After graduating from Coudersport Jr./St, High school in 2020, Travis Gleason completed his first year of college at Penn State Mont Alto where he majored in Forest Technology. He then transferred to Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, where he is completing his second year of the college’s Forestry program. In the future, Travis hopes to continue his education by earning a bachelor’s degree in Forest Management at Penn State University in State College, PA.
During the Summer of 2021, Travis completed an internship at DCNR in Coudersport, PA where he marked timber, planted food plots, cut, and sprayed brush and treated trees for various health conditions. Travis attributes his love for the outdoors—especially his enjoyment of hunting--for shaping his career path in forestry.
About the Scholarship
Richard “Dick” Lauchle loved the forest and worked diligently throughout his adult life to ensure the sustainability of Pennsylvania’s forests. In 1967, Dick enrolled in the Williamsport Area Community College now known as Pennsylvania College of Technology. He was accepted into a newly established Forest Technology Program, which expanded his interest and knowledge of the forest. While he understood the value of woodlands, he also knew the forests were vulnerable to disease, fire, and careless management. Graduating first in his class, he secured a position with one of the largest sustainable forest companies in the world, Weyerhaeuser, in Washington State. His employment was brief as a job opportunity arose within the Pennsylvania Game Commission which ultimately brought him back to his love— Penn’s woods.
In 1975, he founded Lauchle Lumber. He owned and operated his business until his passing in 2008. Dick was dedicated to his customers, industry organizations, and those who sought advice on timber harvesting and management. Lauchle Lumber was more than a business, it was his calling throughout his life. The Lauchle scholarship was established to honor Dick and his life- long love for the forests. He deeply valued the career and recreational opportunities that they provide. Out of that love, the scholarship was founded by Keystone Wood Products Association and funded by Lauchle customers, business associations, lifelong friends, and members of the Loyalsock Men’s Club, who shared in Dick’s passion. For more information, please visit Richard P. Lauchle Forestry Scholarship Fund | Keystone Wood Products Association (keystonewoodpa.org)