COLUMBUS — Stephen McGinnis, a service forester for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), was selected as the Forest Conservationist of the Year by the League of Ohio Sportsmen.

“We are proud of the recognition that Stephen has received,” said Robert Boyles, Ohio’s state forester. “His dedication to the job is vital because 86 percent of Ohio’s forests are privately owned, and building relationships with those owners is critical to the overall health and quality of Ohio’s forests.”

McGinnis has been a service forester in west-central Ohio since 2006, covering Champaign, Crawford, Delaware, Logan, Marion and Union counties. He served on the Gwynne Conservation Area Committee at the Farm Science Review grounds for many years, and he is currently the ODNR Division of Forestry representative on U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Planning Advisory Committee, which oversees the Conservation Reserve Program and other statewide programs. As a service forester, McGinnis offers free, expert advice and guidance for the long-term care of family-owned woodlands, as well as information on qualification for property tax incentives under the Ohio Forest Tax Law and pointers on boundary establishment, forest health, selling timber, best management practices to prevent erosion and managing for wildlife.

There are 18 service foresters working for the ODNR Division of Forestry. Foresters offer valuable assistance to private woodland owners to improve the health and quality of forests. To find the service forester for a specific county in Ohio, go to forestry.ohiodnr.gov/serviceforesters.

The ODNR Division of Forestry works to promote the wise use and sustainable management of Ohio’s public and private woodlands. To learn more about Ohio’s woodlands, visit forestry.ohiodnr.gov.

ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR website at ohiodnr.gov.