A new partnership between the Pennsylvania Sustainable Forestry Initiative and Central Mountain High School in Mill Hall, Clinton County allows students enrolled in the school’s Natural Resources Management Program to participate in the state’s premier logger training program at no cost to the students or the school.

(Photo: Back row, left to right: Chuck Coup (PA SFI Program Manager), Ethan Shawley, Bryce Bason, Russ Mazzotta, John May (Natural Resources Management Program Instructor).

Front Row, left to right: Dustin Windle, Curtis Hess, Dameon Ilgen, Ethan Wheeler, Logan Firestone.)

This spring marked the first class to complete the core requirements for the PA Professional Timber Harvester Training Program, administered by the PA SFI. This is the same training that many professional loggers are required to complete, including those that cut commercial timber sales on state forestlands. The training program emphasizes safety, environmental conservation, and professionalism.

“Pennsylvania’s Forest Products industry is recognizing that finding and attracting new employees with the basic skills and work ethics necessary to carry out logging operations is becoming both an immediate and long term problem,” said Chuck Coup, Program Manager for Pennsylvania SFI. “We hope that building partnerships like this will help encourage students at the high school level to consider a future career in the forest products industry.”

A report from a November 2013 Forum conducted by Department of Agriculture’s Hardwoods Development Council identifies lack of qualified skilled loggers as one of the top threats to the future of the state’s forest products industry.

Central Mountain High School instructor John May agrees that the partnership between the PA SFI and the Natural Resources Management Program at Central Mountain High School is a great addition and provides several positive outcomes and opportunities.

“It provides students with industry recognized training that will aid them in finding employment after graduation, and provides the industry with young people that have a sincere interest and proper training,” May said. “It has also helped the students to develop a better sense of pride and appreciation for their education because they are able to see directly how it will benefit them in the future.”

The Natural Resource Management Program at Central Mountain High School dates back to 1985 when it was simply known as the Forestry Program. Since that time students have been learning how to manage forest resources and safely operate chainsaws and portable sawmills in a hands-on setting.

The Pennsylvania SFI program has been operating the statewide Professional Timber Harvester Training program since 1995. More than 7,000 individuals have participated in the training aimed at reducing logging accidents, increasing the productivity and professionalism of Pennsylvania’s loggers, and improving the sustainability of timber harvesting practices in the state.  The PA SFI program office is located in Bellefonte, PA.

Delivery of the PA SFI logger training to the school was supported in part by funding from the Keystone Wood Products Association, which strives to enhance the lumber and wood products manufacturers of Central Pennsylvania through promotion of career opportunities in the industry and other initiatives.

For more information, visit the Pennsylvania Sustainable Forestry Initiative website.

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6/23/2014