Big Creek Forestry Department
Providing outstanding forestland management services throughout the Santa Cruz Mountains
We think Big Creek’s forestlands are something special. For over half a century, we’ve been growing redwoods for the future on Big Creek lands and assisting local landowners in doing the same. Located in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Big Creek is a small, family-owned lumber company. We manage private forestlands and have been providing forestry services to local landowners for decades. Big Creek has been at the forefront of developing the most progressive forestry practices in the world.
Professional Forestry Services
Big Creek’s Forestry Department offers complete forest management services to private landowners and organizations. Through our strong working relationships with government agencies, other forest landowners, the local community, and by utilizing either our own highly skilled logging crew or preferred contractors, Big Creek is able to provide you with customized forestry services.
From plan development to implementing selective timber harvesting, we are able to help forest landowners meet a wide range of long-term forest management objectives, including:
- Increased forest vigor, timber growth, and forest income potential.
- Reduced soil erosion through road maintenance and restoration.
- Diminished fire hazard through the reduction of fuels.
- Improved forestland access through well-designed roads.
- Enhanced wildlife habitat and water quality through site restoration.
- Valuable educational opportunities in resource management.
Experience of Big Creek's Forestry Department
Big Creek encourages its foresters to be active in a variety of forestry related professional organizations and to expand their knowledge through a variety of educational workshops. Our facilities include state of the art GIS mapping equipment and historical data collected over decades of operation in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Kristin Lovett, Nadia Hamey, Bob Reynolds, Bob Berlage, Andy Morse, Matt Dias, Janet Webb
Our talented and dedicated team of forest managers support Big Creek’s long-term commitment to forestry. When you combine the forestry work history of our management, forestry department and logging crew, it adds up to several hundred years of experience. This experience means that your forestry management goals will be achieved utilizing the greatest depth of knowledge in the Santa Cruz Mountains in one organization.
Our Forestry Staff
Our foresters are certified as Resource Managers (SCS-FM/COC-000054GN) through Scientific Certification Systems (SCS).
- Janet McCrary Webb, Chief Forester, Registered Professional Forester #2347. Received a Bachelor of Science in Forest Management from Humboldt State University in 1983. As a McCrary family member and Big Creek owner, Janet brings a wide perspective of the forest products industry to the department.
- Robert Reynolds, Operations Forester, Registered Professional Forester #2636. Received a degree in Forest Management from the College of the Redwoods in 1976. Bob has over 30 years of forestry operations experience with Big Creek.
- Matt Dias, Registered Professional Forester #2773. Received a bachelor of science in Forestry from Humboldt State University in 1999. Matt brings with him 5 years of experience on the north coast as a resource forester.
- Nadia Hamey, Registered Professional Forester #2788. Received a bachelor of science in Forestry from the University of California, Berkeley in 2000. Nadia previously spent several years working for the UC Berkeley Research Forest in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
- Andy Morse, Registered Professional Forester #2799. Received a bachelor of science in Forestry from the University of California, Berkeley in 2001. Previously, Andy worked for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
- Bob Berlage, Forestry Communications. Received a Bachelor of Arts from Utah State University in 1973, Ph.D. candidate, University of Utah. Bob spent 21 years as a timber faller, including 10 years as head timber faller for Big Creek.
- Kristin Lovett, Administrative Assistant. Kristin brings her 12 years of administrative experience and her positive personality to our forestry department
- Dale Holderman, Forester Emeritus, Registered Professional Forester #69. Received a Bachelor of Science from Colorado State University in Forest Recreation with a Minor in Forest Management. Dale was the Chief Forester for Big Creek from 1965 to 1994.
Sustainable Forestry Practices
Over the years, Big Creek has garnered many awards and special recognition for our sustainable forestry practices. These awards come from a wide range of interests, including those from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection “for outstanding contributions to forestry in California” and the California Department of Fish & Game “for outstanding wildlife conservation achievement”. Big Creek’s forest management has been independently certified to meet the strict standards set by the Forest Stewardship Council, an international non-profit association that is striving to improve forest management worldwide. The certification auditing team commended Big Creek’s forest management, stating “It represents an example of superior forest stewardship”. We bring our expertise and excellent reputation to the comprehensive forestry services we provide to landowners.
In 2006, Big Creek Lumberii Company celebrated its first 60 years.
We believe the success of our forestry management will still be evident two centuries from now.
