Pennsylvania Game News - February 2020 - 41

New commissioner welcomed aboard

NWTF biologist Kristen Schnepp-Giger, of Warren, fills District 1 seat.
Kristen Schnepp-Giger, of Warren,
Pa., in November was confirmed to the
Pennsylvania Game Commission's Board
of Commissioners after being nominated
by Gov. Tom Wolf.
Schnepp-Giger, filled the vacant
District 1 spot on the Game Commission's
board. The district includes Butler,
Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Lawrence,
Mercer, Venango and Warren counties.
Schnepp-Giger has been a wildlife
biologist with the National Wild Turkey
Federation since 2011, when she was
hired to fill a cooperative position with
the Allegheny National Forest overseeing
stewardship and challenge-cost-share
funds to implement more than $1.6
million in wildlife habitat enhancement
work on the forest.
"I'm excited about learning from
the vast experience and knowledge that
is currently possessed by the members
of the board," Schnepp-Giger said. "I
am also looking forward to offering a
perspective that is currently lacking, that
of a younger woman, who is trying to
keep her kids engaged in hunting while
leading an active lifestyle. Everyday
demands on our lives are key reasons
hunter numbers are on the decline, and
I want to be part of the solution to help
families become more engaged in hunting
and to create a culture where hunting is
a more relevant part of our lives and our
communities."
A dedicated parent and hunter,
Schnepp-Giger is passing along the
tradition to her two young children and
to many others through NWTF and
agency hunter recruitment, retention and
FEBRUARY 2020 	

reactivation programs in the state.
"In 2016, I lost my husband, and
the father of our kids,"
Schnepp-Giger said.
"Less than two weeks
after Jory's funeral,
I had the honor of
watching both of my
kids (then 6 and 8 years
old) harvest their first SCHNEPP-GIGER
deer. That was an experience that cannot
be put into words. It was only possible
because of the Mentored Youth Program
in Pennsylvania."
After that experience, she started
a grief-recovery program that centers
around the outdoors. "Moments on
Target" is designed to connect youths
- and the adults in their lives - who are
grieving the loss of a loved one with
heathy, fun outdoor activities.
Game Commission Executive
Director Bryan Burhans said, with a full
complement of commissioners again on
the board, it's a win for Pennsylvania's
hunters and trappers, who are certain
to receive thoughtful and dedicated
representation from Schnepp-Giger, as
well as a new voice to the board.
"The future of our hunting and
trapping heritage in the Commonwealth is
dependent upon reaching younger hunters
and keeping them engaged in the sport,"
Burhans said. "From her perspective
as a young professional mother of two
children, Kristin intimately understands
these issues and the challenges that other
individuals in her position face. I am
excited about her bringing that perspective
to the Board of Commissioners."
41
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2020

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