By Cindy Peterson

This May, after 19 years overseeing the Forest Stewardship program at MSU Extension Forestry, I will be retiring. It is amazing to reflect on the experiences and memories made over the years. It has been a pleasure to work with such great advisors, forest owners, and loggers who make this program successful.

Since June of 2005, I’ve coordinated 91 workshops for MSU Extension Forestry’s Forest Stewardship Program and had the privilege of interacting with more than 70 Stewardship Advisors and 1,985 forest owners representing 1,287 ownerships and 388,654 acres. Through monitoring, we were also able to reach more than 546 landowners representing more than 165,000 acres of forestland. More than 250 loggers participated in workshops as part of the Montana Logging Association’s Accredited Logging Professional program.

Image of Cindy Peterson holding a child with a golden colored dog sitting at her feet.

One of the most fulfilling aspects of my job has been seeing the success of participants in their forest objectives following their involvement in workshops. It has been a privilege to learn from them and see successes over the years. In a way we are family, and I am happy for the successes and carry good memories of getting to know many on a professional and friendly basis.

I want to thank the advisors and folks at MSU Extension for their support over the years and thank the forest owners for their involvement, humor, and excitement about their forests. I am grateful for and believe Lexi Smith will be great in carrying on the stewardship program during her tenure at MSU Extension Forestry. I plan to continue to stay involved in some way with landowner assistance. I am excited for the future and the opportunity to have more time to enjoy Montana and my own little forest.

Best to you all and I look forward to seeing you in the future.