Northwestern Pennsylvania’s forests are essential to the region’s character and economy. These forests serve as a destination for tourists, offering ample opportunities for hunting, fishing, kayaking and other recreation. They also play a critical role in providing wildlife habitat and filtering the air and water.

Forest-related industries play a big role in the rural communities nestled within this region. In Johnsonburg, in Elk County, the local paper mill has been in existence since the town’s beginnings more than a century ago and remains the town’s largest industry and employer today. Working forests surrounding Johnsonburg provide a steady source of wood for the mill and support hundreds of local jobs.

Our Role

In 2018 — in the largest conservation acquisition by a nonprofit in Pennsylvania history — we purchased the ecologically and economically important Clarion Junction Forest in Elk and McKean counties to protect it from subdivision and change in land use. We will sustainably manage the 32,598 acres of working forestland over the next few years, providing the time needed to determine and implement permanent conservation strategies that support both recreational access and local economies.

Why This Project Matters

Our goal in acquiring Clarion Junction Forest was not only to ensure that the land will stay forested, but that it can continue to support local mills and timber-related jobs.

Protecting this land is a big win for Pennsylvania’s environment. It provides a bridge between Pennsylvania Game Commission lands and Allegheny National Forest, a connection that will benefit both people and wildlife.

The forest also safeguards important habitat for bears, deer and birds such as American woodcocks, black-throated blue warblers, cerulean warblers and Louisiana waterthrushes. Our efforts to conserve Clarion Junction Forest — located within the Pennsylvania Wilds region, a 2.1-million-acre stretch of working forests that provides hunting, paddling, fishing and elk viewing opportunities — will boost the region’s $1.7-billion annual tourism industry. The land will be open to public recreation, including hunting and trout fishing.

Learn More

• News Article: “Nonprofit purchases 32K-plus acres of forest in Western Pa” (Philadelphia Inquirer)