The long-term sustainability of our natural resources is in the hands of local communities, state agencies, non-profit conservation organizations, and private landowners. With its resources and expertise, The Rural and Community Forestry section provides the necessary guidance to help people make informed decisions. This section helps communities manage their growth, protect special lands, and reduce the loss of open space. The section also assists the hundreds of thousands of individual landowners understand the conservation values of their properties, and help those with forests develop tools that will produce sustainable results.

Program areas within the Urban and Community Forestry section include:

Service Foresters
A Bureau Service Forester is assigned to each county to advise residents on forest management. You can find a service forester assigned to your county.

Urban Forestry
The Urban Forestry program helps to build and maintain sustainable and attractive communities through technical assistance and grant programs.

• Urban Forestry Program

Community Forestry
The Community Forestry program helps to foster regional and county-level planning that conserves natural resources through property tax, conservation easements and technical assistance programs.

• PA Clean and Green Property tax assessment
• PA Forest Legacy easement programs.

Stewardship Forestry
The Stewardship Forestry program promotes the sustainable use of private forest lands in Pennsylvania through technical assistance, education, planning and cost-share assistance.

• Forest Stewardship
• Forest Land Enhancement
• Rural Forestry
• Sustainable Forestry Programs

Watershed Forestry
The Watershed Forestry program promotes the stewardship of watersheds in Pennsylvania through technical assistance, watershed grants, cost-share assistance, planning and education.

• PA Stream ReLeaf
• Chesapeake Bay Watershed Programs
• Best Management Practices

Conservation Education
The Bureau of Forestry is a leader in education about forest and native wild plant conservation and management. Education efforts focus on increasing public awareness of issues and factors affecting Pennsylvania’s forests. Conservation Education works to connect people to the land by providing them with the tools they need to make informed actions related to sustaining natural and cultural resources.

• PA Envirothon
• Natural Resource Conservation Education
• Penn's Woods workshops

Home · Contact · FAQ