Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn announced the appointment of Dave Yeager as the district forester for Tuscarora State Forest which spans Cumberland, Franklin, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin and Perry counties.
“Dave is a committed and dedicated leader who has gained valuable conservation experience in his career with the department,” Dunn said. “We are confident he will be a great steward leading the management of this beautiful working forest and its wonderful natural resources.”
Yeager oversees the 96,000-acre forest district that covers the narrow valleys and steep, rocky ridges of the ridge and valley region of Pennsylvania. This fertile, well-watered forest district is home to abundant populations of wildlife and is ideal for growing majestic oak and hemlock forests.
“Having begun my career with DCNR in the Tuscarora, this forest and surrounding community is a welcoming place that always feels like home,” Yeager said. “I look forward to maintaining the wild character of the Tuscarora State Forest and close-knit friendly atmosphere of the local communities we serve while exploring ways in which to engage and connect new people with this wonderful forest and the opportunities it provides.”
Yeager noted that the Tuscarora shares a lot of similarities to the big woods of Northern Pennsylvania without the long drive. Popular recreation activities in the forest include boating, fishing, hiking, hunting, mountain biking, picnicking, sightseeing, snowmobiling and more.
A Chambersburg native, Yeager holds an associate degree in forest technology from Penn State Mont Alto and studied forest science at Penn State. He began his career with DCNR as a forest technician in Tuscarora State Forest and subsequently held roles as a forester in Michaux State Forest, as an infrastructure specialist in DCNR’s Harrisburg office, and as an assistant district forester in Rothrock State Forest.
Yeager enjoys most outdoor activities pointing to camping, hunting, fishing and kayaking as his favorites. He credits his father and grandfather with nurturing his love of nature and continues to share that familial love of the outdoors with his wife, Heather; daughters, Kimber and Evelyn; and son, Coal.
