The Piney Woods Journal, owned and published by Tom Kelly in Dodson, Louisiana, has been given the first Service to Forestry Award by the Louisiana Forestry Association. The award was presented Wednesday, August 30 during the annual meeting of the LFA held in Alexandria at the Holiday Inn Convention Center.

The award is the first of its kind given by the LFA, in recognition of the newspaper's three years of forestry reporting. "We recognize that this newspaper, dedicated solely to forestry and the people working in this field, has made an outstanding contribution," said C.A "Buck" Vandersteen, executive director of the Louisiana Forestry Association.

The Journal was conceived as a publishing venture in north Louisiana based on forestry as the common economic and social denominator throughout the region.

"While everybody sees the trees, few of us really understand the connections that all of us have - economically, culturally and socially - because of the Hill Country's involvement in the timber-based economy," said Kelly.

"Credit for this award goes to our staff," the publisher said. "We are a small and hard-working group, and the support and loyalty of all segments of the forest industry since our very first edition has been gratifying. Special recognition goes to Correspondent Ronald Skains, whose coverage of forest issues and personalities has been outstanding, and to Jerry Dingler, who has been diligent in sales of the advertising which supports the publication financially. We are also very appreciative of our office staff and special correspondents for their service, as well as to the growing number of readers who are joining the lists as paid subscribers."

Kelly, a native of Winn Parish, started his career as a reporter in Winnfield, Louisiana. He was a co-founder of the Enterprise Group, Inc., owner of daily and weekly newspapers in Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Florida. He also owns Quote Magazine, The Speaker's Digest.

He is a past president of the Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, past president of the Kiwanis clubs of Ruston and Las Cruces, N.M. and past chairman of the Louisiana Peach Festival. He also served on the board of directors for the Louisiana Press Association and was past vice president of the Louisiana Daily Publishers Association.

Dingler is a former owner and publisher of The Bienville Democrat in Arcadia, and also worked in advertising sales at the Minden Press-Herald, and for the cable television service in North Louisiana.