By Ken Preston

Standing atop a high ridge behind his house, Stu Goldstein can survey the fruits of his labor. Some 30,000 trees that he planted 8 years earlier grow vigorously in 80 acres of verdant fields. A century ago, those same fields were the lifeblood of a self-sustaining homestead. The house and barns are still there, as stalwart and rich with historical ambiance as Goldstein himself.

Stu Goldstein was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1937. During his youth, his family frequently moved around the country as his father continued to seek financial betterment for the family in the Depression and post-Depression years. Stu lived in such cities as Baltimore, Maryland; Rochester, New York; Dayton, Ohio; Charleston, West Virginia; and St. Louis and then Kansas City, Missouri. Eventually, Stu attended Ohio State for his undergraduate degree, and then went on to medical school at Columbia, Missouri. He then served his internship and residency in Palo Alto, California. He was then inducted into the military via the draft, and served two years in post-war Korea from 1963 to 1965. During this time, he became interested in emergency medicine, and after his military discharge, made it his life's work in Walnut Creek, California. Stu retired from the medical field in 1996, and he and his wife Annemarie, began to seek a place for retirement.

After a rather extensive search, the Goldsteins decided on the piece of ground they have today in Latah County. It would turn out to be a fortuitous selection, not only for them, but also for the county itself. Soon after his arrival to the area, Stu made the acquaintance of a couple of seasoned residents, Donny Oleson and Bertle Spence. Stu enjoyed their historical tales about the homestead he had purchased, and also, about how the landscape of the area had changed over the years. Most of Goldstein's' new property was enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) at the time of purchase, and it had a well-established ground cover of grasses. When the existing CRP contract expired, Stu began to wonder what would best serve his interests and the land itself. Having been told how the land had once been tree-covered, Stu thought the time might be right to bring it full circle and reestablish trees on those acres. With guidance from the late Ken Houska, who was then District Conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the decision was made to reenroll the acreage into CRP, and do so this time with a tree planting rather than just grass cover. This decision would prove to have its challenges and its labors, but so too, it would bring enrichment, reward, and satisfaction to both the land and to Stu himself.

Stu Goldstein has served on the Latah Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors for about 7 years. He became interested in the work the Conservation District was doing, via a friend named Wayne Westberg. Stu attended a couple of the Board's meetings and sensed a well-defined parallel between his values and the mission of the Latah SWCD. He was appointed as a supervisor, and since then has twice run for, and been elected to, the office. Stu points out that he fully embraces the principles of the Latah SWCD, enjoys the well-defined purpose and function of the organization within state law, plus, he "...really, really likes the people involved, and respects the entire team comprising the Board and the staff."

Stu remarks that during his tenure the biggest change he has seen occurring with the Latah SWCD is the "scope of involvement". The multiple grant fundings, projects, staff, undertakings, and involvement at State and Federal levels designed to complement Latah County, have dramatically expanded. Stu notes, "It is rare to be involved with a voluntary, non-profit group that develops so exponentially." He goes on to say that he envisions and hopes that the progress continues into the future. It will not happen without commitment to meet and solve challenges ahead. Stu says, "With growth and progress will emerge a corresponding rise in risk quotients and complexity of problems to deal with."

Stu says if there is one thing he has come to appreciate since moving to Latah County, it is the amazing resumé of the average farmer. He points out that the average farmer, among other things, needs to be: an agronomist, a chemist, a mechanic, an entomologist, a business entrepreneur, an inventor, a politician, a meteorologist and most of all-a risk taker. Stu says with authority, "That's not just talk-that's real!"

Author's note: Taking 80 acres of land and planting it to trees isn't just talk either. It is a sacrifice and commitment that is extracted from Stu's retirement years, and is far removed from the idle leisure many of us might want to enjoy. One hundred years from now, thousands of majestic Ponderosa pines will tower upward to the sky. Someone will stroll through them and marvel at their beauty, and perhaps place a hand against a trunk in the exact spot where Stu Goldstein's hand was placed a century before. They probably won't know who planted those trees, so in advance on their behalf, we will say, ‘Thank you, Stu'.