Forest Stewardship Committee

Formed in November 2025, the Forest Stewardship Committee is undertaking a multi-year project to create a Forest Management Plan for AIPRD, furthering our community’s priorities for safe and healthy woodlands for all to enjoy and protect. The objective of the committee is to evaluate the health and viability of the Anderson Island Park and Recreation District’s woodlands through data-driven assessments and creative, site-specific application of sustainability strategies.

Want to help?

Please reach out to Michael French at (253) 820-7000 if you have an interest in becoming a volunteer on this project.

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Project Details

How Did This Start?

This project was conceived through discussions with community members about wildfire preparedness, forest health, and the strength of resilient, diverse ecosystems for mitigating the effects of many ecological pressures facing our PNW forests.

Who Will It Help?

How Did This Start?

Our hope is that our management plan can inform an island-wide set of best practices to help all landowners identify disease, manage invasive plants, and create their own plans for stewarding our second-growth forest into a healthy future state.

What is Our Vision?

What's Our First Step?

Our vision is to engage organizations and our community in learning about and improving woodland spaces through the restoration and enhancement of habitats, as well as, the mitigation of environmental threats.

What's Our First Step?

In 2026, the first year of this project, we will start with a pilot plan in Jane Cammon Park; collecting and analyzing data that will inform a greater and unified forest management plan.

Committee Co-Chairs

Michael French

Michael French is an experienced land management specialist, blending a diverse career spanning fieldwork, research, and governmental regulatory affairs. Michael’s professional life in forestry includes key roles with the U.S. Forest Service, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Weyerhaeuser Company, and the St. Regis Timber Company. Michael’s academic background demonstrates a holistic approach to land management, featuring an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science with a minor in Ethnobotany and a concentration in Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

A strong dedication to service defines Michael’s personal life, highlighted by three years in the Peace Corps implementing sustainable Agro-Forestry Practices and Environmental Education programs, demonstrating a long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship.

Rikki McGee

Rikki couldn’t wait to leave a long career in academia to love and care for the natural environment. She trained as a Texas and Oregon Master Naturalist, a Mountaineers Naturalist, and a steward for the National Wildlife Federation and the Pierce Conservation District. She is certified by the National Association of Interpretation to educate the public in museum and outdoor settings. Her experience in environmental restoration and project management has involved serving on boards and working for preserves and outdoor education organizations, including leading stewardship efforts for Meeker Creek restoration and the Clover Creek Preserve, both located in Puyallup. Rikki served as secretary on the Chambers-Creek Watershed Council and now serves on the Pierce County Conservation Futures Citizens Advisory Board. On AI, she coordinates the Pigeon Guillemot summer survey, participates in the seasonal Green Crab survey, stewards the 90-acre Nisqually Land Trust Oro Bay property, and helps with the archives at the AIHS. For more details, see her Naturalist Service Portfolio.