PENNSYLVANIA—The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry and USDA Forest Service signed an Agreement for Shared Stewardship strengthening the commitment to collaborative land management efforts throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Chief Randy Moore and Pennsylvania State Forester and Director of the Bureau of Forestry Ellen Shultzabarger signed the agreement.

The signing ceremony occurred on two separate desks used by Gifford Pinchot during his career: one in Washington, DC, and the other in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. In addition to being the first trained forester in the United States and the first Chief of the Forest Service, Pinchot was the 28th two-term governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania agreement marks the 30th state-level shared stewardship agreement in the country. It establishes a framework that advances the commonwealth and the Forest Service’s collaborative efforts in forest management, accomplishing mutual goals, furthering common interests, and effectively responding to the increasing suite of challenges facing the communities, landscapes and natural resources in Pennsylvania.

Now that the agreement is signed, the commonwealth and Forest Service will prioritize locations where they will have the greatest impact, sharing risks and decision-making where appropriate and sharing resources across ownership boundaries when necessary to create positive effects for the benefit of Pennsylvanians.