Shown after the awards presentation are from left to right, Taylor Williams with PowerSouth Energy, AWF President Steve Forehand, Adam Maggard, Gov. Kay Ivey and Susan Comensky with Alabama Power Company. Photo Credit: Hal Yeager, Governor’s Press Office.
A statewide champion for forest landowner education, Auburn faculty member and Alabama Extension specialist Adam Maggard was recently honored as the 2024 Conservation Communicator of the Year by the Alabama Wildlife Federation at the Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards banquet held in Prattville this August.
The Alabama Wildlife Federation (AWF) Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards (GCAA) are the most respected conservation honors in Alabama. For the past 50 years, AWF has presented these awards to individuals and organizations that significantly contribute to the conservation of Alabama’s wildlife and related natural resources.
A COLLABORATIVE FORCE
Maggard, who is the Harry E. Murphy Associate Professor in the Auburn University College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment (CFWE), has been recognized regionally and nationally for his efforts to provide applied research and educational resources to forest landowners, was nominated by William Green, Jr., forestry and wildlife divisions director of the Alabama Farmers Federation and Brandon J. Loomis, registered forester and woodlands director of Westervelt Forest Resources.
Citing Maggard’s work with a range of stakeholder groups, including Alabama’s regional Extension agents and county Extension coordinators, county forestry planning committees, the Alabama Department Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) and the Alabama Forests Forever Foundation, Green states these collaborative efforts are testimony to Maggard’s commitment to enhancing forest management and conservation.
“His accolades, including three Southern Region awards for Extension products and a nationally recognized silver award for a comprehensive program on prescribed fire, further attest to his excellence,” said Green.
DELIVERING SCIENCE-BASED SOLUTIONS
As an Extension specialist and faculty member, Maggard aims to bring science-based solutions and educational resources to forest landowners and enterprises to improve and conserve native ecosystems, encourage healthy working forests and provide economic benefits to stakeholders. This work is best demonstrated by the Forest Business Resources (FBR) – Increasing the Health and Wealth of Private Forestland in Alabama program, which he created in 2017.
The focus of the FBR program is to enhance the livelihoods of the citizens of Alabama through the betterment of forest management, business practices and increased opportunities for producing income. The resources and tools provided by the program focus on temporary or small-scale income-producing opportunities for forest landowners. As a result, the program creates value-added businesses that help private forest owners achieve their goals and objectives.
Combined with Maggard’s Extension programs, these initiatives have influenced the management of more than two million forestland acres owned or managed by program participants, improving forestland value, recovery of losses and financial decision-making by an estimated $19.5 million.
On a personal and professional level, Loomis, who is a current officer in the U.S. Army National Guard, noted that Maggard possesses a unique blend of professional expertise, leadership ability and personal dedication, which he defines as quintessential to a servant leader. “His efforts add value to our profession, industry, forest resources and State,” said Loomis.
SHAPING THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS
In addition to Maggard’s considerable achievements on behalf of forest landowners, he takes an active role in shaping the next generation of forestry leadership, both within and outside the classroom.
Alongside Janaki Alavalapati, the Emmett F. Thompson Dean of the CFWE, Maggard leads the Forest, Environment and Wildlife Leadership (FEWL) Academy, which prepares undergraduate students with leadership abilities necessary for the critical problem-solving of issues related to the management, utilization and stewardship of natural resources.
He also led the development of Auburn’s Forest Business and Investment master’s degree program, the country’s only online forest business master’s program designed to provide forestry technical skills with expertise in business, finance and economics.
In support of Maggard’s nomination, Alavalapati said, “It is difficult to note all of his forest conservation accomplishments, but it is sufficient to say that his passion for promoting forest conservation and his services to enhance the profitability of forestry has been extremely beneficial to forest landowners and the state of Alabama.”
The AWF GCAA were designed to bring about a greater knowledge and awareness of conservation practices and projects and to properly recognize those persons and organizations that make outstanding contributions to the natural resource welfare of their community and state.
Learn more about Adam Maggard.(Written by Jamie Anderson)
