Article by Kathleen Preece, Minnesota Tree Farm
Every year the American Tree Farm System (ATFS) recognizes exceptional ATFS Inspectors with the Outstanding Inspector of the Year award program. This year, private consulting forester, Jan Bernu, was honored with the prestigious award on January 31 at the ATFS National Leadership Conference in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
The Tree Farm Inspector of the Year award is given out annually to one forester, among thousands of volunteer foresters who help close to a half million landowners across the country take care of their woods using Tree Farm’s Standards of Sustainability.
There are four Regional Outstanding Inspectors of the Year chosen annually – one from each of the ATFS regions (North East, Midwest, Southern, Western) that mirror the regional manager regions. The finalist is selected from these four regional finalists and is announced during the National Leadership Conference. That’s when Jan stepped up to the podium!
Jan works out of northeastern and central Minnesota where she established a private consulting firm: Two By Forestry. She assists private and public landowners with a myriad of services such as land, timber, and wildlife management planning recommendations; along with other general natural resource management planning focused on water quality, invasive species, and insect and disease assessments.
“The Minnesota State Tree Farm Committee nominated Jan for this award because she has exemplified commitment to family forest lands ‘above and beyond the call of duty,” said Brian Gulseth, chair of the Minnesota committee. He noted Jan’s deep commitment to the outreach work of the committee in addition to her passion for her own consulting business.
Jan is the first to argue that she is NOT an exception, but rather ranks herself among her many Minnesota colleagues who have found that “Tree Farm is such a great way to encourage landowners to be engaged in, and proud of their land and their management accomplishments.”
She wears her hopes and inspirations in her heart and in her speech:
“This award is for all of the hardworking foresters out there - past and present, men and women, and especially my female colleagues! It is for my hardworking landowners and especially the TFers and women landowners. It is for the young foresters-to-be, especially the girls. It goes out to my past teachers and college professors, who provided good education and great life lessons.
“My dream is to leave healthy woodlands for future generations; to encourage young women to take the path of forestry; to be a part of the Tree Farm system; to especially encourage women to engage in the sustainability of their lands through such networks as the Women’s Woodland Networks.
“Ultimately I want to continue to leave my little corner of the world a better place – one tree, one forest, and one Tree Farm at a time.”
The American Tree Farm System is a national network that provides community, recognition, and legacy for family forest landowners. They are active in 42 states. Certified family forests are natural or planted forests between 20 and 20,000 acres in size. They are sustainably managed for recreation, wildlife, water, and wood. To join Tree Farm, landowners develop a forest management plan and invite an inspecting forester to walk their woods with them to confirm eligibility and compliance with the ATFS standards of sustainability
From left to right: Luke Marcek, Maryland – 2023 Northeast Regional Inspector of the Year; Jan Bernu, Minnesota; – 2023 Midwest Regional Inspector of the Year and National Inspector of the Year; David Hibbs, Oregon- 2023 Western Regional Inspector of the Year; and Cathy Hardin, Florida- 2023 Southern Regional Inspector of the Year
If you liked reading this blog, consider supporting our network by clicking the link below.