Richard M. Connor Jr.
(born 1936)
Inducted September 8, 2011
Plaque Engraving:
Following the footsteps of his father, Richard M. Connor, Sr. who with others instigated the beginning of the Forest Crop Law, Dick Connor has given selflessly of his time and energy to the forestry community. In doing so he has continued a family legacy of sound forest management preserving forests for future generations.
More about Richard M. Connor Jr.:
Richard M. Connor Jr. enhanced the practice and profess of forestry in Wisconsin by continuing on, extending sound sustainable forestry practices and management techniques that he worked to create and establish in Wisconsin. He pushed local forest lands to support local communities and mills supplying jobs and resources through the country. He pushed and endorsed MFL and Tree Farm establishment progress in its beginning stages. He was one of the first pioneers in Managed Forest Lands with his father and relatives in Connor Forest Industries and then remained to popularize the methods and practices it was built on through Wisconsin. He then took principles that Connor Forest Industries in 1872 and R.B. Goodman’s progress to establish new forestry practices in modern forest industries. He took these practices and applied it to tens of thousands of acres of industry timberlands he has personally added in Wisconsin as well.
Branching off of Connor Forest Industries early in his career he began reinvesting in timberlands that were failing in Wisconsin and applied it to rebuild mills that were failing in the area, mills like Goodman and Pine River Lumber while also using these lands and mills to create hundreds of jobs along the way. He enforced the ideas of vertical integration and sustainability in forest product business’s and helped bring a modern era from over harvesting and parcelization in the forest industry. He has used his knowledge in sustainable timber management to create Ned lake Land, Camp 36, Camp 37, Pine River Lumber, and Goodman Forest Industries land holding companies which are some of the largest in Wisconsin and Michigan.
Richard has been a member and President of the GLTPA (Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association), President and board member of the Lake States Resource Alliance, Great Lakes Logging Congress member and contributor, National Hardwood Lumber Association member, and long time Tree Farm Association contributor and member.
