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Rich Wade, 2003
SPI District Forester Rich Wade - RPF #2016 - was given the 2003 award for his outstanding archaeological survey work completed on company lands near Camino. The presentation was made at the Board of Forestry meeting on January 8, 2004. Rich was born in Sacramento and raised in Carmichael. He received his BS Degree in Forestry from UC Berkeley in 1976. Between 1976 and 1983 he worked in a variety of forestry positions, most notably for James Nicklos and Associates in Fair Oaks and Western Timber Services in Arcata. During that time he also worked for the Forest Service on the Plumas National Forest. He became an RPF in 1982.
In 1983 he took a position as the forester for Cal Oak Lumber Company, a unique company that utilized several species of native California hardwoods for high grade lumber and other products. During that year he served on the Board of Forestry's Hardwood Task Force, an ad-hoc committee formed to examine issues relating to the status of native hardwoods. From this effort several hardwood research and education programs were spawned, including the Integrated Hardwood Range Management Program. Among his duties at Cal Oak was to write THPs and manage properties owned by small timberland owners. On these small properties his first sites were recorded. Beginning in 1991, he also became involved with the California Licensed Foresters Association, serving on its Board of Directors for six years, including serving as CLFA President in 1995-96. During that time revisions to the arch rules were proposed, and he served as the lead contact with the CAL FIRE to provide input from the RPF community regarding the archaeology rules.
In 1995 he took a position with Sierra Pacific Industries as a fee lands forester in Camino. The SPI Camino tract is rich with history, due to the railroad logging of the Michigan-California Lumber Company, gold mining, pioneer trails across the Sierra, and construction of large-scale water conveyance systems for mining and agriculture. Prehistoric milling and seasonal sites also can be found throughout the tract. Since arriving at Camino Rich has discovered and recorded approximately 85 sites in all, including perhaps 30 prehistoric sites and some 55 historic sites, and augmented several other records with new information. Some of the most interesting of these are related to historic mining activities, around the old town site of Bottle Hill, features dating from 1850-1880. He has also relocated several elements of the Michigan-Cal railroad, remnants of 19th Century mountain meadow dairy farming, and aggregations of prehistoric sites on the Georgetown Divide and in the Crystal Basin.
CAL FIRE has noticed superior archaeological work products submitted by RPF Rich Wade for over 15 years, but one particular project that stands out is his treatment of cultural resources during the preparation of Emergency Notices that covered SPI-owned acreage that burned in Placer County during the August 2001 Star Fire. Richard performed archaeological surveys over hundreds of acres of ash-covered terrain that summer and discovered seven historic and two prehistoric sites and prepared excellent site records for each site. These records serve to document the discovered historic sites prior to their possible destruction by fire-induced erosion and therefore represent an invaluable contribution to the regional archaeological data base maintained by the State Office of Historic Preservation. Members of the Archaeology Program staff at CAL FIRE, as well as the Information Centers that receive the products generated by RPFs are aware that there is some variation in the overall quality of archaeological work done by foresters in the context of developing and implementing Timber Harvest Plans. There may be many reasons for this, but certainly one factor that generates a more thorough, higher quality product is simply one?s concern for the subject. Many of the RPFs who have gone through the CAL FIRE Archaeological training program enjoy discovering and documenting archaeological resources when they prepare THPs, and invariably these are the individuals whose work stands out when it is reviewed by professional archaeologists. Rich Wade is one of these foresters. His concern for cultural resources is obvious, as is the conscientious manner in which he treats these when he encounters them. Rich understands why cultural resources are important and why these should be seriously addressed when preparing a THP. While working with Rich in the field, CAL FIRE has noticed that he is very concerned that he has identified site boundaries correctly and that he has not overlooked anything. Unlike some foresters who would rather have an archaeologist not come out and review their field assessments, Rich has actually called our staff to come back out and re-examine archaeological sites we had previously visited during a PHI because he had subsequently made some new discoveries that he felt might require altering the original plan in order to be sure the archaeological properties be adequately protected. This degree of concern and Rich's understanding of the importance of stewarding cultural resources while engaging in timber harvesting is exceptional. Rich serves as an excellent example of the potential effectiveness of our archaeological training program which allows foresters to act as paraprofessional archaeologists, working under the guidance of professional archaeologists on staff at the Department. Rich represents exactly the type of product that training hopes to produce.
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