John H. Saemann
(1916- )
Inducted October 19, 1994
Plaque Engraving:
John Saemann had a long and distinguished career as Marinette County Forester and was a pioneer in establishing and managing county forest from 1940- 1973. During this period, numerous innovative forest management practices were instituted that made the county a leader among Wisconsin’s twenty-eight county forests.
Throughout his career, Saemann was an active participant and leader of numerous forestry related organizations and in 1977, was named Forest Conservationist of the Year by the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation.
More about John H. Saemann:
John Saeman was born in Adell, Wisconsin. He graduated from the University of Michigan Forestry School in 1937, and worked on the Marinette County survey crew to reestablish corners on the County Forest. In May 1940, John was appointed Assistant County Agent and worked in this capacity until 1942, when he served in the military for three years. He was appointed Marinette County Forest Administrator in September 1946.
One of his early accomplishments was to establish the first county timber sale program. John held county-wide informational meetings to gain public acceptance of this new activity. Today, the Marinette County Forest leads the state’s County Forest Program in harvests and management accomplishments.
John was a strong proponent of the School Forest Program and worked to enhance this program county-wide. He was also a strong supporter of youth programs such as 4-H. He was instrumental in building Camp Bird in Marinette County. It is still used for youth environmental education programs. John was honored in 1985, by having a building at Camp Bird named in his honor.
John shared his forestry expertise in county forest administration by serving six years on the County Forest Advisory Council to the Natural Resources Board. During his service, the Advisory Council was active in matters dealing with changes in the County Forest statutes resulting in the state-county partnership law presently guiding the 2 1/4 million acres of county forests.
John was a long-time active member of the Marinette County History Society, served as president of the Wisconsin Forest History Society and is a member of the Wisconsin Society of American Foresters.
