The West Virginia Forestry Association (WVFA) recently held its annual meeting at Canaan Valley Resort & Conference Center with over 270 attending the completely renovated, luxurious park-hotel. This year’s meeting began Thursday morning with the wood-preservation seminar with a first aid/CPR/BBP component and afternoon gatherings of the Logging/Safety, SFI and Legislative Committees, with the Board of Directors meeting that evening.

More joined their friends on Friday to take part in WVFA events: golf tournament, skeet shooting and horseshoe & corn hole tournaments. The customary family BBQ was held again, with a shuttle to opportunities for chair-lift rides and the turtle-slides. Saturday’s activities included the Junior Forester and crafts family fun and lumberjack & flycasting events for anyone who was feeling competitive.

Wolfe and Parker Logging of Moorefield has been selected as 2014 West Virginia Logger of the Year. Randall Wolfe, Donald Parker and Wayne Wolfe have been in the logging business since June of 1988. They have worked for Westvaco (now WestRock), Newpage Corp., Neff Lumber and, most recently, AWP. They have previously earned Logger of Excellence recognition from the WV DOF and are true Stewards of the forest. They are also Region 2 Loggers of the Year.

As members of WVFA, Wolfe and Parker Logging practice promote and comply with all state and local sediment control laws and regulations, as well as those in Maryland and Virginia. They operate on pre-determined logging plans, work safely and, according to nominating foresters Jared Simpson and Bill Panel, do some of the best work in the industry.

The 2015 WVFA Forester of the Year Award was presented to Tom Crickenberger of WestRock Company for his dedication and leadership in the successful efforts in planning and organizing WVFA’s "Logger of the Year" program for years.

The 2015 WVFA Service Award was presented to Ben Spong, associate professor of Wood Science & Technology Forest Operations Extension Specialist at WVU, for specific recognition of his IT advice and commitment of service to our industry via updates to WVFA software and website.

The 2015 WVFA Environmental Education Award was presented to the West Virginia Division of Forestry for work by Linda Carnell for her work as Interim State Coordinator of Project Learning Tree, at the request of the WV SFI Implementation Committee.