about the foundation
The Peter A. Yeager Memorial Foundation was created in the memory of Pete Yeager, a lifelong outdoorsman and an inspirational advocate of the preservation, protection, and enhancement of NWPA and beyond.
Peter A. Yeager
Pete was born on Halloween 1948 in Erie, PA, the son of Peter W. and Marjorie Keim Yeager. After completing high school at Erie's Cathedral Prep in 1966, he went on to the University of Detroit, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering in 1971. Pete began work with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources (now Dept. of Environmental Protection) in 1972 - a career that would span 19 years. He rose through the ranks of the Department's Bureau of Water Quality Management, ultimately being designated the Assistant Regional Director for the 12-county region of Northwest Pennsylvania.
In 1988 Pete was assigned as DER's Lake Erie Coordinator when Secretary Arthur Davis committed the department to study water quality in Presque Isle Bay. The result was a consent decree signed by then Mayor Lou Tullio, Governer Robert Casey, and Secretary Davis that initiated a $67 million clean-up of the bay. Pete was also appointed by then Governor Robert Casey to serve on the Erie Harbor Improvement Council and the International Joint Commission of the Great Lakes Water Quality Board.
Outside of work, Pete was an avid hunter and fisherman, a gardener, and a farmer. He served on the Board of Directors of the Crawford County Conservation District and was a volunteer instructor at the McKeever Environmental Learning Center.
Pete's career, and his life, were dedicated to the ideals of appreciation, preservation, and enhancement of the natural environment. His devotion, integrity, and work ethic won him the respect and admiration of his friends, colleagues, environmentalists, and government and industry leaders. Through his dedication and hard work in helping to preserve our environment and provide safe and clean water for all, Pete continues to have an impact on the water quality of Pennsylvania, and thereby it’s citizens, everyday.