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CLIFTON HILL, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) congratulates Orin Allen of Kenmar Timber Company in Clifton Hill on receiving the Northeast Missouri Logger of the Year award for 2018.
Allen led Kenmar Timber Company’s harvesting operations on 120-acres at MDC’s Thomas Hill Conservation Area. The site, containing mostly bottomland forest adjacent to a large reservoir, was subject to protective bat regulations and specific water quality considerations. Allen navigated the time, weather, and ecological constraints of this high-priority assignment with meticulous attention to detail from pre-harvest planning through completion of the timber sale.
MDC Forester Brice Kelso nominated Allen for his dependable, quality work at Thomas Hill Conservation Area, as well as his work on private lands with conservation partners.
“I found Orin to be very engaged and straight to the point,” said Kelso. “He was extremely prepared when we determined details of how the timber sale should progress. He had already taken time to visit the site and had a good working knowledge of the area. Once the sale began, Orin consistently stuck to the pre-harvest plan by cutting certain stands in progression, placing landings correctly, and taking special care to avoid negative impacts to the adjacent aquatic ecosystems.”
Kelso also recognized Allen’s work with landowners in Macon and Randolph counties who have partnered with MDC to achieve conservation goals on private lands.
“As a forester, it’s always a priority to see the landowner’s interests protected and the logger’s safety and profitability increased,” said Kelso. “Orin makes it easy to meet these priorities because he’s proven to be a good communicator, he takes time to lay out a plan of action ahead of time, and he makes the most of his Professional Timber Harvester training to help him stay safe and efficient.”
In recognition of the regional logger of the year award, Allen and Kenmar Timber Company received a framed certificate from MDC and STIHL chainsaw safety equipment donated by longtime partner Crader Distributing of Marble Hill.
MDC partners with Crader Distributing to give annual awards to loggers who have demonstrated outstanding performance and good working relationships with landowners and foresters. The loggers are recognized for minimizing damage to trees and natural resources and for using best management practices that preserve Missouri’s forested lands for generations to come. For more information on MDC’s Logger of the Year Award program, visit mdc.mo.gov/about-us/awards-and-honors/logger-year-award.
