Inspector Highlight: The 2018 National Inspector of the Year, Mississippi’s Michael Hughey
The American Tree Farm System’s (ATFS) vast network of volunteers, inspectors, state committee members and Tree Farmers truly are the glue that holds the program together. They are passionate, have incredible expertise, and most importantly, voluntarily dedicate their time to the program, the people, and to forest stewardship.
One example of this is Mississippi’s Michael Hughey, a service forester for the Mississippi Forestry Commission, who has been awarded the 2018 Inspector of the Year award from ATFS.
AFF President & CEO, Tom Martin, presenting Michael Hughey with the 2018 National Inspector of the Year award at the 2018 NLC.
According to Garron Hicks, who nominated Michael for the award, Michael’s enthusiasm and commitment to the Tree Farm program is what makes him an outstanding inspector. His genuine love for forestry, landowners and the Tree Farm program have led him to reach, inspect, re-inspect, educate and touch hundreds of landowners since he got involved.
For example, in 2016, Michael certified 104 new Tree Farms across his three-county region in Mississippi. Even more incredible is that not a single one of these farms was assigned to Michael—he personally sought out each and every one of them on his own, woke up early, made his way to the various Tree Farms, and spent countless hours walking the woods with the landowners talking shop.
One year, Michael was only asked to re-inspect one Tree Farm in his county, and he went out again and re-inspected 24. He wanted to ensure these Tree Farmers were rewarded with continued participation in the Tree Farm program for their hard work. Countless times he figured that if he had the capacity, he was going to do what he could for these folks who are so dedicated to good forest management.
Michael has also been committed to not only doing the paperwork portion of inspections, but also helping ensure Tree Farmers get the visual recognition they deserve by personally posting 77 signs on new Tree Farms.
While presenting Michael with his award, Tom Martin, president and CEO of the American Forest Foundation said, “You cannot drive through Michael’s community and find a Tree Farm without a sign on the property. Michael does not have a conversation with a landowner without mentioning the Tree Farm program. He has taken it upon himself to try and get every Tree Farmer in his community that is in the pioneer status up to the certification status.”
In addition to Michael’s inspection work, he also spends a great deal mentoring fellow inspectors when they have questions or face challenges in the field. What’s more is that his fellow inspectors really look to him for guidance when they need it, knowing they are learning from someone who really has Tree Farmers’ best interests at heart.
Michael has also played an integral role with the Mississippi Tree Farm Committee. He is constantly vying to reward Tree Farmers for their hard work by nominating Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year—including Bobby Watkins of Coontail Farms who was honored as the Southern Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year in 2017. He also knows that no job is too small or unimportant and he can quite often be found updating contact information on current certified Tree Farmers in his community and supporting a clean database for the state in other ways as well.
2018 National Inspector of the Year Winner, Michael Hughey.
Outside Tree Farm, Michael continues to showcase a passion for forestry. He helps conduct controlled burns in his area, oversees wildfire suppression work, develops management plans with countless landowners, speaks at county forestry association meetings, teaches children about the importance of fire safety, and helps with the annual Teachers Conservation Workshop. Michael truly does it all—and enjoys every single moment of it.
The Regional Outstanding Inspectors of the Year are: Kellie Carlsen from the Oregon Department of Forestry for the West; Dan Peterson from Wisconsin who has been a part of his state’s Tree Farm program since 1985 from the Midwest; and Sean Weaver, a Watershed Forester from Maryland, for the Northeast.
Related Articles
February 20, 2024
For Conservation, Climate and Grapes
In Allegany County, you can spot newly planted grapevines. To the Trezise family, Kevin, Rene, and their son Bryce, this is the site of their future farm and vineyard.
December 19, 2023
Georgia Landowner Named the 2023 Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year
The American Forest Foundation and the American Tree Farm System are excited to announce the 2023 National Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year, Heather Brasell of Berrien County, Georgia.
December 14, 2023
Announcing the 2023 Regional Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year
The American Forest Foundation and the American Tree Farm System are excited to announce the 2023 Regional Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year.