PA SFI® Implementation Committee, Game Commission Enter Cooperative Agreement

By Doty McDowell, PA SFI Implementation Committee Director of Outreach and Development

The Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee (PA SIC) is excited to announce a new partnership with the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC). On July 25 the two parties entered into a three-year cooperative agreement that provides support and recognition to the Implementation Committee’s efforts that bolster the PGC’s mission and programming.

The PGC partnership recognizes the valuable education and outreach that PA SIC provides to the professional loggers that are integral to completing forest habitat management work on State Game Lands. The Commission also recognizes the PA SIC’s sustainable forestry outreach to Pennsylvania citizens who utilize PGC forest lands or who own private forestlands that host critical wildlife habitat.

Through the agreement, the PGC will make PGC facilities and State Game Land areas that are suitable for training or organizational meetings available to PA SFI and will provide funding support to conduct training and outreach.

Regarding the agreement, Bryan Burhans, PGC Executive Director, stated, “Forestry is our primary tool for enhancing wildlife habitat on Pennsylvania’s State Game Lands. Logging is a dangerous career, and the work that Pennsylvania’s SFI Implementation Committee does within their Qualified Logging Professional training is important, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission wants to do our part in ensuring the safety of not only loggers on State Game Lands, but across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”

“In many aspects, the objectives of the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee are indistinguishable, and our efforts absolutely complement one another,” said Doty McDowell, Outreach and Development Director for the PA SIC. “We have been very fortunate to have the Pennsylvania Game Commission represented on our Implementation Committee for several years now, and we welcome the concrete recognition, support, and collaboration this new agreement provides.”

For more information about the PA SFI® Implementation Committee, visit their website at www.sfiofpa.org or call 888-734-9366.