of multiple states. The winner has demonstrated exceptional leadership in promoting forest stewardship and excellent service to landowners and the public, among other qualities.
Ellis is looked upon, both by the landowners he serves and his colleagues in the field, as a knowledgeable expert on the Forest Stewardship Program and an excellent practitioner of the principles he recommends. Not only does Ellis meet with landowners and offer them valuable technical assistance, he also provides them with a working demonstration of sustainable management on the I.D. Fairchild State Forest.
Ellis oversees the management of the I.D. Fairchild State Forest, comprised of 2,360 acres of mixed Shortleaf pine and hardwood forests, located in Cherokee County. While managing the forest, Ellis works tirelessly to maintain high-quality habitat for the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker, lead habitat restoration projects to reintroduce Eastern Wild Turkey and restore native Shortleaf pine habitat.
In the past year, Ellis successfully harvested a stand of timber and left a shelterwood of shortleaf pine to demonstrate successful natural regeneration to landowners. He also conducted tree planting, prescribed burns, mulching and herbicide applications throughout the forest to give landowners the opportunity to see different land management techniques to consider using on their properties.
When he’s not working on the state forest, Ellis takes pride in getting out and working with landowners on their private forestlands. He stands as the “go-to” expert within his three-county region and spends countless hours helping forest landowners manage their properties and reach their goals.
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Photo attached: Lynn Lewis, USFS Landowner Assistance Manager, Ken Arney, USDA Forest Service Regional Forester, R8, Jason Ellis, Texas A&M Forest Service District Forester, and Tom Boggus, Texas State Forester, attend the presentation ceremony at the annual Southern Group of State Foresters meeting in Franklin, Tennessee on Wednesday, June 19, 2019.
Contacts:
Shane Harrington, Program Leader, Texas A&M Forest Service, 979-485-6650, sharrington@tfs.tamu.edu
Texas A&M Forest Service Communications Office, 979-458-6606, newsmedia@tfs.tamu.edu