ORONO – The University of Maine’s School of Forest Resources recognized Patrick Strauch of Exeter with the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award at a ceremony in Orono on Friday, October 14. This award, which is given annually, recognizes the distinguished service and significant contributions a program graduate has made to the forest resources profession and society.
Strauch received a BS in Forestry in 1981 and a MS in silviculture in 1990. He worked in the industry for many years before becoming coordinator of the Maine Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) in 2001. In 2004, he became the Executive Director of the Maine Forest Products Council, where he has led a diverse membership involving all aspects of the industry – loggers, truckers, landowners, foresters and forest product companies. As Executive Director, Strauch played a key role in the development of the Forest Opportunity Roadmap/Maine. Otherwise known as FOR/Maine, this collaboration provided a blueprint for future development and support of Maine’s forest products industry.
Patrick Strauch said, “It was a great honor to be recognized by the University’s School of Forest Resources, alongside my fellow honorees Mike Dann (2020) and Ken Lausten (2021). The education that I received at the University of Maine, along with the relationships that I formed, set me on the path for a rewarding career as a horse logger, gatekeeper of Katahdin Ironworks, silviculturist for a recycling company, a solid waste company executive, and for the last twenty years, a policy wonk and economic development promoter for an industry full of decent businesspeople and workers whom I deeply respect. There is a cohesiveness that comes with being connected to the forests of Maine, whether you are a mill worker, forester, logger or scientist. Our industry is an important part of our local and global economy. I strongly encourage those looking to pursue a career to consider the forest products industry, and my alma matter, the University of Maine’s School of Forest Resources.”