Released: Sept. 25, 2020
Former Kansas Forest Service leader honored by Arbor Day Foundation
Biles recognized for work that includes planting 2.5M trees in Kansas
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Larry Biles, the longtime state forester for the Kansas Forest Service who retired late last year, has received the Lifetime Stewardship Award from the Arbor Day Foundation.
According to a release from the foundation, the award honors an individual’s lifelong commitment to tree planting and conservation.
Biles served as state forester from 2008 to 2019, culminating a 52-year that spanned a military career and appointments with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Southern Forestry Research Partnership in Athens, Georgia.
As state forester in Kansas, his key accomplishments include overseeing the Conservation Tree Planting program, which planted more than 2.5 million trees across the state; and securing a $13 million Regional Conservation Partnership Program grant for the Kansas Forest Service – the largest grant ever received by the organization.
“The State of Kansas greatly benefitted from Larry’s career-long commitment to forestry,” said Dan Lambe, president of the Arbor Day Foundation. “His leadership resulted in the conservation of millions of trees, the improvement of water quality throughout the state, and the improvement of industry-wide best practices.”
Biles is one of five individuals honored during September for their contributions to tree planting, conservation and stewardship. More information on the honorees is available online.
Since 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation has recognized life-changing work of leading environmental stewards and tree planters. Past award winners include Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, the United States Forest Service, and Procter & Gamble.
Learn more about the Arbor Day Foundation at www.arborday.org.
FOR PRINT PUBLICATIONS: Links used in this story
Kansas Forest Service, www.kansasforests.org
Arbor Day Foundation, www.arborday.org
Arbor Day Foundation awards, www.arborday.org/awards
About the Kansas Forest Service
The Kansas Forest Service is the nation’s fifth oldest state forestry agency. The agency serves rural landowners, communities, rural fire districts, forest and arboriculture industries, and citizens of the state through its Conservation Tree and Shrub Planting, Fire Management, Community Forestry, Rural Forestry, Marketing and Utilization, and Forest Health programs. The Kansas Forest Service state office is located in Manhattan, Kansas, just west of the campus of Kansas State University. The Kansas Forest Service is housed as an independent agency within K-State Research and Extension. The agency receives its direction from a mission statement that reads: “Care of natural resources and service to people through forestry.”
About K-State Research and Extension
K‑State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well‑being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county extension offices, experiment fields, area extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K‑State campus in Manhattan. For more information, visit www.ksre.ksu.edu. K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
For more information:
Jen Hallaman, Arbor Day Foundation
402-473-2024
