NEWS RELEASE

USDA Forest Service

Pacific Southwest Region

1323 Club Drive, Vallejo, CA 94592

Forest Service and National Association of Forest Service Retirees logos linking to the Forest Service Regional News site.

Contacts: Darrel Kenops, National Association of Forest Service Retirees (208) 884-1076; John Heil, U.S. Forest Service (707) 562-9004

Pacific Southwest Regional Silviculturist is Recipient of John R. McGuire Award Landram leads effort which sets historic tree planting records

Photograph of Mike Landram.

Mike Landram

VALLEJO, Calif., Jan. 04, 2010—U.S. Forest Service Pacific Southwest Regional Silviculturist Mike Landram will be presented with the prestigious John R. McGuire Award on Sept. 9 during the National Forest Service Reunion at the Hilton Garden Inn in Missoula, Mont.

Landram led an effort which set historic tree planting records on the Plumas, San Bernardino and Los Padres National Forests by bringing in private sector partners, quality tree planting contractors including assistance by the National Arbor Day Foundation, National Forest Foundation and many volunteers and donations totaling $500,000.

His efforts also included establishing two carbon sequestration demonstration projects where over 117,000 trees were planted to mitigate up to 50,000 tons of carbon dioxide over their lifetime while also restoring a watershed important to the community of Quincy, Calif. This year 3.2 million tree seedlings were planted on more than 21,000 acres, of which 11,000 acres were in the Plumas National Forest with high survival rates.

Landram also laid the ground work so nearly 6 million tree seedlings will be planted on 38,000 acres in 2010. Plumas National Forest Silviculturalists Bill Smith, Ryan Tompkins and Janice Sangunitto and contracting officer Don Tinsley share in this recognition of timely teamwork, action and “can do” spirit.

The 2007 and 2008 catastrophic wildfires burned and denuded more than 120,000 acres in California. These efforts help these forested watersheds recover by helping to address climate change, carbon sequestration and assuring watershed and ecosystem recovery.

Looking forward, Landram is increasing the U.S. Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region reforestation program another 80 percent while overseeing new greenhouse construction at the Placerville (Calif.) Nursery.

“Mike demonstrated extraordinary leadership and innovation in implementing a timely post wildfire reforestation (tree planting) program following the devastating wildfires of 2007 and 2008,” said Regional Forester Randy Moore. “He truly represents the spirit of the John R. McGuire award.“

The National Association of Forest Service Retirees (NAFSR, www.fsx.org) will present the award, which honors the “can do” ethic where dedicated “on board” colleagues continue to find ways through complex processes, mobilizing public support to achieve outstanding results. To date the NAFSR has presented nine individual or group awards.

“It is particularly appropriate that the recipient of this year's John R. McGuire Award is Mike Landram of California's Pacific Southwest Region,” said George Leonard, Chair of the Board of Directors for the NAFSR. “Mike is being recognized for his efforts to respond to the growing needs for reforestation following the recent severe fire seasons in California. We recognize, as well, the reforestation accomplishments of the Plumas National Forest. Maintaining the productivity of the land is a basic statutory mission of the Forest Service. Retirees are concerned about the growing backlog of needed reforestation. We hope that the initiative that Mike Landram has shown will be emulated across the country.”

NAFSR is an independent, non–partisan, non–profit, private organization whose members believe in the U.S. Forest Service Mission. Members dedicated their careers to protecting, developing and managing the Nation's National Forest System lands and advising, researching and cooperating on natural resource matters throughout the United States and around the world.

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