May 24, 2016
Kansas Forest Service District Forester Receives Praise
Submitted by Jennifer G. Williams
It's not often that we're able to publicly recognize the dedication and hard work of our state's rural foresters, but when landowners write in to brag about their efforts, it deserves a nod. Below is an excerpt from a note written to State Forester Larry Biles, from Douglas County landowner Tim Lyons, regarding his district forester, Dave Bruton.
“I wanted you to understand what a significant impact (Bruton) has had in developing and improving our forests in northeast Kansas. We just concluded a five-year timber stand improvement project and the results are transformational. We moved my land from a prairie woods to a promising oak, walnut and hickory productive forest. It's a continuing process that will take further years and work but the results can already be seen.
Dave is a great teacher and I think he really likes that aspect of his job. His knowledge is based upon his training, but also the great network of experiences of his landowners. He can always tell you of a specific circumstance where an idea or application has been tried before and the results. He is always available for questions and even though he may not be able to get back to you the next day, he ALWAYS gets back to you with a very detailed response. He is always thinking ahead, letting you know what other difficulties he's seeing in other parts of the region that might affect me in the future.
I've learned so much from him over the years, and he has helped to make my woodlands a remarkable place to live. The best learnings have been those small helpful hints that have saved me time and resources. I've been lucky to have such a skilled and dedicated forester, and offer my thanks to Dave and your department. All the Kansas State University staff have been great!”
Many thanks to Dave Bruton for his continued dedication to the trees and people of Kansas, and to Mr. Lyons for such a warm, thoughtful letter. Your words are so appreciated!