Ron Cousineau, district forester for the Colorado State Forest Service Granby District, has been recognized by the Society of American Foresters with a 2015 Presidential Field Forester Award. The award honors foresters “who have dedicated their professional careers to the application of forestry on the ground using sound scientific methods and adaptive management strategies.”

“Ron’s can-do attitude exemplifies what the Forest Service expects of our employees. He really knows how to get things done,” said Mike Lester, state forester and CSFS director. Cousineau is one of nine individuals to receive the award this year.

Cousineau played an instrumental role in the Granby district during Colorado’s mountain pine beetle epidemic that peaked in 2008. He worked with numerous landowners, adapted his management efforts, and strengthened partnerships to ensure that more than 20,000 acres of beetle-killed timber on private and state forests could be harvested while still viable.

Cousineau has been with the CSFS since 1991 and has been employed for the past 23 years as a forester on the Granby District that serves Grand, Summit and Eagle counties. Previously, he worked for the USDA Forest Service and Wyoming State Forestry Division, and is an accomplished wildland firefighter.

The Colorado State Forest Service is the lead state agency for providing forest stewardship and management, fuels reduction and wildfire mitigation assistance to private landowners in Colorado. Every year, the CSFS helps treat 20,000 acres of forestland, and assists approximately 6,400 landowners and hundreds of communities to help improve forest health. The CSFS is a service and outreach agency of the Warner College of Natural Resources at Colorado State University.