The State System of Higher Education and Department of Conservation and Natural Resources today kicked off a new partnership designed to encourage System volunteers of all ages to help build trails, clean up debris and trash, serve as campground hosts or environmental educators and perform other needed tasks in Pennsylvania’s state parks and forests.

The State System is participating in the nearly year-old Conservation Volunteer program, which was designed to help attract volunteers to help with various activities in the Commonwealth’s 116 state parks and 20 forest districts. Gov. Tom Ridge announced the program in June 1997. At the time, DCNR set a goal of logging more than 500,000 volunteer hours annually by the year 2000.

The program is one of DCNR’s PRIME Initiatives.

PRIME, which stands for Privatize, Retain, Innovate, Moderate and Eliminate, is a Ridge Administration initiative designed to make state government more efficient and cost-effective through employee-driven change. Under the leadership of Lt. Gov. Mark S. Schweiker, 197 recommendations have been implemented to better serve Pennsylvanians, saving taxpayers more than $230 million in the process.

Schweiker joined employees from the State System’s Office of the Chancellor and their families at today’s kickoff event held at Gifford Pinchot State Park. The group worked along with other volunteers to help prepare the park in York County for the upcoming season.

The volunteers spent much of the day improving a 3-mile-long hiking trail to help make it useable by bicyclists and persons in wheelchairs. They also cleared picnic areas of fallen debris that had accumulated over the winter and performed a variety of other jobs.

The partnership between DCNR and the State System has each of the 14 state-owned universities and the Office of the Chancellor “matched” with a nearby state park or forest district, to which it will send volunteer workers.

Liaisons at the universities will work with park and forestry officials to arrange volunteer days, during which administrators, faculty, staff, students and family members will be invited to donate a few hours of their time to the effort.

“We are excited to be involved with this very worthwhile program,” said State System Chancellor James H. McCormick, who participated in the kickoff event. “We all need to be good stewards of our environment. Our employees and their families can participate in an important community service project while enjoying a day outdoors. We hope other organizations will become similarly involved.”

The State System’s Board of Governors has long encouraged its campus communities to actively engage in public service. The Board earlier adopted a formal policy, which, in part, states that “volunteers represent a most valued human resource whose contributions without compensation or promise result in immeasurable benefit to our students, the State System and the Commonwealth.”

Schweiker, who, as a graduate of Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, is a State System alumnus, talked about how the new partnership fits in with many of the administration’s goals.

“This is truly PRIME at its best,” Schweiker said. “This partnership is an innovative solution to enhance our state parks and allows us to use taxpayer dollars more effectively.”

Also working alongside the State System volunteers was DCNR Executive Deputy Secretary John Plonski.

“Having these people, of all ages, out here today working side-by-side is what volunteerism is all about,” said Plonski. “The partnership between DCNR and the State System provides the perfect opportunity for young people, and faculty as well, to get out and enjoy the beautiful outdoors while providing an invaluable service.

“Although DCNR is the steward of the Commonwealth’s precious state park and state forest lands, we could not properly care for them without the help of our many, many friends who donate their time and talents so selflessly.”

Gifford Pinchot Park Manager Larry B. Adams was pleased to see so many volunteers come out and was especially happy over the kickoff.

“Volunteers are essential if we are to continue to provide quality recreational experiences for our visitors and to carry out the work necessary to conserve our natural resources,” Adams said. “The Conservation Volunteer Program and partnerships with organizations like the State System will enhance the efforts of existing volunteers, a number of whom are here today working with folks from the State System. Such efforts will help make Gifford Pinchot State Park and all of our park lands better places for Pennsylvanians and out-of-state guests to visit.”

The State System of Higher Education comprises 14 universities throughout the Commonwealth, and is the largest provider of higher education in the state. One of every 29 Pennsylvanians is attending or is a graduate of a System university. The State System is the 17^th largest employer in the state, with more than 11,700 employees.

The 14 state-owned universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. The System also operates branch campuses in Clearfield, Kittanning, Oil City and Punxsutawney and several regional centers.

System universities and the Office of the Chancellor and their “matched” parks and forest districts are:

Bloomsburg – Shikellamy State Park, Forest District 20

California – Ohiopyle and Laurel Ridge state parks

Cheyney – Ridley Creek and Marsh Creek state parks

Clarion – Cook Forest and Clear Creek state parks and Forest District 8

East Stroudsburg – Big Pocono State Park, Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center and Forest District 19

Edinboro – Presque Isle and Pymatuning state parks

Indiana – Yellow Creek and Keystone state parks and Forest District 6

Kutztown – Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center and Forest District 18

Lock Haven – Bald Eagle, Ravensburg, Hyner Run and Hyner View state parks and Forest District 10

Mansfield – Hills Creek and Mount Pisgah state parks and Forest District 16

Millersville – Samuel S. Lewis and Susquehannock state parks

Shippensburg – Pine Grove Furnace and Caledonia state parks and Forest District 1

Slippery Rock – Moraine and McConnells Mill state parks and Jennings Environmental Education Center

West Chester – Ridley Creek, Marsh Creek and White Clay Creek state parks

Office of the Chancellor – Gifford Pinchot State Park