COLUMBUS — Jeremy Scherf, Ohio service forester in eastern Ohio, was named the Northeastern Area Outstanding Cooperative Forest Management Forester for 2013 by the Northeastern Area Association of State Foresters.
“We are pleased that Jeremy was recognized for his work in helping landowners understand and care for their renewable woodlands,” said Robert Boyles, state forester and chief of the ODNR Division of Forestry.
“Jeremy exemplifies the hard work our foresters do every day to provide professional advice, programs and outreach to family forest owners who own the majority of Ohio’s woodlands.”
Scherf was recognized at the NAASF annual meeting this spring in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Eastern counties
He has been a service forester for the ODNR Division of Forestry assisting landowners in Jefferson, Harrison, Guernsey, Belmont and Monroe counties in eastern Ohio for the past 12 years.
Scherf develops stewardship plans for sustainable woodlands, certifies properties for the American Tree Farm System, promotes the ‘Call Before You Cut’ program and administers cost-share incentive programs for woodland improvement.
He is a founding member of the Barnesville Area Reforestation Kommittee (BARK), and he is part of the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative, which is a cooperative effort to plant hardwood trees on reclaimed coal-mined lands.
He is a graduate of The Ohio State University School of Natural Resources. Scherf is active in the East Central Ohio Forestry Association and is co-director of the annual Ohio Forestry and Wildlife Conservation Camp.
He is a member of the Ohio Society of American Foresters (OSAF) and through continuing education maintains his Certified Forester status in this professional organization.
Scherf was recognized as the OSAF Outstanding Member in 2005 and by the Ohio Forestry Association as Outstanding Individual in Government Service in 2006.
This award could not go to a more deserving recipient. I met Jeremy a few years ago after purchasing land in Guernsey County. Being a newcomer to forest management, Jeremy pointed me to resources and training opportunities to improve my forest. His responsiveness to questions and efforts to help his landowners are impressive. Jeremy is a great asset to his landowners and to the world of forestry. Congratulations to a great Forester!