Texas Forestry Association named Ragan Bounds, Senior Forester, Hancock Forest Management; as the recipient for the 2020 Ed Wagoner Leadership Award at the Association’s virtual annual convention held October 28-29, 2020, at their headquarters in Lufkin, Texas.
“This award is being presented to a person who has spent many years, and a lot of summers, presenting the forestry message to teachers at TFA’s Teacher Conservation Institute, and in Texas Project Learning Tree Workshops,” said James Edelen, TFA President. “His investment of time and service has made an indelible impact on so many.”
Bounds is a senior forester with Hancock Forest Management (HFM) where he is responsible for the silviculture program and assists with harvesting activities on 200,000 acres of client property in Southeast Texas. During his tenure, he has had multiple Sensitive Sites under his management, including the natural longleaf stand and former RCW colony at Woodpecker Hill, where he worked with the Nature Conservancy to reintroduce Texas Trailing Phlox into the habitat. He is also Hancock’s resident rare plant expert and has identified multiple elemental occurrences of Species of Concern such as slender gayfeather, Louisiana catchfly, and nodding yucca. As the leader of HFM’s longleaf restoration initiative in Southeast Texas, Bounds represents HFM on the Texas Longleaf Implementation Steering Committee and with the Longleaf Alliance.
“As a forester and TFA member, Ragan has developed a reputation as a leader within the forest stewardship community,” said Edelen. “We are incredibly grateful for Ragan who has provided so much in the way of leadership, time, and personal attention to the success of many TFA programs.”
Bounds is a longtime presenter at the Sam Houston State University Walk in the Forest as well as the Forest Awareness Tours hosted by the Texas A&M Forest Service, and the Farm Bureau’s Ag Day. He has also led PLT activities for elementary students during summer science week at Jasper Classical Academy. He is a member and past president of the Texas Project Learning Tree Steering Committee and is a member of the Texas Longleaf Implementation Team.
The Ed Wagoner Leadership Award is presented each year to recognize a TFA member who has contributed to the success of the association’s programs and the advancement of Forestry. This award recognizes the high standards of leadership set by Ed Wagoner, who served as the Executive Vice President of TFA beginning in July of 1955 until his retirement in December 1983.