Group Helps Protect Wildlife Habitat

The Hancock Timber Resource Group recently initiated cooperative habitat improvement projects with the Ruffed Grouse Society to benefit wildlife on forests the company manages in northern Pennsylvania. The cooperative projects include:

· recommendations for Aspen management to benefit wildlife;
· use of wildlife friendly recommendations for food plots;
· development of revegetation recommendations for Marcellus Shale well pads to benefit wildlife and;
· completion of a long range habitat improvement plan for a portion of Hancock Timber-managed lands open for public use.

John Levavasseur, Hancock Timber’s Area Manager in Smethport, worked closely with and, provided a contribution to, Chris Yeager, President of the Allegheny Chapter of the Ruffed Grouse Society, to develop the partnership. The funds will be used for habitat work on lands managed by Hancock Timber.

“We are very pleased to establish this partnership with Allegheny Chapter of the Ruffed Grouse Society,” Mr. Levavasseur said, “The Hancock Timber Resource Group has a long-standing stewardship ethic that integrates the growing, managing, and harvesting of trees for useful products with the conservation of soil, air, and water quality; biological diversity; wildlife and aquatic habitat; and recreation, and aesthetics. This partnership is part of our ongoing effort to put our Stewardship Principles into practice.”

The Hancock Timber Resource Group forests in the Allegheny area are third party certified by both the Forest Stewardship Council and Sustainable Forestry Initiative.

Pictured, Ed Konwinski, HNRG; Mary Hosmer, RGS Volunteer; John LeVavasseur, HNRG; Chris Yeager, RGS Volunteer; Pat Marolla, HNRG; Todd Sparks, HNRG.
Photo provided by the Ruffed Grouse Society