Nominate a Chesapeake Forest Champion by Aug. 6

Do you know an individual or group that is working hard to help our forests stay healthy? Nominate them to be a Chesapeake Forest Champion!

The Forest Champion contest was launched by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and the U.S. Forest Service in 2011. Now in its second year, the contest hopes to recognize additional exemplary forest stewards in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. With 100 acres of the region's forest lost to development each day, the need for local champions of trees and forests has never been greater!

The contest is open to schools and youth organizations, community groups and nonprofits, businesses and forestry professionals. If you know a professional or volunteer who is doing outstanding work for forests, you can nominate them, too!

Awards will be given for:

• Most effective at engaging the public (i.e., use of innovative methods or skills to inspire people to act on behalf of forests)

• Greatest on-the-ground impact (i.e., use of programs or innovation to vastly improve forest health)

• Exemplary Forest Steward (i.e., landowner or tenant doing exceptional work on behalf of forests)

Nominations forms can be found at the Forestry for the Bay website and are due August 6, 2012.

Winners will be recognized at the 2012 Chesapeake Watershed Forum in Shepherdstown, West Virginia in late September.

For more information about Forest Champions:

• Learn who was recognized as a 2011 Forest Champion.

• Read about our adventures on Susan Benedict's property. This 2011 Forest Champion from Pennsylvania is implementing forest conservation practices on her family's mountain top land.

• For more information on Chesapeake forests, visit the Forestry for the Bay website.