O.H. “Doogie” Darling

O.H. “Doogie” Darling, 85, of Crossett, is a well-known name in forestry in southern Arkansas. Darling earned his forestry technician certificate from Arkansas A&M College (now the University of Arkansas at Monticello). He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in forestry from Louisiana State University and a master’s in forestry from Yale University. In the 1950s, Darling was a young forester working for the Fordyce Lumber Company where he pioneered the first landowner assistance program, a new innovation in the forest industry at the time. This program combined a forester’s knowledge with landowners struggling to make ends meet following the Great Depression and World War II. The program helped farmers generate a supplemental income from their farm woodlots through scientifically based forest management and improve the value of their property while improving the forestland’s health and productivity. When Georgia-Pacific bought the Fordyce Lumber Company, Darling continued his landowner assistance efforts, further expanding the program. At the peak of Darling’s career, he was responsible for managing 3 million acres of Georgia-Pacific timberland, delivering wood to 28 forest production mills in eight states. After retiring from Georgia-Pacific, Darling served on the board of director’s for Deltic Timber for 12 years. Darling has been a member of the Arkansas Forestry Association for almost 50 years and served as its president in 1988 to 1989. He is also a member of the Arkansas Foresters’ Hall of Fame and mentored many young foresters throughout the state.