SAF Announces 2023 National Award Winners

August 31, 2023

The Society of American Foresters is proud to announce the winners of 14 national awards for 2023. The recipients will be recognized for their outstanding achievements in the field of forestry and natural resources and their significant impacts to forestry during the Awards Parade and Meet and Greet at the 2023 SAF National Convention in Sacramento, CA. Learn more about each winner, visit the 2023 Wall of Honor. 

Congratulations to our 2023 national award winners!

Award in Forest Science
Pete Bettinger
Recognizes distinguished individual research in any branch of the quantitative, managerial, and/or social sciences that has resulted in substantial advances in forestry.

Barrington Moore Memorial Award in Biological Science
Carol Chambers
Recognizes outstanding achievement in biological research leading to the advancement of forestry.

Carl Alwin Schenck Award
Pat Stephens Williams
Recognizes devotion and demonstrated outstanding performance in the field of forestry education.

Diversity Leadership Award
Zhu Hua Ning
Recognizes outstanding individual achievement leading to innovative and exemplary diversity and inclusion efforts.

Employer Leadership Award
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
Recognizes an employer that demonstrates leadership through consistent support of employee participation in SAF and broad engagement in the profession.

Gifford Pinchot Award
Victor Ford, CF
Recognizes outstanding contributions by a forestry professional in the administration, practice, and professional development of North American Forestry.

Honorary Membership Award
John Burke III
Recognizes individuals whose contributions to forestry are viewed as outstanding by their peers.

John A. Beale Memorial Award
Kenneth Laustsen
Recognizes outstanding efforts over a sustained period by an SAF member in the promotion of forestry through voluntary service to the Society.

Outstanding Local Unit Achievement Award
Colorado-Wyoming SAF
Recognizes the outstanding achievement of a local unit for sustained leadership or a special project benefiting SAF, the forestry profession, and the practice of forestry.

Outstanding Forestry Journalism Award
Doug Wood
Recognizes high quality journalistic coverage of topics that increase the American public's understanding of forestry and natural resources.

Student Leadership Award
Christine Martens
Recognizes individual student achievement and leadership at the local, regional, or national level.

Technology Transfer Award
Mariko Yamasaki
Recognizes outstanding performance in the areas of technology transfer, implementation, and extension.

W. D. Hagenstein Communicator Award
James Lewis
Recognizes an SAF member who leads innovative and exemplary communications initiatives and programs that increase the general public's understanding of forestry and natural resources.

Young Forester Leadership Award
Eli Jensen, CF
Recognizes an outstanding young leader in the development and promotion of an individual program or project, or for a sustained leadership role benefiting the practice of forestry and SAF.

For additional information on the award winners, read the September 2023 edition of The Forestry Source. 

Through our national awards, and Fellow and Presidential Field Forester awards, SAF celebrates and honors scientists, researchers, educators, innovators, leaders, communicators, field foresters, employers, local SAF units, and others that have made significant impact on forestry in the United States and internationally. 

Nominations for 2024 awards will open mid-December and are due by March 1. If you have any questions, please email [email protected].