Two Ketchikan-based U.S. Forest Service employees have been nationally recognized for their work to protect and restore fisheries and watershed resources on the Tongass National Forest.

Dennis Landwehr. (USFS photo)

Dennis Landwehr. (USFS photo)

Dennis Landwehr has been honored with a Rise to the Future Field Soil Scientist award; and Ron Medel was chosen for a Rise to the Future Lifetime Achievement recognition.

Rise to the Future Awards are the U.S. Forest Service’s highest national recognition for watershed resources.

According to the Forest Service, Landwehr was recognized for his personal and professional excellence, and the contributions he has made to Tongass soil and watershed programs. He has been a soil scientist on the Tongass since 1988.

Ron Medel (and a really nice king). (USFS photo)

Ron Medel (and a really nice king). (USFS photo)

Medel was recognized for his 28 years of work in fish management on the Tongass and in the Alaska Region. According to the Forest Service, his work included innovative approaches that made a lasting impact on aquatic resources.

The awards will be presented later this year in Washington, D.C.