Tag Archives: UGA forestry

Montgomery County Forester Matthew O’Connor Named Georgia Forester of the Year

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Ailey, GA |

For Matthew O’Connor, becoming a forester was never simply a career choice — it was a lifelong passion rooted in family, community, and stewardship. That dedication has now earned him one of the highest honors in his field: Georgia Forester of the Year from the Georgia Forestry Commission.

“I grew up around forestry. I grew up on a tree farm working with my dad, so I’ve been in forestry pretty much all my life,” O’Connor said. “When I went to the University of Georgia, I learned they had a really good forestry program. I got into the school, graduated with a forestry degree, and then had the privilege of coming to work with the Georgia Forestry Commission straight out of college. I’ve been here since, and I’ve just worked my way up to the position I’m in now.”

MORE THAN MANAGING TREES

As O’Connor explains, the role of a forester extends well beyond simply managing timber. It’s about building lasting relationships with landowners, promoting responsible stewardship, and ensuring Georgia’s forests remain healthy and productive for generations to come.

“As a forester with the Georgia Forestry Commission, we work with private landowners across the state — and that could be anywhere from getting trees planted back all the way to that final harvest,” O’Connor said. “We get to spend a lot of time with our private landowners, with federal partners, through various programs, and just trying to continue to foster good stewardship of our forests and help them be productive and healthy throughout the state.”

A LONG ROAD TO RECOVERY AFTER HELENE

While that work is important year-round, it has taken on added urgency in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, as foresters across Georgia continue helping landowners navigate the long recovery from the storm’s devastation.

“There’s still a long road to recovery. There are a lot of sites that still have a lot of debris on them that have not been reforested yet — this is a many-year recovery effort,” O’Connor said. “While a lot of sites have been salvaged, cleaned up, and are getting planted back right now, there’s still a lot of acreage that still needs to be cleaned up and reforested and get back into productive forestry. That’s where the Georgia Forestry Commission is continuing to serve our landowners, trying to help all those in the path of the hurricane get back on their feet and hopefully back in the right direction.”

SERVING THE COMMUNITY HE GREW UP IN

For O’Connor, the most rewarding part of the job isn’t the recognition — it’s the opportunity to serve the people and places he’s known his entire life.

“My favorite part of the job is just getting out and meeting private landowners and being able to serve them. I get to work in an area I grew up in — with people I grew up going to church with, or saw at the local store,” he said. “Being able to serve my community and continue to foster good forest management throughout this area is really rewarding. Trying to help others, serve others, be a blessing unto others — that’s what I really get the most out of, and trying to help continue this legacy of good forestry throughout this area.”

For the Georgia Forestry Commission, O’Connor represents exactly the kind of forester the state’s landowners depend on — someone who brings not just expertise, but genuine care for the land and the people who call it home.

By: John Holcomb

A Life Rooted in Forestry and Purpose – Meet Bob Izlar

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Danielsville, GA |

For Bob Izlar, the outdoors has always been more than just a place—it’s been a way of life. Growing up in Ware County in the 1950s and 60s, much of his time was spent hunting, fishing, and exploring the Okefenokee Swamp—a place that still holds a special place in his heart.

“I’m from Ware County. Grew up down there in the fifties and sixties, hunting and fishing a lot in the Okefenokee Swamp, so I got to know the Okefenokee really well,” Izlar says. “Always has had a special place in my heart.”

After high school, Izlar enrolled at the University of Georgia, where the ROTC program and the Vietnam War would shape his path, leading him into military service overseas until 1974. Following his return, Izlar began a long and impactful career in forestry, eventually spending more than a decade at the Georgia Forestry Association. There, he helped lead a decades-long fight to fairly tax agricultural and forest land.

“The Farm Bureau and Georgia Forestry Association had worked hand in hand for twenty-six years to get current use treatment of ag land and forest land,” says Izlar. “And for twenty-six years, we got kicked in the teeth, could not get it passed—couldn’t even get it on the ballot. And in the twenty-seventh year, the conditions finally got right that we were able to get the resolution passed.”

But for Izlar, forestry has never just been a job—it’s been a passion and a purpose. In 1997, he became the founding director of the Harley Langdale Jr. Center for Forest Business at UGA, creating a first-of-its-kind program designed to prepare future forestry leaders.

“Forestry, at its very basic, is agriculture,” he explains. “The forest brings us so many benefits—clean air, clean water, wildlife. You know, forestry is a calling. It’s a profession, but to me, it’s also a cause, and it’s extremely important that future generations learn about the benefits of forests so they don’t all get converted to something else through time.”

Izlar’s life and work are deeply intertwined with Georgia Farm Bureau’s mission, and he says he’s proud to be recognized by an organization that shares his values.

“It’s just a deep respect that I have because it’s a farmer organization. They have my values as I think I have theirs—because we love the land, we love the United States of America, we love private property rights, and we want to see rural life continue in Georgia,” Izlar says. “I think all of us understand that rural lifestyle is certainly under threat, so Farm Bureau is one of the last guardians of the rural lifestyle.”

By: John Holcomb