California Tree Farmers of the Year 2003
Ron and Carol Michener of Zenia in western Trinity County, have owned their Tree Farm for over seventeen (17) years and have lived on it the last few years since Ron retired.  Their primary objectives are to:  (1) develop an uneven-aged forest managed for maximum health, growth, and aesthetics while providing for future sustainable harvests; (2) to encourage and maintain biodiversity of native plants and wildlife species, including maintaining fish populations in their 3-acre lake; (3) to maintain a low fuel load, reducing fire risk, and providing protection against fire spreading from neighboring properties; (4) to maintain all roads in usable condition with best management practices for soil and watershed protection.

The Michener’s are also working to have a model demonstration forest available for educational and environmental group field trips with the ultimate foal of possible leaving the property to a non-profit organization for use as a youth educational and recreational camp.  They want to maintain the water quality of their lake and streams to maintain fisheries and other aquatic populations, and possibly produce electric power for the property.

The Michener’s carry on a true “Mom & Pop” operation with 90% of the work done by them, working almost daily for over 7 years since they moved to the property full time.  They have amassed an impressive array of well maintained and functional equipment for doing the work needed, but have sacrificed their own creature comforts by not making any major improvements to their modest cabin by their lake.  Everything they do is for the improvement of the property and not necessarily for their gains.  They are being excellent stewards of the property and are assuring that they will leave it in much better condition than they bought it and would like to add additional acreage to it.

Carol and Ron both belong to Forest Landowners of California with Ron a member of the California Farm Bureau and Forestry Advisory Committee for 5 years.  Carol and Ron have both completed a University of California, Berkeley extension course in Ranch Water Quality and Ron is a certified timber cruiser, Licensed Timber Operator and has completed the necessary certified archaeological training to complete necessary surveys.

The Michener’s have done a fantastic job of improving their property and set some pretty impressive goals for managing it, of which a number have now been completed.