McCormack to receive forest stewardship award
Alumnus Maxwell McCormack Jr., emeritus, School of Forest Resources, will be presented with the prestigious 2016 Austin H. Wilkins Forest Stewardship Award in a Blaine House ceremony Sept. 8.
The award recognizes people or organizations for their excellence in furthering forestry, forests or forestland conservation in Maine. Started by the Maine TREE Foundation in 2004, it is the only award in the state that recognizes stewardship of the working forest, according to a Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry news release.
For six decades, McCormack has devoted his time, energy and talents to the proper stewardship of forests in Maine and New England through his research, education, review of international forests and by pursuing fact-based evidence. His innovative research, well-crafted studies, and adherence to objective analysis has benefited generations of students.
McCormack was appointed to the Panel of Experts for Outcome Based Forestry and to the Forester Licensing Board. He also has contributed his leadership to the Society of American Foresters and the University of Maine Cooperative Forestry Research Unit. He is widely credited for helping lead the vibrant recovery of the Maine spruce-fir forests after the 1970–80 spruce budworm epidemic.