A Maryland Department of Natural Resources forester has been named the nation’s top tree farm inspector for 2026.
Melissa Nash, a project manager with the Maryland Forest Service, received the national award from the American Tree Farm System (ATFS) at its leadership conference in Colorado in March.
“Melissa has a heart for helping landowners, practicing good forestry, and building partnerships,” said Maryland State Forester Anne Hairston-Strang. “We are very proud that she has received this recognition; she is a real credit to DNR and public service in Maryland.”
Nash joined the Maryland Forest Service in 2011 and currently works with more than 350 private forest landowners on approximately 20,000 acres through the Maryland Forest Stewardship Program. Her responsibilities include helping landowners develop management plans, recommending harvest operations, controlling invasive plants, overseeing prescribed burns, and conducting educational programs.
As a Tree Farm Inspector, Nash enrolls landowners into the certified Tree Farm program, conducts compliance inspections and provides ongoing advice. Last year she inspected 4,400 acres. Of the 69 Tree Farms under her responsibility, all have been inspected within the last five years, and half within the last two years.
“I want to recognize my fellow inspectors, foresters, and program partners who give their time and expertise to make Tree Farm successful nationwide,” Nash said. “The consistency, professionalism, and passion I see across this network is remarkable.”
She has built strong relationships with landowners who have diverse goals — from timber production to wildlife habitat and simply enjoying vibrant fall colors. Some properties have been in families for nearly 100 years, while others are first-generation ownership.
Nash began her career seasonally at Green Ridge State Forest as a college student in 2006. She earned an Associate of Applied Sciences in Forest Technology from Allegany College of Maryland and a Bachelor’s of Science in Forest Resource Management from West Virginia University. Her previous honors include Maryland Forest Service Forester of the Year (2020), Regional Cooperative Forest Management Forester of the Year (2021), National Field Forester Award (2024), and Northeast Region Outstanding Tree Farm Inspector of the Year (2025).
Sustainable forestry practices supported by programs like the Maryland Tree Farm System help protect water quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, sequester carbon, provide wildlife habitat and support the state’s forest economy. Private landowners own the majority of Maryland’s forestland, making inspectors like Nash critical to maintaining healthy, productive woodlands across Southern Maryland and the state.
