DALLAS, PA - As summer ends and autumn begins, area sportsmen and women prepare for their favorite time of year: Pennsylvania's hunting and trapping seasons. Hunters spend countless hours honing their shooting skills, scouting favorite hunting grounds for signs of wildlife and retelling past hunting and trapping stories with one another.

Pennsylvania Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Officers (WCO's) also spend countless hours preparing for the hunting and trapping seasons, but with a slightly different quarry in mind: the poacher. Poachers are the individuals who live by a different code of conduct. Rules do not apply, nor do the terms "fair chase" and "sportsmanship" have any meaning for them. They are the ones who attempt to steal wildlife. How they accomplish their goal does not make any difference to them, just as long as they do. Usually, they use the cover of darkness before striking, which gives them the advantage.

WCO's patrol vast districts comprised of 250 square miles or more, and are assisted by only a few Deputy WCO's. Officers try to place themselves in the right place at the right time in hopes of catching the "bad guys" in the act, but that happens too infrequently. Fortunately, the Game Commission has many allies on the front lines. Those allies are the Commonwealth's citizens, both hunters and non-hunters alike, who choose to "get involved" by reporting any strange or unusual activity. Without these allies, the job of a WCO effectively protecting our wild resources would be extremely difficult.

The Game Commission operates a 24-hours-a-day "Turn-In-A-Poacher" hotline as a way for people to report individuals suspected of killing endangered species or multiple big game animals. The toll-free number is 888/PGC-8001. Callers can remain anonymous, and are eligible for a $100 reward if the information they provide leads to a conviction. In addition, individuals with information about single cases of poaching are encouraged to contact the Commission's Northeast Regional Office at 877/877-9357 (toll-free).

MONTICELLO - The Sullivan County legislature has proclaimed November 5 -11, 2000 as Winter Preparedness Week in the county and has urged residents to begin preparations now for the upcoming season.

"Winter in Sullivan County is a time of beauty and offers our citizens an abundance of recreational activities and cultural events," said Raymond "Rusty" Pomeroy (D - Dist. 3), Legislature Chairman. "However, we are well aware that the upcoming winter months also pose many challenges.

Some recommended precautions are: home heating system safety checks, vehicle tune-ups and winterization and ensuring that homes are equipped with flashlights, blankets, batteries, and cars have jumper cables and tire chains.

To really be prepared all homes should have:

Pomeroy urges residents to take this time seriously. "Don't wait until the snow flies to get ready," he said. "We know what winter can bring to the Catskills. We know what to expect. Now is the time to prepare."

For more information call the Sullivan County Natural Disaster Preparedness Department at 845/583-5401.

WILKES-BARRE - The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Northeast Regional Pollution Prevention Roundtable invites businesses to attend a workshop on how to receive ISO 14001 certification on November 15 in Lewisburg, Union County.

The workshop, "ISO 14001: Who, What, Why, When and How," sponsored by DEP's Northcentral and Southcentral Pollution Prevention Roundtables, will run from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon at the Best Western Country Cupboard Inn, Rt. 15 North.

Featured speaker Josephine Histand, environmental engineer at Visteon, a major automotive electrical component supplier to Ford, will talk about Ford's ISO 14001 initiative.

ISO stands for the International Organization for Standardization, located in Geneva, Switzerland. ISO 14001 refers to a series of voluntary standards in the industrial environmental management field, including environmental auditing, environmental performance evaluation, environmental labeling and life-cycle assessment.

DEP's Northeast Regional Pollution Prevention Roundtable is a consortium of private organizations, individuals and public agencies dedicated to the improvement and protection of the environmental quality of the region.

For more information contact Janet Warnick at 570/826-2511 or Tim Marcovecchio of the World-Class Industrial Network at 412/325-1565.

HONESDALE - The 2000 Wayne County Cooperative Extension Annual Meeting and Dinner will be held on Monday, November 6 at 7:45 p.m. at the Red School House Restaurant, located 10 miles north of Honesdale at the intersection of Routes 247 and 670.

A buffet-style dinner will feature roast beef, sliced ham, lasagna, green garden salad, corn, potatoes, cake and a choice of coffee, tea, iced tea and lemonade. Cost is $9 per person and reservations are requested to the Wayne County Cooperative Extension by November 2. Also, a milk punch will be served prior to the buffet, by the Wayne County Dairy Princess and Evelyn Vitali, 4-H/Family Living and EFNEP Agent.

Featured speaker will be Mr. Don Schauer, Wildlife Conservationist, Central and Southern Wayne County, Pennsylvania Game Commission. His will address, "Trends in Pennsylvania's Deer Herd Management."

For more information call 570/253-5970, extension 239.