Delbert Gannon is 'Logger of the Year'

LUMBERJACK: The Sierra-Cascade Logging Conference honors Delbert Gannon, owner of Creekside Logging in Anderson, as its 2010 Logger of the Year.

Delbert Gannon of Creekside Logging in Anderson, was named 2010 Logger of the Year during the Shasta Cascade Logging Conference's Lumberjack Banquet and Education Auction.

Gannon grew up in the timber industry while his father, Gary Gannon, worked for Digby Logging as a mechanic. The younger Gannon looked forward to frequent trips to the woods with his father. In 1990, the elder Gannon started working for Blue Ridge Forest Management.

Following in his father's footsteps, Delbert Gannon, then 18, started working in the timber industry in 1991 as a knot bumper for Blue Ridge Forest Management. He started at the bottom and worked his way up the ladder in the company, running skidders, Cats, Timbcos and loaders, learning all of the phases of mechanized logging.

Creekside Logging was born in 2000, when Larry Strawn began looking at retirement. With Gannon's skills and ideas, the company prospered. In 2005, Gannon took over managing the entire woods operations for the company.

In 2008, because of his proven ability to run the woods operation, Gannon was asked to become a partner in the company. Then, in 2009, Gannon took over total operations of the company when Strawn retired. Given the opportunity, Gannon began purchasing Strawn's share of Creekside Logging.

"Throughout Gannon's career, whenever lumber mills wanted to bring anyone to the woods, they requested that he go by their side," said Larry Strawn.

Approximately ten years ago, Gannon began working on education days with other loggers and foresters. They would take local school children to the woods out on a job site, demonstrating for them the process of logging. Beginning with the falling of trees, delimbing them, cutting them into logs at the size requested by local lumber mills, then loading the logs onto trucks for transport to the mills.

The demonstration given to the students and teachers takes approximately 60 to 90 minutes.

"I enjoy watching the facial expressions of the children and their teachers as they watch the trees fall for the first time, and the process that happens before the logs are taken to the mills. It also helps teachers to get the idea that timber is managed and not just ruining the landscape," said Gannon.

Approximately 400 school children go to the woods each year during education days to learn about the industry and experience the wildlife in the area. Gannon is a tour guide for the elementary school education day at the logging conference, is a director of the Sierra Cascade Logging Conference, a member of the Associated California Loggers and has achieved Pro Logger status. Gannon is also a huge supporter of the Junior Livestock Sale.

"I love logging! It is like a disease, once you are in it, you can't get out of it. Each day brings a new challenge," said Gannon.

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