[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 60 (Wednesday, April 16, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H2426]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   JOSIAH AND KATHLEEN PIERCE, 2007 NATIONAL TREE FARMERS OF THE YEAR

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Maine (Mr. Allen) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to congratulate two of my 
constituents, Josiah and Kathleen Pierce of Baldwin, Maine, for being 
selected as the 2007 National Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year.
  Jo and Kathy were selected by the American Tree Farm System for their 
sustainable management of approximately 2,000 acres of woodland in 
Southern Maine. Part of the property has been in Jo Pierce's family for 
six generations.
  Jo describes his management philosophy as 100-year thinking about 
preserving the land's ability to pay for itself by periodic logging and 
yet maintaining the diversity of plant and animal life that can only be 
found in and around old forests.
  Jo and Kathy's grandchildren represent one measure of long-term 
management. Jo wants them to marvel at rare and unusual plants and 
animals that are otherwise frequently lost to short-sighted harvesting. 
Jo and Kathy keep their property open to the public for hiking, 
hunting, and other traditional uses. They want other people to 
experience their own attachment to the land.
  The award recognizes Jo and Kathy's civic contributions. In 
particular, Jo's service as president of the Small Woodland Owners 
Association of Maine, an influential State advocacy group, demonstrated 
his interest in sharing his knowledge of sustainable forest management 
with other owners.
  The award is also a tribute to Rene Noel, the forester who advises Jo 
and Kathy about best practices with respect to management of their 
land.
  Maine is a small State. I am particularly pleased to recognize Jo and 
Kathy's achievement because Jo and I have known each other for many 
years. Our fathers were friends. We share a similar perspective about 
our forest property, and we share the same forester.
  In Maine and across the country, much of our forest land is in 
private hands and often in relatively small lots owned by individuals. 
The future quality of our forests, and the diversity of life they 
sustain, depends in large part on the knowledge and commitment of their 
owners, especially to their ``100-year thinking'' about sustainable 
management.
  Jo and Kathy Pierce, National Outstanding Tree Farmers of 2007, are 
models for how other forest landowners can use, protect, and preserve 
for future generations the woodland habitat they own today.

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