MDC foresters start work at new sites in southwest Missouri

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Helping landowners with conservation needs will be the primary duties of Guerric Good and Scott Hollabaugh, two Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) foresters who will work at new locations in the southwest part of the state.

Good, who began his job May 1, will work out of MDC’s Lebanon Office. He replaces Steven LaVal, who retired earlier this year. Good will work with landowners in Laclede, part of Hickory, and Dallas counties. He will also assist with the management of 23 MDC-owned lands. He can be reached at 417-532-7612 or at Guerric.Good@mdc.mo.gov. Prior to coming to Lebanon, Good had been a forester at MDC’s Bolivar office since joining MDC in 2016.

Hollabaugh will replace Good at the Bolivar office, beginning his duties May 15. Prior to his current position, Hollabaugh had been an MDC forester in Clinton since 2016 and in Unionville for a year prior to that. He will work with landowners in Polk, Cedar, Dade and a portion of Hickory counties. Also included in his duties will be assisting with the management of nine MDC areas in Polk, Dade and northern Greene counties. Hollabaugh can be reached at 417-326-5189 or at Scott.Hollabaugh@mdc.mo.gov.

MDC foresters can assist landowners with long-term forest and woodland management ranging from advice on the planting of trees to their harvest and regeneration. Throughout the stages of forest management, landowners can get advice on tree maintenance practices such as pruning or insect and disease diagnosis. Landowners interested in management for the future can obtain assistance and guidance in the creation of long-term plans as well.

Plans about how to manage timber on your property can be found at https://mdc.mo.gov/trees-plants/forest-care.