Pennsylvania Sustainable Forestry Initiative Implementation Committee

08/28/2026

Study results suggest that increased forest conservation
can coexist with commercial wood production, supporting
ecosystem services without sacrificing economic prosperity.

08/19/2026

Responsible forest management keeps our forests healthy and viable - but it isn't free. Property taxes, inventories, tools, herbicides, assistance from skilled personnel, heavy equipment, fuel, etc., - even forest certification, all represent significant costs associated with forest ownership and management. Strong markets for the wide variety of species and diameters that need to be removed from forests in order to sustain forest values, landowner objectives, and forest vitality are the only way that the economics of forestry work.

My first forestry job was a summer position with a small consulting firm in northwest Wisconsin in 2006. I helped set up timber sales for small private woodland owners and, as an eager but…

08/14/2026

07/29/2026

07/29/2026

U.S. Forest Service Chief, Tom Schultz, visited us at the SFI tent this morning at the 2026 Nat Jamboree. He is here to announce the rollout of a new Wildland Fire Management merit badge.

07/28/2026

This week, the Pennsylvania Implementation Committee is at the 2026 National Scouting Jamboree (Nat Jamboree) at the Summit Bechtel Reserve near Beckley, West Virginia. We're connecting with more than 15,000 Scouts from across the United States to share why healthy, sustainably managed forests matter and how SFI certification helps ensure forest products can be traced back to responsibly managed forests.

It's especially fitting that Scouting America's Summit Bechtel Reserve itself (14,000+ acres) is certified to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), demonstrating a commitment to responsible forest management for generations to come.

We're excited to help inspire the next generation of environmental stewards! 🌳⚜️

07/26/2026

And another shoutout to The PA Envirothon Team for their 4th place finish in the NCF-Envirothon - North America’s largest high school environmental education competition!

Congratulations to Pennsylvania’s Envirothon team from Penncrest High School (Delaware County)!!

07/26/2026

Congratulations to Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, and all the teams that competed - with a big shoutout to the team representing Pennsylvania, and Nathan Kennedy for his first place tie on the written exam!! Way to go everyone. 🍀🌳🌲

Tennessee placed first among 15 states that competed in the 2026 National 4-H Forestry Invitational. Teams from Georgia and Florida placed second and third, respectively. Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia also competed in this year’s Invitational.
The Tennessee team members were Aiden McKenzie, Carter Williamson, and Will Thomas with coach Greg Austin. Tennessee’s Aiden McKenzie had the highest overall individual score in the contest. The 2nd place individual was Lily Stobb from Georgia and the 3rd-place high individual was Carver Deaton from West Virginia.
Tennessee won the Forestry Quiz Bowl. In the Written Exam Nathan Kennedy PA and Calista Sappenfeld FL tied for 1st place. In Tree ID Lily Stobb GA placed 1st with a perfect score. In Insect & Diseases Rett Mason MS, Jalyn Cochran MS, Ryleigh Wells MS, Carver Deaton WV, Kaitlyn Stobb GA, Calista Sappenfeld FL, Forest Deroy FL and Aiden McKenzie TN tied for 1st place, all with perfect scores. In Tree Measurement Carver Deaton of WV placed 1st. In Compass & Pacing Reece Kicklighter GA placed 1st. And finally, in Topo Maps Ryan Whte GA placed 1st. Congrats to all of the individuals, teams and coaches who participated this year in the National 4-H Forestry Invitational.
We look forward to seeing ALL of these states again next year...plus a few more!

07/22/2026

Good luck to Pennsylvania's team as they compete in the National 4-H Forestry Invitational at Jackson’s Mill State 4-H Conference Center in Weston, West Virginia this week!

07/20/2026

Just replace "Massachusetts" with "Pennsylvania" when reading this article.

White-tailed deer are an important part of the Massachusetts landscape, but when there are too many deer, forest health can suffer.