Our staff at Ruffed Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society (RGS & AWS) would like to inform hunters and conservationists of multiple upcoming opportunities to influence forest and wildlife conservation and management within the state of Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and the Governor’s Advisory Council for Hunting, Fishing and Conservation have reached out to RGS & AWS to engage our members in these opportunities. We encourage you to provide input pertaining to the new Bureau of Forestry Strategic Plan, and consider whether you or other allies for conservation may be in a position to fill upcoming board vacancies. You can find additional details and opportunities to respond below.
Pennsylvania DCNR Bureau of Forestry Survey
The Pennsylvania DCNR Bureau of Forestry is in the process of writing a new Strategic Plan that will set the bureau’s mission and overarching goals. It guides how the Bureau provides leadership in forest management and conservation on both public and private lands in urban and rural areas. The survey linked below is intended to obtain input pertaining to the new Bureau of Forestry Strategic Plan. Please feel free to forward the link to this survey to others. Opinions about these critical strategic questions will prove valuable in the planning process. The survey should take approximately 10 minutes to complete.
The survey link will remain active until August 31, 2020 This is the website for the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BOFplan
Board Vacancies: Game Commission, Fish and Boat Commission
The Governor’s Advisory Council for Hunting, Fishing and Conservation is seeking qualified candidates to fill upcoming vacancies on the Game Commission and the Fish and Boat Commission Individuals interested in applying should email a resume and cover letter to Robb Miller, Governor’s Advisor for Hunting, Fishing and Conservation, robmille@pa.gov. Governor Tom Wolf will select a final candidate for each vacancy to be presented to the Senate for confirmation.
Applications will be accepted until Friday, July 31, 2020.
CONTACT: Robb Miller, Governor’s Advisory Council on Hunting, Fishing & Conservation, 717-
705-0793
Board Vacancy Game Commission – District 5
The Governor’s Advisory Council for Hunting, Fishing and Conservation is seeking a qualified candidate to represent District 5 on the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s board of directors. District 5 includes the counties of Bradford, Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Sullivan, Tioga and Union. The district is currently represented with distinction by Commissioner Charles E. Fox, whose term expires October 15, 2020. Commissioners are eligible to serve three four-year terms, but must participate in a competitive process with other interested candidates to gain a second or subsequent term.
“The Governor is reaching out to the hunting and trapping community in District 5 to find a diverse group of applicants, one of whom will be nominated by Governor Wolf to fill this vacancy,” said Robb Miller, director of the advisory council. “We’re encouraging anyone interested in volunteering to serve on the board to send us a letter of intent and their professional resume.”
Per the Game Code, applicants must be well-informed about wildlife conservation and restoration and be residents of the district. Commissioners receive no compensation for their service but are reimbursed for travel expenses.
Candidates will be interviewed by the advisory council and rated on their responses, as well as their professional and volunteer experience with wildlife conservation and related activities. Governor Tom Wolf will select the final candidate to be presented to the Senate for confirmation.
Board Vacancy Fish and Boat Commission – District 2
The Governor’s Advisory Council for Hunting, Fishing and Conservation is seeking a qualified candidate to represent District 2 on the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s board of directors. District 2 includes the counties of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Washington and Westmoreland. The district is currently represented with distinction by Commissioner Rocco S. Ali, whose term expires October 15, 2020. Commissioner Ali’s replacement will serve a four-year term, and is eligible to be reappointed twice but must participate in a competitive process with other interested candidates to gain a second or subsequent term.
“The Governor is reaching out to the angling and boating community in District 2 to recruit a diverse group of applicants, one of whom will be nominated by Governor Wolf to fill this upcoming vacancy,” said Robb Miller, director of the advisory council. “We’re encouraging anyone interested in volunteering for the board to send us a letter of intent describing why they’d like to serve along with their professional resume.”
Per Title 30 (Fish), applicants must be competent citizens of the district and well informed about conservation, restoration, fish and fishing and boats and boating. Commissioners receive no compensation for their service but are reimbursed for travel expenses.
Candidates will be interviewed by the advisory council and rated on their responses, as well as their professional and volunteer experience with aquatic conservation and related activities. Governor Tom Wolf will select the final candidate to be presented to the Senate for confirmation.
