2015 Wyoming Tree Farmer of the Year

John and Vonda have taken it upon themselves to be the first in a long line of generations to manage the timber on the family trust property. They have worked diligently on managing their timber for the future generations of the family. John continues to strive for multiple use of the property and encourages the family to be involved in the timber management decisions and future plans.

The 2015 Bighorn Mountain Landowner Field Day was on John and Vonda's property. John allowed private landowners from the Bighorns to tour his property to discuss management in lodgepole pine. Landowners were able to see what a clearcut and what a shelterwood thin can look like and discuss when it is the appropriate prescription for the forest stand. John provided support to Tree Farm and explained his story on how he became a Tree Farmer at the event.

John and Vonda have harvested 44 acres of timber on their property, 35 acres were patch clearcuts and 9 acres was cut to a shelterwood prescription. They worked with a contractor this summer and had an additional 36 acres of timber laid out on the property for future management. He also had an additional 10 acres laid out to have precommercial thinning in an area where there is advanced regeneration of lodgepole pine.

John has worked with his lessee for his property to fence out sensitive areas along Poison Creek from the cattle. Their forest health management is a huge benefit to Poison Creek.  The forest management has brought back more elk to the property. Their property typically gets used by antelope, turkeys, elk, and mule deer. Clearcuts were set up to provide a high amount of edge, while still providing corridors of sheltered timber for large mammals utilizing the property.