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January 2025

Enabling Pennsylvania communities to thrive through a successful forest products industry.

Hello Doty,


Welcome to Forest 411, our newsletter dedicated to keeping you informed about the Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee and promoting sustainable forestry in Pennsylvania. Stay tuned for more valuable insights and information!

New Leadership for the PA SIC

Kyle Troutman, SIC Chairman

Kyle Troutman is a Forester/SFI Coordinator for Weaber Inc., in Lebanon Pennsylvania. Weaber Inc. has been an SFI Certified Organization in Pa for 27 years. Kyle served as the PA SIC Vice Chairman for the past two years, and has served on the PA SIC for the past three years. Kyle has a Bachelors of Science Degree in Natural Resources Management and an Associates Degree in Forest Technology from Glenville State College (now Glenville State University) in Glenville West Virginia.

Bryan Rose, Vice Chairman

Bryan Rose is a Procurement Forester for Domtar in Johnsonburg Pennsylvania. Domtar has been an SFI Certified Organization in PA for 29 years. Bryan served on the PA SIC the past two years. Byran has a Bachelor's Degree in Forest Science from Penn State University and an Associates Degree in Forest Technology from Penn College of Williamsport PA. Bryan is also the Pennsylvania State Chair for the Society of American Foresters.

Garin Peck, Outgoing SIC Chairman

We would like to take a moment to express our gratitude to Garin Peck for his leadership as Chairman of the Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee (PA SIC) over the past two years. Garin's commitment and the steadfast support of Metzler Forest Products have truly made a significant impact on our organization.

2025 Annual Assessments

One of the fundamental strengths of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) is its unique grassroots network of SFI Implementation Committees (SICs). The SICs are constantly working beyond the SFI Certification Standard to expand the practice of responsible forestry and help achieve actual on-the-ground progress.

 

For more than 25 years, the Pennsylvania SIC has been partnering with conscientious companies to promote the wise use of Pennsylvania’s forest resources while also protecting their economic, social, and ecological values for generations to come. The financial support provided by these company is critical to the success of our efforts to educate professional loggers and promote sustainable forest management practices throughout Pennsylvania. We need your continued support.

 

To the right is our 2025 Pennsylvania SFI Assessment Survey. These surveys are being mailed out this month and you may receive one of these in the mail. If you do we hope you will fill it out and return it with your financial support. If you do not receive one but would like to support us then please print out the one to the right and send in your support.

 

On behalf of the Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee, I sincerely thank you for your past and or future contributions and hope that you will make a financial commitment to the 2025 program. If you have questions regarding the Annual Assessment Survey or would like more information about the Pennsylvania SIC, please do not hesitate to contact us at 814-512-8678.


Soap Stone Sawmill of Peach Bottom Pennsylvania proudly displays their support of the PA SIC. Do you display your Certificates of Appreciation from the PA SIC? If so we would love to see your photos. Please send them to Doty at doty@sfiofpa.org.

Two New Partnerships Announced

We are extremely excited to announce two new value added partnerships to the Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee. All financial supporters to the PA SIC will receive access to all services and products at a reduced rate. We know these are difficult times and we have heard you and we have listened. That's why we have teamed up with WorkLink Staffing of Ebensburg and Meherrin Ag Northeast of Williamsport.



For 25 years WorkLink has

provided staffing solutions for their clients across Pennsylvania. WorkLink Staffing has qualified

professionals, who are experts in the recruitment process, that personalize the efforts to each individual client. Their mission is simple, to link the right candidates for their client’s needs. WorkLink Staffing can provide Temporary, Temporary-to-Hire or Direct Placement employees and

provide employees staffing solutions for Light Industrial, Clerical and Professional positions. In a time where your focus is needed to move your business forward, they can help by taking care of your staffing issues one link at a time. This exciting new partnership between the Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee (SIC) and WorkLink provides an exceptional opportunity for our valued financial supporters

to seek high quality staffing services while gaining access to recruiting tools and exclusively discounted rates that could save you more than $360 per employee!



Meherrin AG Northeast, based in Williamsport, PA is a provider of Forage, Turfgrass, Warm Season Grasses, Native Seed, and Pollinators along with Fertilizer, Chemicals and Adjuvants.

Meherrin AG Northeast will offer Agriculture and Agronomy knowledge and guidance and products for the seeding, fertility, and chemical needs for establishing effective groundcover to reduce erosion, build soil health, and provide habitat for wildlife. Meherrin AG Northeast can formulate desired mixes for each situation having a capacity to mix 40,000# if needed in a timely manner.

Along with our proven background in Agriculture and Agronomy, Meherrin AG Northeast will develop discounts exclusively for companies that provide financial support the PA SIC for the purchase of their seeding, fertility, and chemical needs in 2025.

What will my woods look like?

