This weekend, bureau employees will enjoy an extra day off to celebrate the Labor Day holiday, and it will be well-earned. It’s an honor to serve our commonwealth with these dedicated workers, many of whom labor in difficult environments and whose praises often go unsung.
Day by day, year in and year out, bureau employees exemplify steadfast dedication to our forest resources and the citizens of Pennsylvania. These proud working people, often behind the scenes and under the radar, deserve a loud shout-out.
Top Left – Rangers Bechtel, Peter, and Caldwell of Tioga State Forest / Top Right- Naturalist Erik Rensel of Parker Dam State Park
Center – Statue of CCC Worker
To the clerical staff in the districts and central office, holding everything together and attending to all the painstaking details to keep us moving: your work is indispensable, and we thank you!
To the maintenance staff who keep our trucks, heavy equipment, and highly specialized equipment purring like a cat: your work is critical to our mission and truly appreciated!
To the equipment operators and laborers who make sure our roads are passable and safe, snowmobile trails groomed, common areas mowed, and a whole host of other tasks: we couldn’t do it without you!
To the forest technicians out there tirelessly marking miles of state forest boundaries and thousands of trees, while assisting our foresters with tasks too numerous to count: your contributions to this bureau are commendable!
To our rangers out there protecting our natural resources and ensuring the safety of our forest users: your work in serving the people of this commonwealth is outstanding!
To all the other professionals in this bureau, from foresters to botanists, buffer specialists to entomologists, geologists to GIS specialists: your professionalism and wealth of skills and expertise make us proud!
What a privilege it is to work with the fine people of the PA DCNR Bureau of Forestry. With great pride, let us all take a moment to reflect on our collective dedication and contributions in serving the citizens of Pennsylvania, protecting our forests for generations to come. Happy Labor Day!
Ryan Reed is an Environmental Education Specialist in the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry. He possesses degrees in Wildlife and Fisheries Science and Wildlife Technology, while currently pursuing a master’s degree in Environmental Pollution Control. He has also worked for the Pennsylvania Game Commission, and taught high school sciences for 11 years. He is especially interested in biodiversity and ecology. A lifelong hunting and fishing enthusiast, Ryan resides in Harrisburg, PA.
Author: Guest Contributor
The Pennsylvania Wilds is home to more than 2 million acres of public land, 50 state game lands, 29 state parks, 8 state forests, 2 National Wild & Scenic Rivers, abundant wildlife, hundreds of miles of land and water trails, some of the darkest skies in the country, and the largest elk herd in the northeast.
The PA Wilds team is grateful to share the many stories of this region through the words and images of our talented guest contributors.