The Idaho Forest Products Commission has announced winners, who include a Priest River student, of the annual Forest Products Week essay contest. For their outstanding writing efforts, the five Idaho students will receive a certificate and cash awards for themselves, plus $100 for their classrooms.

Winning essayists are Myla Richardson of Priest River Elementary, Adam Dreyer of Grangeville Elementary Middle School, Macy Dean of Farnsworth Elementary in Rigby, Ryan Posey of New Plymouth Middle School, and Sadie Oesch of Caldwell High School. Teachers of these young writers are, respectively, MaKinzie Adamson, Bernadette Edwards, Susanna Oberhansley, Rod Wilson and Jason Hunt.

Local students receiving honorable mention honors are:

- CJ Ward, Taylor Burrows, Paige Rief and Halle Wyman of Selle Valley Carden School in Sandpoint. Teachers are Melissa Peck and Stacy Rief.

- Branson Stokes, Priest River Elementary School; teacher is MaKinzie Adamson.

- CJ Moore of Timberlake High School in Spirit Lake; teacher is Michael Anderson.

In their essays, elementary students shared how forest products touch their lives, and secondary students considered the environmental and economic impacts of using Idaho wood for building.

“In this year’s essays, students shared personal connections to Idaho’s trees and forests, and grappled with the need to be informed about natural resources, economics and sustainable management in order to make wise consumer choices,” said IFPC’s Education Coordinator, Michelle Youngquist. The winning essays may be seen at https://idahoforests.org/essaycontest.

The Idaho Forest Products Commission provides information and education programs about Idaho’s forests and the forest products sector.