In 2001 the Distinguished Service to Forestry Award was renamed the Laurence C. Walker Distinguished Service to Forestry Award in honor of the late Dr. Laurence C. Walker. Dr. Walker served as the first dean of the School of Forestry at Stephen F. Austin State University, in the heart of the forests of East Texas. He was also a forestry historian and the author of numerous books including The Southern Forest; Excelsior: Memoir of a Forester; The North American Forests, and Forests: A Naturalists Guide to Trees and Forest Ecology to name a few. Dr. Walker is a legend in Texas forestry. His contributions to the forestry profession will be remembered for decades to come.
The Laurence C. Walker Distinguished Service to Forestry Award is handed out each year at the Texas Society of American Foresters annual meeting. Nominations for this prestigious award are due into the TSAF Professional Recognition Chair on or before March 1st of each year and can only be made by current SAF members. Eligible candidates are limited to SAF members who have demonstrated the following: