FRED HUNTRESS REACHES A 50 YEAR MILESTONE
Fred started working for the New England Forestry Foundation in 1958 as a
Center Manager and Land Surveyor in Maine. A couple of excerpts from
Fred's work diary back in 1958 are as follows:
Monday Feb. 3, 1958
7:10 a.m. Train to Boston
11:00 a.m. Appointment with John Hemenway - was hired by NEFF at
$3,800/year
1:00 p.m. Bus to Lewiston, ME - called Dick Sawyer
Tuesday Feb. 4, 1958
Cold 10° below
Pruned White Pine Plantation at Penney Lot in Mechanic
Falls (7 hours) Made call to Alvin Downing residence - 21 Pleasant St.,
Norway Talked with Alvin Hunt concerning planting - Amoco Station, Norway
(1 hour)
And so, an illustrious forestry career that spans over fifty years began.
NEFCo's President, Dennis McKenney commented that "more than a few of NEFCo's
foresters weren't even born in February of 1958 when Fred Huntress took to the
woods as a consulting forester. This was at a time when horse logging and
portable sawmills were common."
Through his 50 years of land stewardship, Fred has been able to achieve the
goal of almost all consulting foresters, which is to continually manage the same
parcels over a long period of time. He has had the opportunity to see the
long-term results of his work and feel the satisfaction of leaving the forest
better than when he started working on it. In some instances, he is now
working with the grandchildren of his original clients.
Although Fred has worked on a part-time basis for NEFCo since 2001, he
continues to be an influential member of the forestry community on many fronts.
"He remains active on the behalf of woodland owners everywhere. Fred
regularly monitors local, state and federal actions that affect forestry.
His comments are varied in form from letters and phone calls to testifying in
person before legislative groups," stated Donald Feeney, Oxford Hills ME Center
Manager.
All NEFCo foresters hold the greatest amount of respect for Fred Huntress.
He upholds the highest level of professionalism and standards. Feeney also
said, "we all benefit from Fred's years as a consulting forester and his
continued dedication to practical forest management."
Even though Fred has been spending much of his semi-retirement working on his
own woodlands, McKenney claims, "He's a living legend and a passionate voice for
forestry in Maine and beyond. I join all NEFCo foresters in congratulating
Fred and in the knowledge that his timber cruisin' days are far from over."
Kristin Brooks
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