2015 Michigan Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year

While we all do our part to conserve our nation’s greatest asset, we are proud to honor individuals who go above and beyond in their commitment to responsible forest management. 

Each year the Michigan Tree Farm System recognizes one Outstanding Tree Farmer throughout the state and last week mid-Michigan landowners, Gary and Charlene Fitch, were awarded with the 2015 Michigan Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year award at the Michigan Association of Conservation District Foresters Annual Convention.

What makes these landowners stand out among the rest? Forester, Keith Martell Jr. says that it’s because of Gary’s passion for tree farming.

“He (Gary) exemplifies everything the American Tree Farm System stands for. His goal is to be a steward of his forest, and he concerns himself with all aspects of his forest. His attention to detail when reviewing drafts of management and harvest plans shows his interest in managing his forest, but more importantly, the joy he feels when he walks through his forest is contagious. Even something as simple as a few hemlock seedlings growing on a log is a treasure to Gary, and is a source of pride in his tree farm. No tree farmer I've met deserves this award more than him.”

Gary has been actively managing his tree farm since 2003 when he first enrolled as a pioneer. He hosts annual hay rides for local kids on his trails, and narrates with stories and facts about his forest. His newest anecdote relates how yellow birch seedlings will grow on rotting stumps, which he describes as a he shows the kids his prized example.

Gary takes such pride in his forest that even a stack of wood fallen down after a windstorm is an embarrassment to him that he will apologize for. Gary knows every inch of his tree farm and regularly calls his foresters for advice and recommendations for everything from managing his oak trees to protecting vernal pools as breeding areas for woodland amphibians. Gary has recently enrolled a second property in the American Tree Farm Program and is looking forward to an upcoming forest stand improvement to regenerate his aging aspen and improve the quality of his hardwoods.