Pennsylvania Game News - July 2011 - 39

— from gas prices to repairs of heavy equipment — have been increasing, the amount of work we are able to accomplish has declined. Fortunately, thanks to the National Wild Turkey Federation, Pheasants Forever and other allied organizations we are able to do more than what our license dollars allow.” Clarion/jefferson counties lMGS George j. Miller said the NWTF Millcreek Chapter recently completed a habitat project to plant beneficial trees and shrubs on SGl 74 in his two counties. “About 40 volunteers from the NWTF Chapter and Wal-Mart planted more than 200 trees and shrubs, including serviceberry, high-bush cranberry, arrowwood, crabapple, nannyberry and Washington hawthorne, in the interior of three fences established last year as part of this same type of project,” lMGS Miller said. “The chapter will come back this summer to remove woody invasive species that are crowding out the desired plantings.” One of the most important wildlife habitat partnerships for the future is the cooperative effort with the American Chestnut Foundation. Through this partnership, more than 700 blight resistant American chestnut hybrid seedlings have been produced at the agency’s Howard Nursery. Armstrong/Indiana/Westmoreland counties lMGS Art Hamley said his Food and Cover Corps crews are assisting with the establishment of an American chestnut orchard. “We are very optimistic that this generation will play an important role in the restoration of blight resistant American chestnuts to Penn’s Woods,” Hamley said. “Returning this native food source to the wilds of Pennsylvania will be a welcome addition for a wide variety of wildlife.”
july 2011

Bedford/Fulton counties lMGS jonathan S. Zuck said that on March 5 the Thunderbird Chapter of the Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS) assisted the agency in conducting a “Habitat Day” on SGl 73 in Bedford County. “About 50 volunteers improved habitat for ruffed grouse and other wildlife by clear-cutting about five acres of pole stage timber and constructing six brush piles,” Zuck said. “It was truly a team effort with members of the RGS, local sportsmen’s clubs, Fort Bedford Boy Scouts, and concerned individuals working with the Game Commission to improve wildlife habitat. A special ‘thank you’ goes out to the Thunderbird Chapter for providing lunch.” juniata/Mifflin/Perry/Snyder counties lMGS Steve Bernardi said 15 young men and their instructors from the Carson long Military Academy in New Bloomfield, Perry County, recently assisted with a habitat project on SGl 171 in juniata County. They erected several bluebird nest boxes, replanted fruit producing seedlings to replace some that had died and made improvements to a 5-acre herbaceous opening. Bernardi added that the same group assisted the Perry County Conservation District in cleaning up a large illegal dumping area on SGl 281. “They picked up more than five tons of trash and debris and around 300 tires that had been dumped over a bank along a remote roadway,” Bernardi said. “Many thanks to this group for doing this work that may otherwise have not gotten done anytime soon.” Dauphin/lebanon counties lMGS Scott Bills said that in April a group of Cub Scouts from Pack 77 helped plant winterberry, alder, viburnum, mountain ash and crabapples on SGl 211, in an area that usually attracts migrant woodcock.
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Pennsylvania Game News - July 2011

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