Spring 2024 17 Joan and Gene Ragland with Kevin Dawson, who presented their Logger Merit award at the Virginia Forestry Summit awards banquet in Charlottesville, Va. in April. In the early 1990s, Gene participated in a video produced by Virginia Tech highlighting knuckleboom and deck safety. W.E. Ragland was also one of the early users of metal bridges that are now commonplace on logging jobs for stream crossings. In 2015, Gene adapted yet again and decided to quit harvesting company stumpage and began purchasing his own stumpage for all his harvesting needs. Over his 46-year career Ragland has continually adapted to keep the business running seamlessly. He also is SHARP Logger certified and has a reputation for conducting his harvesting jobs in an extremely professional fashion. Since 2009, when the Virginia Dept. of Forestry began keeping more detailed computer records of harvesting, Ragland has harvested just shy of 13,000 acres across multiple counties in Central Virginia and has never had a water quality issue—a remarkable accomplishment. Gene’s attention to detail and planning have always averted any potential issues before they can happen. “Keeping his landowners happy is rooted deeply in the work Gene performs daily,” Dawson noted. “And that makes following the Virginia BMPs an easy task. Not only are their logging jobs exceptional, his attitude and the attitude of his family and crew is second to none.” Ragland continues to be a valuable member of the Buckingham Community, active in his church and the local fire department.
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