There are 20 State Forest Districts in Pennsylvania. The largest, Susquehannock State Forest, is located within portions of McKean, Potter, and Clinton counties and are comprised of 265,000 acres.
DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry manages the Susquehannock, along with the other nineteen state forests, to ensure their long term health and productivity.
These forests are “working forests” and provide a wide variety of uses and values to Pennsylvania citizens while maintaining the forests’ wild character.
Our state forests are managed to provide for: pure water, recreation, and sustainable timber, natural gas, scenic beauty, and for plant and animal habitat, just to name a few.
The Bureau of Forestry has adopted “ecosystem management” as its principal strategy for managing state forests.
This approach seeks to conserve the natural patterns and processes of the forest while advancing long-term sustainability. Ecosystem management promotes the conservation of plant and animal communities, landscapes, and habitats that support them. It also accounts for the needs and values of people and communities.
This leads managers in an integrated approach to managing forest resources.
This opens the question, “What is being done within the Susquehannock State Forest?” The answer, “More than most would imagine.”
For the past 10 years the Susquehannock State Forest has conducted a tour. The invitation is open to the public. Participants are provided with bus transportation, and the starting points vary from one section of the forest to another. This year the tour began and ended at the Lumbering Museum located along Route 6 east of Coudersport.
Forest District Manager Chris Nicholas was joined by Troy Steinmaker, Eric Monge, and retired forester Paul Lilja. Duane Diefenbach, Ph.D. Adjunct Professor of Wildlife Ecology of Leader, PA, Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit represented the Deer-Forest Study. The study is being conducted in cooperation with Penn State and the PA Game Commission. Also on hand was Nathan Kluge who serves as a deer capture crew leader of the Deer-Forest study.
The first stop on the tour was at an area providing a panoramic view of a large area of forest. The view provided Troy Steinmaker with the opportunity to provide in-depth details of several forest management practices that were applied to the forest landscape.
At the same location Duane Diefenbach and Nathan Kluge explained a number of details and information and insight to the Deer-Forest Study as a result of monitoring and tracking of deer fitted with radio transmitters.
Kluge outlined deer trapping devices and a number of findings relating to population dynamics, deer numbers, age classes of deer, buck to doe ratios, and much more.
Along the way another forest management technique was explained.
Eric Monger provided the details on Mowing. Mowing is now being used to reduce the understory. The application clears small trees, 16 feet high and under, to provide a better balance of forest regeneration. It is another tool in the toolbox for forest managers to employ when appropriate.
Another topic of discussion keyed in on the controlled use of herbicides, equipment needs, and cost effective herbicide application.
For those working a forest setting, equipment of various types are used, including chainsaws. At one point Troy Steinmaker provided a demonstration on how to properly and safely fell a tree.
The group also visited a tree nursery. Situated within are trees being grown that are believed to be resistant to beech blight. The same exclosure is host to disease resistant American chestnut seedlings and trees.
The habitat tour provided insight into forest and plant management, but there was more.
The Susquehannock has and continues to strive for better wildlife management. It was amazing to learn just how many partners are working for wildlife in this particular state forest.
Woodcock and grouse habitat areas are being groomed with the help and support of the PA Game Commission. The PA Fish & Boat Commission and Trout Unlimited have and continue to contribute to stream improvement projects.
The northern portion of the Forest-Deer Study conducted by Penn State and the PGC is being conducted on a portion of the Forest. A West Nile Virus Study is in part being conducted as well.
Wildlife openings such a transmission lines have been supported by Dominion Gas and National Fuel Gas. The Keystone Elk County Alliance and Safari Club International supplies equipment for seeding projects supported by the National Wild Turkey Federation. PGC Food & Cover personnel have worked with the Ruffed Grouse Society to groom Grouse and woodcock habitat.
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Western PA Conservancy play an important role too.
Then there are the boots on the ground folks that include, The Cross Forks Sportsmen Association, the McKean County Conservation District, The Black Forest Conservation Club, and the Potter County Conservation District. An impressive lineup of partners for conservation.
The recent forest tour like the others are free and open to the public. Each year the tour is fresh and new since it is held somewhere different every year.
When asked about participation, Troy Stinemaker noted, “From one year to the next we have about fifty percent of those who join us who are new to the tour. The other half are those who
have attended previously on one or more tours.”
The great thing about our State Forest system is each Forest District is open 24/7, 365 days a year, and they are open and free to the public.
Charlie Burchfield is an active member and past president of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association, an active member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association, Outdoor Writers Assoc. of America and the Mason-Dixon Outdoor Writers. Gateway Outdoors e-mail is GWOutdoors@comcast.net