WASHINGTON—The National Association of State Foresters elected a new slate of officers to its governing Executive Committee and agreed on a number of national policy positions at the association’s 87th Annual Meeting last week in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Steven W. Koehn, State Forester of Maryland, will lead NASF as president in 2009-2010. Mr. Koehn is the director of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service where he is responsible for the statewide delivery of all technical and financial forestry assistance programs on both public and private lands.
“It is an honor and a privilege to serve NASF as president and I am truly humbled to lead the nation’s most dedicated and passionate natural resource professionals,” said Koehn. “In the coming year, NASF will continue to advance initiatives dedicated to sustainable forest management and the resulting natural resource benefits important to all Americans, including clean and abundant water, renewable wood energy sources, carbon sequestration and mitigation, wildlife habitat, recreation and markets for thousands of forest products.”
Mr. Koehn has previously served as NASF’s vice president and treasurer, has served as the chair of the Northeastern Area Association of State Foresters and is a member of the Society of American Foresters. He has also held leadership positions in the Chesapeake Bay Program Forestry Workgroup, Society of American Foresters, Maryland Association of Forest Conservancy District Boards, and Maryland Forests Association. In addition to working for Maryland Department of Natural Resources, he has also taught forestry courses at Johns Hopkins School of Professional Studies in Business Education. He holds a Bachelor of Science, Forest Science, from Pennsylvania State University.
NASF also elected Jeff Jahnke, Colorado State Forester as the association’s new vice president and, Arkansas State Forester John Shannon as its new treasurer. Each will serve a twelve-month term.
The association approved a number of policy positions by resolution at the meeting, including a call for improved support of the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis program and a comprehensive strategy to address the role of firewood in the introduction and spread of invasive species. For more information about all policy positions resulting from the NASF Annual Meeting, visit www.stateforesters.org.