Allegheny National Forest officials are conducting public outreach to fill committee member seats for the Allegheny Resource Advisory Committee that covers Elk, Forest, McKean and Warren counties.

Resource Advisory Committees were established as a provision of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000. The legislation sets aside funding for projects that improve watershed function and promote community economic development. Typically, the Allegheny RAC meets once a year to review and make recommendations on project proposals submitted for this funding.

By law, the four-year term committee is composed of a wide representation of national forest-related interests organized into three categories. Each RAC has 15 members with a balanced and broad representation of interests in three categories, including:

Category 1: organized labor or non-timber forest product harvester groups; developed outdoor recreation, off-highway vehicle users, or commercial recreation activities; energy and mineral development interests; commercial or recreational fishing interests; commercial timber industry; holders of Federal grazing or other land use permits, and representatives of nonindustrial private forest landowners, within the area for which the committee is organized.

Category 2: nationally recognized environmental organizations; regionally or locally recognized environmental organizations; dispersed recreational activities; archaeological and historical interests; nationally or regionally recognized wild horse and burro interest groups, wildlife or hunting organizations, and watershed associations.

Category 3: holder of State or local elected office, representatives of American Indian tribes within or adjacent to the area for which the committee is organized, school officials, or teachers, and the affected public at large.

Members must reside within Pennsylvania and, to the extent practicable, provide local representation in each category.

For further information regarding RAC membership, please contact the Designated Federal Official, Partnership Coordinator, Dale Readus 814-728-6241 or Dale.Readus@usda.gov. Readus is the Resource Advisor Committee coordinator for the Allegheny National Forest. To apply to be a RAC committee member, applicants must complete Federal Form AD-755 “Advisory Committee or Research and Promotion Background Information.” The form is available at the Advisory Committees | US Forest Service website under the “How to Apply” section.

To apply for the Allegheny RAC, please download Ford AD-755 and either email Dale.Readus@usda.gov or mail your correspondence to Dale Readus, 4 Farm Colony Drive, Warren PA 16365. Applications must be received on or before Dec. 15.

For additional information about the Secure Rural Schools legislation, including Titles I, II, and III, please visit the Advisory Committees section of the USDA Forest Service Secure Rural Schools website.