Pennsylvania Forests and You

“Penn’s Woods”• Pennsylvania was founded by a Quaker, William Penn.

• In 1681, Penn’s Woods included more than 28 million acres of forest.– pine, hemlock, beech, birch, hickory

• Native Americans and European settlers cleared forests for agriculture and other purposes.

• In the 1700’s and mid-1800’s, timber was harvested to construct homes and ships, tannin was extracted to tan and soften leather, and charcoal was used to fuel furnaces.

• By the early 1900’s, most of Penn’s Woods had been cut down and only about 40% of the state was forestland.

William Penn

Map of PA in 1700’s

Wood charcoal burned as fuel.

Land being used for agriculture.Tannin made from

hemlock trees.Land in the 1900’s

Our Forests - History

• Pennsylvania is rich in forestland.

• No matter where you live in PA, you aren’t far from a beautiful forest.

• PA has more forestland today than it did 100 years ago.

Our Forests – Land Cover

• PA has about 17 million acres of forestland (about 60% of the land is covered by trees).

• PA forests consist of 70 different hardwood tree species such as black cherry, red maple, walnut and hickory.

Our Forests – Growth Rate

• Our forests are increasing in size even though our population size continues to grow.

• PA forests are growing at two times the rate they are being harvested.

Our Forests - Ownership• Most of the

forestland in PA is privately owned (about 65%).

• About 30% of the forests in the state are government owned.

• About 5% of the forestland is owned by forest product companies.

Our Products• The average person uses and relies on

hundreds of forest products everyday.

Our Products Industry Efficiency

• bark mulch

• scrap wood and sawdust fuel, paper, fiberboard

• Wood & paper products are recyclable.

Our Jobs and Business

• The forest industry is essential to Pennsylvania’s economy.

• Almost 100,000 Pennsylvanians make a living as part of the forest industry workforce.

Our Jobs and Business

• Primary Processing– foresters, loggers

• Secondary Processing– sawmills, paper

plants, furniture making facilities

• Allied Industries– product retail

Our Jobs and Business

• Pennsylvania is the number one producer of hardwood lumber in the United States.

• Forest product sales generate over 5 billion dollars a year.

• Every dollar spent on timber harvesting generates $17 in profit.

Our Forest Health

• Harvesting trees helps our forests.– Creates healthier trees.– Encourages natural

regeneration.– Prevents forests from

becoming stagnant and diseased.

– Creates space and sunlight for saplings to grow and expand.

Environmental Benefits

• Younger, healthier trees can . . . – remove more carbon

dioxide from the air.– produce more oxygen.– filter pollutants from

rain and runoff.– help prevent soil

erosion.– provide unique habitat

for birds and other species.

Recreation and Our Forest• Recreational activities promote tourism

and can generate revenue.

HIKING

BIKING

BIRD WATCHING

FISHING

CAMPING

Wildlife and Our Forests

• Hardwood harvesting produces diverse and unique habitats.

• Wildlife also impact the health of a forest.– Deer over browse

on tree seeds and seedlings limiting regeneration.

Our Forest Oversight

• Regulation of harvesting and the product industry is largely conducted by state and national agencies.

• The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection oversees the management of PA forestland.

Government Agencies

Our Future

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)

• Group of environmental organizations that evaluate the production of the forest industry.

Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)

• Voluntary, industry-driven effort to promote healthy and productive forests and conservation practices.