Name- Wes Johns
Education- BA (Business) Western Washington University
Occupation(s)- Owner- Contractor @ Metau Resilient Forests
I am a fuels reduction contractor in the Chumstick and my wife and I have owned property in Merry Canyon, in Leavenworth, WA. since 2017. I’ve lived there for the last year to run my fuels reduction contracting business, while my wife lives in Seattle. We plan to build a house in 2023, so that both of us will live here full time and the Chumstick area is paradise to us.
I’ve pruned for many years as a hobby on my own trees and plants and found that I gained a lot of fulfillment from it. I was introduced to the concept as a kid, as my dad worked at Manito Park in Spokane and was an expert pruner/thinner. I found that I drew a lot of fulfillment from working to establish more resilient forests, and coming from an entrepreneurial family, it made sense for me to begin this business. Being in the forest is good for my soul. I refer to the many subtle experiences I have in the forest as “slow drip dopamine.” Finding new flowers, seeing a bear run by etc….makes me happy. I relish my mission of enabling resilient forests. It allows me to follow a passion while meeting forestry folks who have a similar interest. It’s been a great way to meet people with kindred spirits. There’s a lot of folks in this area with my passion for these forests.
Working on the recent fuels reduction 123 Project made sense in many respects. First, my company’s mission is right in line with the 123 project’s goal of enabling wildfire resilience. There are four pillars of decision making that guide my work on any given job:
- Humans (aka biocultural restoration)
- Wildfire resilience
- Wildlife habitat
- Overall forest resilience
My values align with the CWSC and many of the 123 Program landowner participants. I admire landowners who want to do fuels reduction on their property as that is a goal of mine also. A contractor and his clients and partner organizations work well together when they have a common goal. These common goals have been a highlight for me as I continue to work with clients and the CWSC during the 123 Fuels Reduction Project.
Even though wildfire resilience is the priority in this project, the other pillars come into play on each job. Second, I’m a businessperson so revenue is important, and this afforded me the opportunity to grow my business.
I like to hunt with, throw the frisbee and ball for my dog Shadow. Both of my kids are off to college. My wife and I like to hike and just take in the simple pleasures of nature, which are abundant this time of year.
Thank you for the opportunity to collaborate with the Chumstick Wildfire Stewardship Coalition. I look forward to many more collaborative efforts!