Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet
Award as outstanding forest steward goes to Henry County landowner

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 12, 2005)– Dr. Bruce Heilman, who for years has carefully tended 122 acres of forest land in Henry County, has received the Outstanding Forest Steward Award from the Kentucky Division of Forestry.

Heilman lives in Richmond, Va., where he is chancellor of the University of Richmond. But for 34 years, he also has been a Kentucky forest land owner and tireless advocate of good forestry practices. He has been a certified forest steward since 1993 and is a member of the American Tree Farm System.

Heilman was instrumental in getting the University of the Cumberlands involved in the division’s Forest Stewardship Program. The university, at Williamsburg, Ky., now has a forest stewardship plan covering thousands of acres. Heilman also promotes the program to other landowners and has offered his own land as an example. His works include:

• Conducting timber stand improvement activities on 68 acres
• Hosting a forestry field day and conducting three timber harvests
• Hosting a logger education field day
• Establishing wildlife food plots
• Establishing three miles of roads for woodland access, recreational use and fire breaks.

The award, recognizing Dr. Heilman’s lifetime of forest stewardship, was presented at the recent annual meeting of the Kentucky Association of Conservation Districts.