The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has named Ellen Shultzabarger Pennsylvania's next State Forester and Director of the Bureau of Forestry.

She succeeds Dan Devlin who retired in March of this year after nearly 40 years of state service.

Shultzabarger has worked for the Bureau for over 14 years in a variety of positions, most  recently as the Chief of Conservation Science and Ecological Resources.

During her tenure at DCNR, she has led a number of highly visible projects and worked to ensure their successful completion, including the development and launch of the Pennsylvania Conservation Explorer environmental permit screening tool.

Before coming to DCNR and the bureau, Shultzabarger worked for the Massachusetts Division of Fish and Wildlife, Tufts University and several local and national nonprofit conservation organizations.

She earned a BS in Natural Resources from The Ohio State University and a Graduate Certificate in Urban Environmental Planning and Policy from Tufts University.

The Director plays a critical role in the daily operations of the bureau, and is also an integral part of the leadership team of the department. 

“In Ellen, we have found someone with proven leadership abilities, a vision for the bureau and the department, and a strong natural science background,” said DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn.  “She is a strong communicator, respected among her colleagues and works in a collaborative way to achieve the goals of the Bureau and further the mission of the agency. 

“The task ahead of guiding the Bureau through a strategic planning process and working on the important issues facing our public lands and natural resources requires that type of collaboration,” said Dunn. “And, it requires that each of us work together to ensure that we do everything we can to carry forward the strong conservation legacy that we are blessed with here in Pennsylvania.”

[Note: Shultzabarger is the first woman to hold that position since Joseph Rothrock was appointed the state’s first Forestry Commissioner and the Division of Forestry was formed in 1895.]

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[Posted: June 6, 2018]

6/11/2018