Connecting Along the Clarion:
WPC Opens The Allegheny Project Office in Elk County

Ribbon Cutting at WPC’s Allegheny Project Office in Ridgway - (From L - R) Michael DePanfilis of the Ridgway - Elk County Chamber of Commerce, Ridgway Mayor James Martin, Conservancy President Dennis McGrath, WPC’s Allegheny Forestlands Projects Director Jason Heinze, and Main Street Manager Rick Viglione.

This fall, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy opened its Allegheny Project Office in Ridgway, Pa. as a means to better serve this important ecological region and connect to the community in three important ways:

• increase WPC’s on-the-ground presence
• work closely with private forest landowners in the heart of Pennsylvania’s hardwood region, and
• provide expert ecological service to local communities and groups.

It is the hope of the Conservancy that by working shoulder to shoulder with community leaders, WPC can help ensure that the forests and waters of north central Pennsylvania are forever a source of jobs, places to hunt and fish, and an affirmation of the importance of an area that hosts Pennsylvania’s most defining trait.

More than 60 percent of land ownership in this important forested area is privately held and roughly three percent is managed by professional foresters. WPC embraces the concept of “Working Forests.” We believe good forest stewardship and conservation can be mutually inclusive for productivity and economic returns for forest land owners.

“The most meaningful and long-lasting conservation efforts are achieved through
collaborative partnerships within local communities,” says Dennis McGrath, WPC
president.

Jason Heinze, WPC Allegheny Forestlands Project Director, works at the Allegheny Project Office. Previously, Heinze had a nine-year career with the timber and forest products industry holding several positions at Mead and MeadWestvaco on the land management, operations and product sides of the industry. He was forest manager for 150,000 acres of MeadWestvaco land in Ohio where he forged successful relationships with state agencies, conservation groups and private landowners to benefit the forest and associated resources. He also managed 320,000 acres of industry forest in Michigan. His most recent position was with New Page Corporation, on the paper side of the forest products business. Heinze completed eight years of military service (four active duty and four with the National Guard) in 1995. He has a B.S. in forest biology and resource management from State University of New York; an M.S. in forest operations and silvaculture from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; and an MBA in general business administration from Ellis College, New York Institute of Technology. Heinze, his wife and three children now live in St. Mary’s, Pa.

Heinze says, “In my short time in Elk County, my family and I have had an
opportunity to begin meeting neighbors and residents, and we are very pleased to be here. Forestry and wildlife have always been important to me, and I’m excited about the work ahead. Considering my background, I bring a different set of skills and experiences that I think will contribute well to our organization’s desire to play a more active role in forest stewardship. I look forward to working with private landowners who are interested in taking steps to protect the conservation value of their lands, including the sustainable management of timber. I’m available to provide technical and stewardship assistance to landowners. I’m also available to work with local governments to help them assess and develop plans for the natural resources and significant forests of the region while addressing the need for economic development.”

In the near future, a watershed manager will also work at the Ridgway office and
serve the critically important upper Allegheny River watershed, including the
Clarion River. WPC’s Freshwater Conservation Program has been working with
grassroots conservation organizations throughout western Pennsylvania on local
stream restoration and protection projects since 2001. Much of this work has been done through a cost-free technical assistance program.

See a slideshow of photos taken at the October 11, 2006 Allegheny Project Office Office Open House.

For more information, call Jason Heinze at 814-776-1114 or email him at jheinze@paconserve.org.