The Northeast-Midwest State Foresters Alliance (NMSFA) presented its Cooperative Forest Management (CFM) Forester of the Year award to Nick Koltz, Integrated Service Forester with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources – Division of Forestry, at the Alliance’s Cooperative Forest Management Committee meeting in Providence, RI.
The CFM Forester of the Year award recognizes the dedication and professional work of service foresters who assist private landowners. Nominees are evaluated on their impact on sustainable forest management on private lands, contributions to the profession of forestry, and community involvement. “With more than half of the forestlands in our region being held by family owners, service foresters who work with private landowners have a tremendous impact on forest composition, health, and use. We are honored to recognize Nick Koltz as one of many outstanding foresters working with landowners to create a sustainable future for our forests,” said Tee Jay Boudreau, President, NMSFA and Deputy Chief, Division of Agriculture and Forest Environment – Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management.
Koltz is known for providing exemplary customer service to the private landowners in his service area. According to his award application, “…He is viewed as an approachable person who can understand issues from a variety of angles and then provide options to meet their needs. His co-workers, internal partners, external partners, and private landowners in his four-county service area look to Nick because he is a reliable and dedicated private lands forester.” Beginning in 2015, Koltz developed a plan for and directed the planting of 416,850 seedlings on approximately 860 acres throughout the Avon Bottoms State Wildlife Area. Designed primarily to combat an impending infestation of emerald ash borer, the project resulted in one of the largest documented forest underplantings in Wisconsin history. His work at Avon Bottoms has been summarized and included as a trial in the Great Lakes Silviculture Library. Koltz has presented at many University of Wisconsin-Extension sponsored Learn About Your Land classes, a series of courses that provide landowners with hands-on tools for managing their woodlands, and frequently participates in the Midwest Outdoor Heritage Education Expo, an annual event that connects students to partners and educational resources and provides ongoing mentored outdoor skills and training programs.