Texas A&M Forest Service’s John Hawkins received the 2020
Forest Stewardship Program Field Forester Award from the USDA Forest Service in
Birmingham, Alabama today.
The award was presented at the Southern Group of State
Foresters Summer Meeting. The award recognizes a forester who has worked to
preserve, protect and enhance private forestlands through the Forest Stewardship
and Rural Forestry Assistance programs.
“The Forest Stewardship Program is a vital resource for
private landowners, who own approximately 86% of forested land in the South,”
said Scott Phillips, Southern Group of State Foresters (SGSF) Chair and
South Carolina State Forester. “It is important to recognize those who go above
and beyond, so SGSF is proud to have hosted the FSP award presentation to Mr.
Hawkins, who exemplifies a spirit of service to southern forest owners.”
Hawkins has spent his career assisting rural private
landowners in achieving sustainable management of their forestlands throughout
Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. As District Forester in New Boston, Texas, during
the past year, Hawkins has written 25 Forest Stewardship Plans on almost 3,492
acres, as well as provided 907 other assists to landowners. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hawkins
was able to find ways to continue providing conservation education programs and
assisting landowners with their forest management needs.
“It is truly an honor and a privilege for me to present the
Forest Stewardship Program Field Forester Award to John Hawkins with Texas A&M
Forest Service,” said Jan Davis, Deputy Regional Forester for USDA Forest
Service. “John has demonstrated exceptional leadership and innovation in
promoting Forest Stewardship Programs and providing rural forestry technical
assistance to landowners, communities, and the public. This award represents
yet another symbol of the partnership between the U.S. Forest Service and the
Southern Group of State Foresters working together to advance mutual priorities
and deliver services across all landscapes.”
Hawkins is active in the prescribed fire community and
serves a lead role in prescribed burning on most of the federal lands in his district.
These areas include Army Corp of Engineer properties, National Guard facilities
and other military instillations. He uses these burns to promote healthy and
sustainable ecosystems and to train local volunteer and agency firefighters.
“John personifies the word ‘service’ in Texas A&M Forest
Service and he will go out of his way to ensure landowners get the help they
need,” said Texas A&M Forest Service Stewardship Program Leader Shane
Harrington. “I couldn’t be more proud of the work John and his staff do and
this award is just a small thank you on behalf of the agency and landowners he
serves.”
For more information on the Forest Stewardship Program and
all the benefits stewardship provides, please visit https://texasforestinfo.tamu.edu/stewardship/values.
###