Tree Farmer - May/June 2009 - (Page 20)

Ponderosa Pine By FAllinG For Preece kAThleen When it comes to natural resource management, good stewardship is based on ecological, economic, and social components. For Bob mezger, sustainable forestry also requires a physical, mental, and spiritual approach. his holistic approach to the management of his 1,773-acre Tree Farm in klamath Falls, oregon, has earned mezger the title 2008 Western national Tree Farmer of the year. But, as it takes a ponderosa pine seed a good 30 years to develop into a useful product, so it took three decades for the Mezger Tree Farm to mature into a sustainable family forest. Mezger’s interest in forestry began long before he was able to put his own name on a Tree Farm sign. As a boy he spent his summers on a small farm in Pennsylvania, where he discovered there was much more to life than the paved streets and crowded neighborhoods of his home in central New Jersey, just a stone’s throw from New York City. His study of forestry at Pennsylvania State University in the 1940s taught Mezger how to combine the joys of woodland wanderings with the biological and economic realities of how trees and forests grow, survive, and ultimately impact the lives and well-being of humans. He pursued graduate work at University of California Berkeley and then embarked on a career as a forester with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). From his first BIA supervisor Mezger heard the principle that has since guided all his work in the woods: Foresters need to develop a special relationship of trust with their landowners, one that matches owners’ needs with the productive capabilities of the woodlands. a History of Resilience & Productivity His work with Native American forest landowners brought Mezger and his wife, Pat, to Klamath County in 1952. The moved precipitated a love affair with ponderosa pine, and helped establish the foundation of the place where the couple would spend the rest of their lives. They acquired 3,643 acres through 45 separate land transactions. Mezger consolidated his holdings in 2003 and formed the Mezger Forest Inc., consisting of 1,773 acres divided into units of approximately equal yield. Fourteen 20 Tree Farmer MAY/JUNE 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Tree Farmer - May/June 2009

Tree Farmer - May/June 2009
Contents
Cover Story - Farm Bill: What’s In It for You
Tree Farm: People Are Our Greatest Asset
2008 Western Regional Tree Farmer of the Year
Taxing Issues
Wildlife Matters
Tools & Techniques
Sharing Your Experience
Gadgets & Gear

Tree Farmer - May/June 2009