TWS Member Receives Prestigious Award

Spotted owl researcher Eric Forsman, a member of The Wildlife Society since 1975, recently received a U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary’s Honor Award at a formal ceremony in Washington, D.C.  The annual award is one of the highest honors bestowed on federal employees and was presented by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Forsman, a research wildlife biologist with the U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Research Station, received the secretary’s “Protecting Natural Resources” award. The Corvallis, Oregon-based researcher was recognized for sustained contributions to understanding the ecology and management of the northern spotted owl in Pacific Northwest forest lands. Forsman conducted pioneering graduate research in the late 1970s that revealed the relationship between spotted owls and old forest in the Pacific Northwest, launching one of the largest endangered species recovery efforts in history. More than three decades later, he is a world-renowned expert on this raptor and is frequently consulted for his expertise.

The Secretary’s Honor Awards are given each year to U.S. Department of Agriculture employees in recognition of outstanding leadership efforts and accomplishments that have furthered the mission and goals of the department. The U.S. Forest Service is an agency of the Department of Agriculture.

The Pacific Northwest Research Station—headquartered in Portland, Ore.—generates and communicates scientific knowledge that helps people make informed choices about natural resources and the environment. The station has 11 laboratories and centers located in Alaska, Washington, and Oregon and about 300 employees. Learn more online at www.fs.fed.us/pnw.

The US Forest Service is a Premier Partner of The Wildlife Society.

Source: US Forest Service