For the Tomahawk Leader
KESHENA – Two local leaders were recognized by the state chapter of their professional society, the Wisconsin Society of American Foresters (WISAF), at the annual statewide meeting banquet in Keshena, Wis., on Oct. 5.
Darrell Pierson, of Tomahawk, was honored with WISAF’s Michael W. King Memorial Field Forester of the Year award.
Jane Severt, of Merrill, was inducted into the Wisconsin Forestry Hall of Fame.
Pierson
The Michael W. King Memorial Field Forester of the Year award recognizes a SAF member from the state of Wisconsin for their outstanding contributions to applied field forestry, demonstrating a career dedicated to the application of forestry on the ground using sound scientific methods and adaptive management strategies.
Pierson, this year’s award recipient, recently retired as the Forest Operations Manager in the Woodlands Department at PCA’s Tomahawk mill, where he had worked in various capacities for 44 years.
Pierson used his depth of knowledge to help landowners and influence the growth of other foresters during his professional career.
Severt
Severt was nominated for the Wisconsin Forestry Hall of Fame by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP).
Severt’s professional forestry experiences include working as County Forester in Ashland County, County Forest Administrator in Ashland County, County Forest Administrator in Lincoln County and Executive Director for Wisconsin County Forests Association.
She is a member of the Society of American Foresters and the Forest History Association of Wisconsin.
During her tenure with Wisconsin County Forest Association (WCFA), Severt served as Vice-Chair of Wisconsin’s Council on Forestry, on the Board of Directors for Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association, on UWSP’s College of Natural Resources Forestry Faculty Advisory Committee, as a member of Sustainable Forestry Initiatve (SFI)’s State Implementation Committee, on the Board of Directors for Sustainable Resources Institute, on Wisconsin’s Federal Sustainable Forest Committee and on the Board of Directors for Lake States Resource Alliance.
Severt also represented forestry interests on several statewide advisory committees related to natural resource management.
During Severt’s tenure as WCFA Executive Director, 27 of Wisconsin’s county forests consistently exceeded the certification standards set by SFI and/or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). She served as the Vice Chair of Wisconsin Council on Forestry and was a Board Member of both the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association and Sustainable Resources Institute, Inc.
Severt also served as co-lead on the Wisconsin Forest Practices Study, which stemmed from the Governor’s Forestry Economic Summit in Dec. 2013.
Severt was actively engaged in U.S. Forest Service (USFS) forestry practices in Wisconsin as a member of the Federal Sustainable Forestry Committee and served to coordinate meetings between county, state and federal land managers, which helped facilitate Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) successes. She served as a lead in the development of the Wisconsin Forest Tax Law Dispute Resolution Process and was actively engaged in Wisconsin State biennial budget processes as an advocate for Wisconsin forestry.
“Jane Severt, a humble, dedicated, servant endlessly promoting multiple-use forests through her foundation of character and truthfulness, to build relationships with forest users from all walks of life,” the summary statement on the Forestry Hall of Fame plaque reads. “Trusted by loggers, foresters, legislators, agencies, and fellow forestry representatives, whether at work or at play, Jane never missed an opportunity to promote the values of a healthy forest.”