Tree Farmers of the Year, Nov. 23

The Oregon Tree Farm System has announced that Lane County family forest landowners Dave and Dianne Rankin are Oregon’s 2016 Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year. The honor was celebrated at the organization’s annual awards luncheon held today at the World Forestry Center in Portland. Family forest landowners from five other Oregon counties were also honored at the event for their exceptional work in sustainably managing their family forestlands. Income, recreation, and fish and wildlife habitat are the forest management objectives that have guided the Rankins for the 43 years they have owned their 194 acres of forestlands located just south of Florence. In addition to managing their forests — a mix of Douglas-fir, western redcedar, western hemlock, Sitka spruce, red alder, and coastal redwood — the Rankins have enhanced the riparian area along the south slough of the Siuslaw River, improving both water quality and fish habitat. Dave and Dianne also actively promote sustainable forest management in their community. They host a Forest Field Day for sixth grade students from Siuslaw and Mapleton schools that focuses on forest ecology and hydrology, and they also provide Siuslaw School and the Habitat for Humanity ReStore with lumber from Rankin Woodlands. The other family forest landowners honored today for sustainable forest management on their forestlands are: * the Jack Thronson family (Clackamas County); * Nicholas and Megan Dahl (Lincoln County); * Joe and Shirley Holmberg (Linn County); * Mel and Wendy Mortensen (Washington County); * Susan Watkins and Arnie Hollander (Yamhill County). The American Tree Farm System had announced earlier this month that the recipients of last year’s Oregon award, the Defrees family from Baker County, have been selected as this year’s American Tree Farm System 2016 National Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year, and will be honored as recipients of this national award on Dec. 6 in Washington, D.C. This is the 50th year the Oregon Tree Farm System has recognized family forest landowners who provide an array of forest values and products through the management of their forestlands, as well as also actively promoting sustainable forest management in their communities. The American Tree Farm System and state chapters are internationally recognized forest certification programs operated by and for family forest landowners to promote sound forest management through education, recognition, and assistance. For more information on the Oregon Tree Farm System, visit www.otfs.org.