MDC Names Terry Hicks Logging, LLC Of Bethel State Logger Of The Year
The family-owned company is honored for its dedication to safety and sustainable logging practices.
Bethel, Mo.—The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has named Terry Hicks Logging, LLC of Bethel as the Northeast Regional Logger of the Year.
Terry Hicks Logging, LLC is a family-owned company that consists of Terry Hicks owner/operator and his nephew John Hicks is a crew member. Terry and John both grew up in the logging business. They each started out driving a skidder for the family logging business while they were young and still in school. Terry and John have completed the Missouri Forest Products Association Professional Timber Harvester Training and they are current with all their qualifications. In 2013, Terry Hicks obtained his Missouri Master Logger Certification. Having been around logging and forestry management for decades, Hicks knows the importance of managing a forest for sustainability, landowner expectations and improving wildlife habitat quality.
The Northeast Regional Logger Award is given to a logger or company that has demonstrated the ability to carry out a timber harvest in a manner that causes the least amount of damage to the remaining resources on site. The purpose behind this award is to recognize loggers who practice low impact logging. These loggers take extra time and effort to demonstrate how forest harvests should be carried out. Their work uses forest resources in a sustainable way while preserving those resources for future generations
There are multiple criteria for choosing a logger for this award. These include good working relationships with landowners and foresters, minimal damage to remaining trees and resources, preventions of soil erosion, aesthetics of the site after harvesting was completed, safe work performance and use of equipment, utilization of harvested trees, the desire to address wildlife management concerns, and use of proper forest management techniques. The logger must have completed the Professional Timber Harvester’s Training Program sponsored by the Missouri Forest Products Association and MDC.
In recognition of this award, both Terry and John Hicks received safety equipment donated by Crader Distributing of Marble Hill. Crader has been a long-time partner with MDC in recognizing loggers who have demonstrated outstanding performance and good working relationships with landowners and foresters.
There are eight Regional Awards given throughout the state. One logger will then be selected from all the Regional Award winners to become the State Logger of the Year. This year, Terry Hicks Logging LLC was also chosen as the State Logger of the Year! Congratulations, to both Terry and John Hicks for a job well done.
