Wela’lin, Les!

In a recent Forest Stewards Guild feature, Les Benedict is recognized for a career spanning more than three decades as Assistant Director of the Environment Division for the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe. A longtime leader in black ash conservation, Benedict’s work has connected Tribal environmental stewardship, seed preservation, and hands-on teaching across a broad network of Indigenous communities, researchers, and forest practitioners. USET’s Tribal Forest Resilience Specialist, Tyler Everett, has long looked to Les as mentor in the space of Tribal Forestry and black ash preservation. Wela’lin, Les! We hope you’re enjoying retirement!