AUGUSTA — State Sen. Tom Saviello, R-Wilton, has been appointed co-chairman of the Maine Legislature’s Commission to Study the Public Reserved Lands Management Fund, according to a written statement from the office of the Maine Senate president.

The commission, which was formed by the 127th Legislature, is tasked with evaluating the state’s use of public lands, specifically harvesting practices, the preservation of forests for recreation, wildlife habitat and public use. The commission, which will meet a minimum of four times, will offer recommendations to the Maine Legislature based on its findings.

“This is an issue that I feel very strongly about and I am thrilled to be a member of this study group,” Saviello said in the statement. “We need to ensure that the policies we enact in the Legislature are working for Maine’s public lands which are so important to us and to future generations. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the commission.”

Saviello is serving his third term in the Maine Senate and chairs the Environmental and Natural Resources Committee. He previously served in the Maine House of Representatives and has 32 years of experience working in the forest products industry.