If Drew Metzler could have drawn up the perfect job for him at this time in his life, he would have drawn himself as the Pike County Forester.

“I’m exactly where I want to be,” Metzler said as he sat comfortably at his desk at the Pike County Conservation Office. “I don’t know of anywhere I would rather work than with the Alabama Forestry Commission or any place I would rather be than right here in Pike County.”
But, with a smile, Metzler admitted that he was looking forward to a weekend of trout fishing in the Cherokee National Forest.

Metzler of Prattville is an outdoorsman. He loves to fish and hunt, and in that order. His idea of a getaway weekend is on a bass boat in the Alabama River. And, he’s a fan of the pigskin game so the Pike County Forester is in hog heaven.

He graduated from Auburn University in April 2016 with a degree in forestry and returned later and earned a dual degree in forestry and wildlife.

“I should have done that in the beginning,” he said. “The way that we manage the forest influences wildlife, they go hand-in-hand.”

Metzler said, before he came, Pike County had been without forester since 2017.

“At one time, the Pike County office had three people but, when the conservation officer left in 2017, the office was closed,” he said. “From what I understand, some private land owners saw a need for a conservation office here in Pike County. I was working in Bullock County at that time and I was asked if I would be willing to come here and I was proud to get the opportunity.”

Metzler said Pike County has an enthusiastic land owner base.

“The land owners care about improving their land and I am eager to assist them in setting their objectives and meeting their goals to carry out responsible forest management on their property,” he said.

Metzler said the Pike County Conservation Office assists landowners with fire lanes and breaks around clean cuts and technical assistance. The office also offers drone mapping services.

He also assists other foresters with paid services offered through the Alabama Forestry Commission.

Metzler said his office has been approved to hire a forestry worker. An applicant must have a high school diploma and a CDL license may be required.

The Pike County Forestry Service office may be contacted at 334-540-3136 for information or assistance.