Pennsylvania Mixed Bag: 2,500 acre addition to Pinchot State Forest – Outdoor News
Harrisburg — The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources recently announced that the agency has added the 2,500-acre Miller Mountain property in Wyoming County, and the property is now included in Pinchot State Forest.
Miller Mountain’s inclusion into Pinchot State Forest marks the first state forestland in Wyoming County. The 2022 addition of 669-acre Vosburg Neck State Park was the first state parkland in the county.
Miller Mountain is located in Endless Mountains Heritage Region and within a half-mile of an Important Bird Area. The land provides critical habitat for migratory birds, black bears, whitetailed deer and bobcats.
The mountain is open to the public, however DCNR is establishing the state forest boundary lines and assessing the property for public access and recreational opportunities.
Maryland Early Deer Harvest Lower
Annapolis, Md. — The Maryland Department of Natural Resources reports that hunters harvested 16,607 deer during the early portion of the 2023 archery and muzzleloader seasons. The harvest was an 18% decrease from last year’s official harvest of 20,267 deer for the same period.
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The two-month harvest included 10,140 deer taken during the archery season and 6,299 harvested during the October muzzleloader season. An additional 168 deer were reported during managed hunts. The archery harvest decreased 19% while the muzzleloader harvest decreased 17% compared to the previous year.
Hunters harvested 911 deer on Sundays that were open to archery hunting, accounting for 9% of the total archery harvest.
District Forester for Susquehannock Forest
Harrisburg — The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources recently announced that Marc Popchak has been appointed to serve as the district forester for the Susquehannock State Forest, which spans Potter, Clinton, and McKean counties.
Popchak assumed management responsibilities for the Susquehannock in September, overseeing the 265,000-acre forest that grows some of the most productive stands of black cherry trees in the world.
Popchak replaces Chris Nicholas, who is now working as the regional forester for Pennsylvania’s northern and western state forest districts. He has worked for DCNR since 2004, beginning his career as a forest technician and holding various roles including as a service forester, management forester and assistant district forester.
He earned an associate degree in forest technology from Penn State Mont Alto prior to earning a bachelor’s degree in forest management from Penn State’s main campus in State College.
Hunters Sharing the Harvest Kickoff
Millersburg, Pa. — Hunters Sharing the Harvest, Pennsylvania’s venison donation program providing nutritious deer meat to those in need, hosted its annual kickoff event at The Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art here Nov. 16.
The event showcased the organization’s commitment to supporting the food-insecure in Pennsylvania. Randy Ferguson, executive director, praised hunters for record-breaking venison donations, processors and volunteer coordinators for their crucial contributions, and financial and in-kind supporters for making it possible for the group to execute its mission.
For more information about Hunters Sharing the Harvest, visit www.ShareDeer.org, email [email protected] or call 866-HSH- 2141.
New Manager for Blue Knob State Park
Harrisburg — The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources recently announced the appointment of Layne Nolan as the manager of 6,128-acre Blue Knob State Park in Bedford County.
A native of nearby Portage, Nolan earned a degree in tourism management and park and recreation management from California University of Pennsylvania. She worked as a travel agent for four years prior to joining DCNR as a ranger working at Shawnee and Blue Knob state parks. Her managerial experience includes overseeing operations at Mount Pisgah State Park.
Md.’s Deer Firearms Season Same as Pa.’s
Annapolis, Md. — Maryland two-week firearms hunting season for sika and white-tailed deer runs from Nov. 25 through Saturday, Dec. 9, just like Pennsylvania’s.
The two-week season includes Sunday hunting in all but three counties, affording hunters more weekend opportunities to hunt and contribute to managing Maryland’s deer population.
Gov.’s Award for Environmental Excellence
Harrisburg — The Shapiro administration invites all Pennsylvanians who have recently worked on a successful environmental project to apply for the 2024 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence, the state’s top environmental honor.
Any Pennsylvania business, farm, government agency, educational institution, or nonprofit organization that has developed or participated in a project that promotes environmental protection and stewardship in the commonwealth may apply.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection oversees the award selection process, evaluating projects. The Governor’s Office will then select the awardees.
For more information, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s website, www.dep.pa.gov.
