FLA Honors Those Who Support Forest Landowners
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 24, 2021
FLA Honors Those Who Support Forest Landowners
WASHINGTON, DC – The Forest Landowners Association (FLA) recognized those who went “above and beyond” in 2021 to ensure the continued success of private forest landowners, at its annual conference in Williamsburg, VA.
The award winners are as follows:
- Landowner of the Year: Barrett McCall
- Extension Forester of the Year: David Coyle
- Consulting Forester of the Year: Mary Clapp
- Next Generation Forest Landowner of the Year: Alex Ingraham
- Forest Foundation Champion: Robert Crosby
- Corporate Partner of the Year: Enviva
Out-going FLA President Barrett McCall of Mobile, Alabama, was honored as Landowner of the Year for his long-time support of and work for the association.
McCall, President of Larson & McGowin, which since 1957 has provided to forest landowners a full range of land management and on-demand decision support and consulting services and has been involved with FLA for more than 20 years. His expertise lies in land management operations and silviculture, large-scale property transactions and negotiations, strategic planning, timberland investments, and forest economics.
David Coyle an assistant professor of forestry at Clemson University, was honored as Extension Forester of the Year for his work on forest health and invasive species. Before joining the faculty at Clemson, he created and directed the Southern Forest Health and Invasive Species program, which provided education and training to forestry professionals across the Southeast.
A regular contributor to FLA’s Forest Landowner magazine, Coyle uses various forms of communication – including social media, traditional writing, and in-person visits – to educate people about forest health, invasive species, and forest management.
Mary Clapp of El Dorado, Arkansas, was named Consulting Forester of the Year for her tireless advocacy for private forest landowners. President of Stevens Forestry Service, Inc., which was founded by her father in 1950, Clapp manages more than 70,000 acres of timberland in Arkansas and Louisiana for over 100 clients, most of whom are second-and third-generation landowners.
She served as FLA president from 2009 to 2011, was president of the Forest Landowner Foundation and is a member of the FLA board.
Alex Ingraham of Bangor, Maine, president of Pingree Associates, which along with the Seven Islands Land Company oversees his family’s 820,000 acres of Maine forestland, received the Next Generation Forest Landowner of the Year award.
Ingraham, whose family landholdings rank among the largest in the United States, sits on the boards of several non-profits and landowner organizations, including FLA and the National Alliance of Forest Owners.
Robert Crosby of New Orleans, Louisiana, Manager of Crosby Land and Resources, a family-owned non-industrial private timberland company in Louisiana that has been operating for over 80 years, was awarded the Forest Foundation Champion.
Robert has been an active member of FLA since 1991 and has severed on the Board of Directors and as the President of the Board. Robert’s commitment to the Foundation and his leadership continues to make the Foundation better.
FLA also recognized as Corporate Partner of the Year Enviva Partners, LP, a leading global energy company specializing in sustainable wood bioenergy. It aggregates low-value wood fiber and processes it into transportable wood pellets, which provide a low-carbon alternative to fossil fuels. The company owns and operates 10 plants in Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, with a combined production capacity of approximately 6.4 million metric tons a year.
Enviva has worked with FLA for the past 10 years to increase the understanding of the role wood markets play in the sustainability of private forest landowners and to ensure the viability of those markets in the United States and overseas.
“These awards showcase the hard work and dedication these folks put in to not only ensure forest landowners are successful but to continue to drive forward the mission of FLA,” stated FLA CEO Scott Jones. “We are pleased to be able to recognize not just individuals but also our corporate partners for their significant contributions to the private forest landowner community.”
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