Francis "Champ" Zumbrun received Lifetime of Service Award

for steadfast commitment to promoting the guiding principals of forest conservation and stewardship to be presented to Francis "Champ" Zumbrun of LaVale, Maryland

Francis "Champ" Zumbrun retired after 31 years of service with the MD DNR Forest service. He began his career at the Allegany County Forest Project and then moved to Green Ridge State Forest in 1981, and became Forest Manager there in 1988. He has been a tireless promoter of scientific forest management, and has used the 46,000-acre mixed oak forests of Green Ridge to demonstrate ecologically sensitive management techniques. Aware of the opportunity that forest recreation offers in regard to helping citizens better understand the benefits that forests provide, Champ worked to get the Great Eastern Trail routed through Green Ridge State Forest, which no runs from the Potomac River to the Pennsylvania state line.
He is probably best known to his fellow MFA members as Maryland's own forest historian, complete with authentic 1930's era field uniform (pictured at right), his extensive research on the creation of Maryland state forest and park resource and its first state forester, Fred Besley, and his singing of the Smokey the Bear song.

Due to family needs, Champ was unable to attend the banquet,
so his award will be presented to him at a later time