Chad Barclay
Forestry Student
Chad Barclay
Forestry Student
I am currently a management forester for the PA Game Commission in NE Pennsylvania. My work area encompasses over 77,000 acres of State Game Lands. As a land management forester some of my duties include: laying out timber sales, writing and marking silvicultural prescriptions, evaluating forested areas for herbicide treatments, participating in prescribed fire in both forested and non-forested areas, and writing management plans for my work areas along with other PA Game Commission staff. Other tasks I may complete throughout the year include: deer aging during the firearms deer season, completing mast surveys, assisting with bear trapping, and meeting with local groups to plan habitat work on State Game Lands.
In 2006, I competed in the National 4-H Forestry Invitational with the Pennsylvania team and had a great time! When I attended the national contest, I received the Joe Yeager Spirit of the Invitational Award for showing good leadership and support throughout the competition to my team and other teams as well. I also served as an assistant coach of the Pennsylvania team at the 2007 Invitational.
While I prepared for the competition, I gained so much knowledge on the forests of the U.S. One of the events at the National competition was tree ID. I learned over 100 trees from around the country, which in turn helped me as I took my forestry classes at Penn State. I knew most of the trees in my Dendrology class before my classmates did which gave me the opportunity to help teach them the trees we were learning in class. 4-H forestry helped me through all of my coursework at Penn State as well as making me a better employee in my current job with the Game Commission. The forestry contest, 4-H leaders, and projects really helped shape the forestry professional I am today!
