Ohio Forester Named One of Nation’s Top Four Tree Farm Inspectors
OutdoorHub 06.27.11
COLUMBUS, OH – Ashland County resident John Jolliff, the Ohio Tree Farm Committee’s 2011 Inspector of the Year, has been named among the top four tree farm inspectors in the United States, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Forestry.
John was recently awarded the American Tree Farm System (ATFS) 2011 North Central Region Inspector of the Year award (covering an 11-state region), making him eligible for consideration as the nation’s top tree farm inspector of 2011. The national winner will be announced in August at the National Tree Farmer Convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
This award recognizes a tree farm inspector who has done an outstanding job of interacting with landowners through inspections, certifications and public outreach.
“I am proud of John for his hard work and attention to details throughout the year inspecting many certified Tree Farms in addition to other private woodlands, creating management plans for sustainable woodlands, his dedication to the division’s Call-Before-You-Cut program, and conducting educational events for landowners,” said Mark Wilthew, service forestry coordinator for north central and north eastern Ohio.
“John is an outstanding service forester and I am pleased that the American Tree Farm System has recognized him in this way,” said Robert Boyles, chief of the Ohio Division of Forestry.
The ODNR Division of Forestry and the Ohio Forestry Association jointly sponsor the Ohio Tree Farm Committee, which is a state committee of the American Forest Foundation’s American Tree Farm System (ATFS).
Each fall the area chairs of the Ohio Tree Farm Committee are asked for nominations that are presented to the full Ohio Tree Farm Committee. The committee’s award is presented at the Tree Farm Luncheon at the Ohio Forestry Association Annual Meeting in the spring. The winning inspector is then considered for nomination for the ATFS Regional Inspector of the Year. Ohio is in the North Central Region that includes eleven states. Four regional winners are then candidates for the National Outstanding Inspecting Forester of the Year.
Past Inspectors of the Year include:
- 2000 Randy Clum, (’01Regional)
- 2001 Jim Elze, (’02 Regional)
- 2002 Harold Bower
- 2003 Jerry Williams
- 2004 Jeremy Scherf (’05 Regional)
- 2005 Dean Berry
- 2006 Bill Serbonich
- 2007 Joe Puperi
- 2008 Jerry Williams
- 2009 Cody Hacker
- 2010 Dean Berry (’10 Regional)
Throughout his career, John has been active in the Ohio Tree Farm Program, serving as the Area 1 Chair of the Ohio Tree Farm Committee in 2003-2006. He graduated from Colorado State University in 1992.
John works out of the ODNR Division of Forestry office in the Mohican-Memorial State Forest, and has been a service forester to landowners in north central Ohio for fourteen years. His project area covers Erie, Huron, Lorain, Medina, Richland, Ashland, Wayne and Holmes counties.
Ohio grows more acres of trees than corn and soybeans combined. The ODNR Division of Forestry works to promote the wise use and sustainable management of Ohio’s public and private woodlands. To learn more about Ohio’s woodlands, visit ohiodnr.com/forestry.
The ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR Web site at www.ohiodnr.com.
Contact:
Mark Wilthew, ODNR Division of Forestry
440. 632. 5299
Jason Fallon, ODNR Office of Communications
614. 265. 6842
