Local forester earns state recognition

Dale Peters was named Trust Lands Forester of the Year for 2018 in the state of Montana. Peters has been serving as Forest Management Supervisor on the Plains Unit since 2014. Peters earned this honor by supervising Plains Unit Foresters and the sale of almost 15 million board feet of salvage lumber that was affected by insects or fire damage. This lumber was divided into 12 different sales. 

Peters also serves the fire program as an engine boss and as a heavy equipment boss. He shares a passion for improving the Forest Management Program and positively impacting the people he works with. Over the years of his service, Peters has been noted to always keep a positive attitude and provide constructive criticism where it is needed. 

With issues of forest fire and salvage each year, the Plains Unit works hard to stay ahead of the curve with their timber sales. Peters and his staff plan out years in advance to ensure that there will always be timber volumes coming in to sell on a regular basis. This type of planning ahead is very beneficial to allow last minute adjustments and is helpful for the bidders as well.

Every year, foresters, scientists and managers conduct several activities to ensure the long-term sustainability of forested state trust lands. The purpose of these annual activities is to generate income, monitoring and improving practices, investing in future productivity of forested lands, and conserving numerous resources. The sale of forest products accounts for most of the revenue generated from the trust lands. The high standards set are based on biodiversity, sustainability and active management. 

The method of sales for forest products incorporates activities and expenses required for growth, harvest and sales from the trust lands. The correct permits are acquired and all the timber sales are analyzed and reviewed in the field by foresters and resource specialists to ensure that the sales comply with the current laws and policies.  

The forest improvement program uses the fees from the harvested timber to improve the health, productivity, and overall value of forested land. These fees are used for disposal of logging slash, reforestation, access, road maintenance necessary for harvest operations, any necessary procedures to improve the condition and potential for income of state forests, and compliance with the legal requirements associated with timber harvest.