Huntingdon CWP Inmates Complete Pesticide Training

On Feb. 20, several Community Work Program participants at SCI Huntingdon took their Certified Pesticide Applicator exams. These tests, administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, provide those who pass with official Pennsylvania licensure to spray pesticides to control invasive, unwanted weeds harming Pennsylvania's natural resources and agricultural operations.

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources provided a five-week training course to help prepare the crew to take the exams as a part of the Riparian Forest Buffer program. Pesticide spraying is critical for riparian forest buffer maintenance to ensure weeds don't overtake the young trees and shrubs planted in forest buffers. These new skills will help CWP crews care for the riparian buffer planted at SCI Huntingdon in October and will help Riparian Buffer Program participants find jobs working with forest buffers or other conservation-related work upon release. They can even start their own buffer maintenance businesses!

Additional CWP crew members who participated in the training but elected to not take the certified applicator test will receive their Registered Pesticide Technician certificates, which will also aid them in finding a job with existing conservation, agriculture, or lawn-care businesses in Pennsylvania.