2019 SAF District 8 Award | Presidential Field Forester
Jeffery L. Pardue was awarded the Presidential Field Forester Award for District 8.
The Society of American Foresters honored one member from each of the 11 SAF voting districts with the Presidential Field Forester Award at the 2019 SAF National Convention in Louisville, Kentucky. The award recognizes foresters who have dedicated their professional careers to the application of forestry on the ground using sound, scientific methods and adaptive management strategies. These individuals have displayed uncommon talent, skill, and innovative methods to achieve a record of excellence in the application of forest management.
From a nomination letter written by W. Andrew Casey, ACF, CF:
I first met Jeff in 1984, when I was a forestry student at North Carolina State University. We were introduced by a mutual friend, and I soon found myself working on holidays hugging trees while Jeff tallied. That work turned into a summer job and then, following my graduation from NCSU, a full-time position as a forester. While my employment for Jeff only lasted a year or so, our friendship has continued.
We have been competitors for more than 20 years, with our own consulting forestry practices, and for most of that time, our offices have only been a few blocks apart. Even as a competitor, Jeff has always taken time to discuss a silvicultural concern or answer a question about the practical side of running a consulting business.
Jeff has been an active SAF member, both on the chapter and state level. He is a North Carolina Registered Forester, an SAF Certified Forester, and a member of the Association of Consulting Foresters.
Most important, Jeff has been working with private landowners to plan and implement forest management practices for almost 40 years. There is no more effective way to apply good forest management practices than one landowner at a time and one job at a time. For Jeff, that adds up to a whole lot of worn out boots, many thousands of acres of applied forestry, and many private landowners who have not only have well-managed forests, but also a much better understanding of their forests and the practical application of forestry.
