Meet Tom Ryan If you own land in the southern third of the Highlands Region then you should meet Tom Ryan. Tom is a Service Forester for the Department of Conservation and Recreation. His district spans 16 towns in western Hampden and Hampshire Counties from Chester to Agawam. In the fall of 2003, Tom was hired by the Bureau of Forestry as part of a project to evaluate how well erosion control and other Best Management Practices (BMP's) are being implemented during forest harvesting operations. In 2005 Tom moved into a service forester position.

What does a service forester do? Service Foresters are also commonly known as State Foresters. Their job includes three focus areas; landowner education and outreach, administration of the state's current use (Chapter 61) program and the enforcement of the state's cutting practices act.

Tom has been working for the past 2 years as a service forester. When asked what aspect of the job he enjoyed he replied that working with landowners is the most rewarding part of the job. "I really love the opportunity to educate the public" Tom says.

How can a service forester help me? Service Foresters work in specific districts and spend much of their time in the field which means that they are often well acquainted with the landowners, town officials and natural resource organizations in their area. This makes them an excellent resource for a landowner who is either new to the area, in the beginning stages of planning goals for their property or simply wanting more information about their forests. A free woodlot evaluation with a service forester can help landowners create goals for their property or focus existing goals. Tom Ryan enjoys being a resource for forest landowners. Tom comes from a well rounded educational background with a B.S. in both Environmental Science and Forestry. "It's part of my job to show a landowner a menu of options" says Tom, "I like that I can be neutral and just present the facts."

A service forester can also provide landowners with information on various incentive programs such as the Current Use Tax Program (Chapter 61), which can reduce property taxes or WHIP (the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program) that provides cost-share to promote the restoration of declining or important native wildlife habitats as well as others.

When a landowner is ready to take the next step with their management goals a service forester can put them in touch with private foresters, other natural resource professionals or local land trusts that can help forest owners achieve those goals.

How do I contact my service forester? To find out who your Service Forester is go to Find Local Help, or call 1-800-783-2311.