PA Forest Sustainability Is The Goal Of New Action Plan

PENNSYLVANIA — Governor Tom Wolf unveiled a State Forest Action Plan on Tuesday which assesses the condition of Pennsylvania forests and sets a framework for long-term forest sustainability.

“Since the founding of our commonwealth, ‘Penn’s Woods,’ our forests have been critical natural resources that we must continue to preserve, maintain and grow,” the governor said. “The State Forest Action Plan provides a wealth of strategies to ensure that our forests continue to thrive for future generations of Pennsylvanians.”

The plan, 681 pages long and authored by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' Bureau of Forestry, highlights current conditions and trends of forests, delineates priority landscapes, and provides a suite of broad strategies to ensure the long-term sustainability of Pennsylvania’s forests and trees.

Forests cover more than 60 percent of Pennsylvania’s land and provide an array of values including clean air and water, recreation opportunities, wood products, habitat for plants and animals, and carbon storage. In addition to making recommendations for all public and private forests in Pennsylvania, the plan also includes stakeholders and partners to help ensure a shared vision and coordinated efforts in sustainability.

“This plan will help protect and maintain diverse ecosystems in the commonwealth, help provide guidance in the fight against climate change, help the department carefully manage our energy resources to minimize and mitigate negative impacts, and address important areas of need in our forests," said Cindy Adams Dunn, secretary of the conversation department. "I am grateful to Bureau of Forestry staff for developing this comprehensive plan to protect the future of our forests.”

The Forest Action Plan builds on the sustainability meters developed in the 2010 plan and notes changes in the past ten years. The plan also the identifies the 11 priority issues to address, which are:

• Land use change
• Forest health
• Sustainable forest management
• Climate change
• Communicating natural resource values
• Energy management and development
• Wildland fire and public safety
• Plant and animal habitat
• Forest-related economy and jobs
• Forest recreation
• Water and soil

"We intend to build on the progress we have made since implementing 2010 Forest Action Plan and will continue to make positive strides in managing our forests and improving their overall quality,” said State Forester Ellen Shultzabarger.

Pennsylvania’s ten-year strategic plan is a part of a national forest planning effort required by the federal government and a mandate from the Farm Bill.

Learn more about the Pennsylvania Forest Action Plan online.