NICHOLAS NAMED NEW DISTRICT FORESTER
By James Moate Endeavor News

Chris Nicholas is one of those rare individuals who knew from early childhood what he wanted to be when he grew up.

Nicholas recently was named Susquehannock District Forester, responsible for management of more than 260,000 forested acres in northcentral Pennsylvania.

"I knew when I was young that I wanted to do something in forestry," Nicholas said.

He grew up on a farm in Loganton (Clinton County), where he developed an early appreciation for the outdoors and for the traditions of hunting and fishing.

He went on to earn a bachelor's degree in forest science at Penn State, part of a plan to prepare himself for a career with the Pa. Bureau of Forestry.

"It's one of the only options where you're given the resources and methods necessary for management of forests in a sustainable manner," Nicholas told Endeavor News.

Nicholas has a sincere respect for the Forestry Bureau and welcomes the opportunity to play a critical role in activities such as timber management, fire prevention, assistance to private land owners and public education.

"It's important that we advise land owners on the proper care of their land, because so much of Pennsylvania's forest land is privately owned," Nicholas pointed out.

He began his Forestry Bureau career in Somerset County, then moved on to Fayette County before becoming assistant manager at the Tioga State Forest in 2002.

Nicholas was assigned to the Susquehannock District, based at Denton Hill in central Potter County, upon the retirement of District Forester Tom Wallace this summer.

He is one of nine management foresters in the state. Among his responsibilities is supervision of maintenance divisions at Lyman Run and Cross

Fork. His staff is responsible for more than 200 miles of state forest roads.

Susquehannock District includes forest land in Potter County, with smaller tracts in McKean and Clinton counties. It was formed as a direct result of heavy timber harvesting in the late 1800s and the early part of the 20th century.

Original owners had cut the old-growth trees and left dried tree tops and stumps in their wake. Gradually, the state acquired the property through direct purchase or through nonpayment of taxes. In 1897, the state legislature authorized the purchase of undeveloped lands for forest reservations."

Today, Pennsylvanians continues to reap the benefits of that plan. Harvesting of cherry and other hardwoods has been a steady source of income for the state, while millions of people visit state forests for recreation each year.