The Forest of the Year Award is designed to recognize a forest district for its innovative and exemplary work in both forest management and recreation for a wide range of activities.

Pinchot State Forest District encompasses Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wyoming, Susquehanna, and Wayne counties. Staff embraces the Bureau of Forestry’s mission of conserving our forests to ensure their sustainability and protection of these critical values. This philosophy of serving the citizens of the Commonwealth is even more impactful near the local population centers of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and Hazelton. Many factors made Pinchot State Forest the Forest of the Year including the following.

The district has added nearly 40,000 acres over the past decade, with key acquisitions including 7,830-acre Montage Mountain, 7,828-acre Crystal Lake, 4,318-acre Penobscot Ridge, and 2,175 acres from Luzerne County. These acquisitions have each been for different reasons. For example, the Seven Tubs Nature Area and Moon Lake Park were acquired by DCNR in response to requests from local leadership. The Bureau now manages these as recreation areas popular with the public. Staff removed deteriorating facilities, reclaimed roads, improved campsites, rehabbed the boat ramp, improved habitats, and added other recreational and educational amenities.

Significant amounts of former coal mine lands exist in the district, especially in the Mocanaqua, Wanamie, Wilkes-Barre Mountain, and Avondale tracts. In 2018, 100 acres of abandoned mine lands were reclaimed at Avondale to eliminate mine hazards, reduce acid mine drainage, and control stormwater runoff. Included in this project was the installation of bat cages at the surface entrance of several mine openings allowing access for bat hibernation.

The district fire program covers a five-county region with responsibility for protecting more than 1.4 million acres of forest land. Support is provided to more than 80 volunteer fire departments (VFD) through training, grants, and equipment and vehicle donations. The district responds annually to more than 83 wildfires and relies on VFD fire crews and the support of 86 active forest fire wardens and crew. 

The district’s service forestry program covers the same area as the fire program, with more than a half million residents in the greater Scranton – Wilkes-Barre – Hazleton metro area. Emphasis on the TreeVitalize program has resulted in annual grants to communities including the cities of Kingston and Scranton. In addition, shade tree inventories have been completed in Clarks Summit and Kingston with assistance from the PA Outdoor Corp Youth crew. 

This award is sponsored by: