Brian Keith Cobble, senior forester for Suwannee County, recently earned the Florida Division, Society of American Foresters, Young Forester Award for 2008. The award was for recognition of Demonstrated Leadership in Forestry and Community, and Outstanding Achievement in Professional and Civic Organizations.

The award was presented at the Annual SAF Spring Symposium on April 16. Cobble thanked “all the people and landowners I’ve had a chance to work with over the last several years.”

Cobble is employed with the Florida Division of Forestry, having served as Suwannee County forester since October 2001. He works in the coordination and administration of state and federal cooperative forestry programs on privately owned forestland. Technical assistance in forest management is routinely provided to a land base of approximately 3,200 non-industrial private forest landowners surrounding Live Oak. Assistance includes forest management plan preparation, with technical assistance provided in regards to growing timber and its care, management, thinning and timber harvesting, and reforestation. Promoting forestry education and forest fire prevention are important roles that he actively participates.

Cobble is a member of the Society of American Foresters. He joined the Society of American Foresters at Mississippi State University (where he earned a B.S. in Forestry/Wildlife Management in 2000) and became involved with the student chapter. He served as vice president of the Forestry Club at MSU, served on the MSU’s Dean’s Council Board, and served as fund-raising coordinator with the College of Forest resources in 1999 and 2000.

Cobble is married to Ronna Meeks, of Live Oak, and has two boys, Phillip, 9, and Garrett, 5. The family attends First Baptist Church of Live Oak, where Brian serves as a teacher with the Awana youth program. They reside on a 75-acre Certified Tree Farm and Stewardship Forest.

Brian’s grandfather, Cleo Treadway, retired from U.S. Forest Service after 38 years as a survey technician, and his grandmother, Lois Treadway, served 17 years as a fire tower lookout. Both worked with the USFS in Bankhead National Forest in Alabama.

Cobble is a registered forester in Mississippi, participates in the Suwannee County Conservation District, and has presented programs on Forestry topics in the past to the Live Oak Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club, Lions Club, Women’s Garden Club and Advent Christian Retirement Village, among others, as well as at UF IFAS Forestry workshops, and local schools as the county forester. He is a certified Tree Farm Inspector and Wildland Firefighter in the state of Florida. He has served on Emergency Response Teams for Hurricanes and Wildfires in Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Montana.

Cobble enjoys spending time with his wife, boating, fishing, wildlife watching, and attending baseball and soccer games with Phillip and Garrett. He is also a member of the National Wild Turkey Federation.