Lifetime Award James Garner, a former State forester and Nature Conservancy board member was the recipient of the 2006 McCarthy Award for lifetime achievement. Mr. Garner is a native of Amherst County, Va. Since 1958, he has played a valuable role in successfully planning, promoting and implementing the vital programs and services of the Virginia Department of Forestry. As assistant chief of forest management, Garner initiated the first state-operated aerial spray program and herbicides research in 1976. His past honors and awards include the 1989 State Conservationist of the Year and Virginia Tech’s first Outstanding Alumnus in 1996.