FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 22, 2003

For Information Contact:

Carl Mowry, 724-285-5124

CMPANWTF@aol.com

 

 

CONSERVATIONISTS HARD AT WORK IN ALLEGHENY NATIONAL FOREST

 

Though known to most Pennsylvanians as the largest publicly owned tract in the state, the Allegheny National Forest (ANF) also happens to be the site of some of the most ambitious wildlife habitat improvement projects in the Commonwealth.  This ongoing work is attributed to the partnership forged between the U.S. Forest Service and one of the state’s most active conservation groups, the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (PANWTF). 

 

Thanks to the partnership, more than 3,200 acres of the federally owned forest in northwestern Pennsylvania has been enhanced over the last several years using funds raised and donated by the PANWTF.  Some of the “on the ground” projects involve the seeding of warm-season grasses to provide summer brood habitat for wild turkeys, and the plantings of conifers and shrubs to provide winter thermal cover.  Others include plantings of fruit and mast-producing trees to provide forage for wildlife, as well as a myriad of other projects across the half million-acre forest.  “We greatly appreciate the efforts of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation”, says Dale Dunshie, a spokesman for the ANF.  “They have been an excellent partner on the Allegheny National Forest for many years, and without their financial support, the amount of quality turkey habitat on the forest would not be what it is today.  We look forward to continuing a strong working relationship with the organization.”

 

The PANWTF’s latest undertaking on the forest involves improving the wintering habitat on a unique 150-acre savanna in the Little Hunter Run watershed near the Elk/Forest County line.  The group has pledged $15,000 toward the project, which should be completed next year.  On average, the PANWTF has put nearly $15,000 per year toward habitat improvements on the ANF since 1988.

 

“We are very pleased to be able to contribute to the improvement of wildlife habitat on the Allegheny National Forest through our partnership with the Forest Service,” says Carl Mowry, president of the PANWTF.  “In addition to benefiting all wildlife species, it enhances the experiences of hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts who utilize this remarkable public land.”

 

FIFTY TONS OF SEED PLANTED FOR WILDLIFE

 

In other news, the PANWTF recently completed another successful Conservation Seed Program for 2003.  The program is an effort by the organization to distribute seeds, free of charge, to landowners around the Commonwealth.  Seeds are also given to the PANWTF’s land-holding partner groups.  These are the ANF, the Game Commission, the Bureau of Forestry and the Army Corps of Engineers.  The only stipulation is that crops grown from the seeds must be left unharvested so they are available to wildlife through the following winter.  This past spring, enough seeds were donated to plant 31,000 acres of corn, as well as similarly huge tracts of soybean, sunflowers and sorghum.  “The Conservation Seed Program is a way for us to help out wildlife and to offer a collective ‘thank you’ to the participating landowners who take the initiative to improve their properties for the benefit of wildlife,” adds Mowry.

 

The PANWTF is dedicated to the conservation of wild turkeys and the preservation of the turkey hunting tradition.  Though its focus is the wild turkey, the group’s efforts enhance a wide variety of Pennsylvania’s natural resources.  The chapter, which is a branch of the 315,000-member National Wild Turkey Federation, has over 14,000 adult members, and another 7,000 youths in its Juniors Acquiring Knowledge and Sportsmanship (JAKES) program.  Since 1985, the PANWTF has spent in excess of two million dollars on conservation efforts that benefit wild turkeys and other wildlife in Pennsylvania.  For more information visit the organization’s web site at www.go2pa.com/panwtf.