This is often one of the first questions that forest landowners ponder when considering forest management options that involve harvesting timber on their property. The visual aesthetics of their forest is important to them and the fear of how a harvest might alter the look of their woodlot can often hold them back from implementing necessary management practices. The Hardwood Development Council & the Hardwood Utilization Groups have developed this pictorial resource for forest landowners to see before and after examples of various silvicultural treatments utilized in Pennsylvania.


The PA SIC is pleased to share this new resource with you. This resource aims to give forest landowners a better understand of forest management and the various practices/techniques all while providing before and after pictures. We envision foresters and educators utilizing this resource by sharing it with private forest landowners.

Click to download "What will my woods look like?"

Thank You! Matt Gabler

Last month, Matt Gabler, Executive Director for the Pennsylvania Forest Products Association (PFPA), announced that he would be accepting a new position as Chief Operating Officer for the Appropriations Committee in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He transitioned to this role starting at the beginning of the year and is now serving under the newly elected Republican Appropriations Chairman Rep. Jim Struzzi (R-Indiana).


While Matt has been exceptional in his role at PFPA during his 4-year tenure, he has also been a dedicated member of our organization. He dutifully served as both a committee member and an advisor to the Executive Subcommittee. His sharp insight and grasp of the vital role sustainable forestry plays in Pennsylvania’s forest products industry made him an invaluable ally to our organization. He provided steady, levelheaded guidance on the Pennsylvania SFI Implementation Committee’s (PA SIC) strategies and operations that helped the Committee navigate complex operational challenges.


Most notably, Matt successfully advocated state funding that enabled the PA SIC to become the first SFI Implementation Committee to hire a Director of Outreach and Development. This role has played a key part in strengthening our presence within the forest products industry and expanding our ability to engage with a broader range of stakeholders across the state to promote sustainable forestry in innovative ways. Additionally, Matt was instrumental in connecting the PA SIC with Doty McDowell, who filled the Director of Outreach and Development position.


A consistent advocate for the PA SIC within Harrisburg, Matt made sure that the Committee’s work and goals were visible to key lawmakers and stakeholders. He raised awareness of the organization’s importance, ensuring that it was seen as a critical player in advancing sustainable forestry practices and promoting responsible forest management throughout Pennsylvania. In fact, Matt was responsible for drafting the SIC’s successful nomination for the 2024 SIC Achievement Award. His voice has helped elevate the committee’s visibility in government and the state’s forest products industry.


Matt’s regular presence with the PA SIC will be deeply missed, but we look forward to finding ways to connect with him in his new role. We are confident that the PA SIC will continue to thrive, thanks in large part to Matt’s many contributions over the last few years. We wish him all the best in his new position and know that his work in the forestry and forest products sectors will continue to have a lasting impact.

INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHT

Our monthly newsletter will showcase our SFI-Certified Organizations, and esteemed SIC Partners and Supporters who’s support of the SIC are making a positive impact on Pennsylvania’s forests. This month we are highlighting Jamestown, LP.

Since 2009, Jamestown has owned and managed timberlands in the Eastern United States through a series of closed-end funds and an institutional open-end fund.


Jamestown acquires, owns, operates, and sells core timberland properties that are managed primarily for timber production. Jamestown targets established properties that, through intensive management, respond favorably to three sources from which timberland returns are derived: biological growth, timber price appreciation, and land price appreciation. Jamestown focuses on timber markets we believe exhibit strong demand from a variety of producers of forest products.


Jamestown works diligently to develop proactive management strategies for its timberlands aiming to increase investment productivity and to ensure sustainable and responsible practices. These include:

  • Planting pine species and quality seedlings in accordance with the biological potential of the sites and economic fundamentals of the respective timber market
  • Applying fertilizer as needed to achieve faster growth rates
  • Implementing timely thinning regimes to ensure healthy forests
  • Controlling competition to potentially maximize the productivity of only the targeted tree species
  • Proactively managing risk to help ensure healthy forests
  • Potentially capturing additional revenue through recreational leases
  • Providing opportunities for carbon sequestration
  • Ensuring all tracts are third-party certified
  • Complying with state best management practices during harvest
  • Harvesting sustainably
  • Protecting geologically or culturally significant special sites
  • Establishing policies and practices to recognize and respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples
  • Incorporating relevant research and data into management decisions to promote conservation and biological diversity




Jamestown LP has been certified to the SFI Forest Management Standards for the past 3 years.

SFI-certified organizations are crucial to the success of the SFI program. These entities have pledged to uphold the SFI Standards and have received third-party certification from independent auditors confirming their compliance. SFI-certified organizations prioritize sustainable forest management and fiber sourcing practices, which include maintaining forest productivity and health, protecting water quality, preserving biological diversity, and safeguarding special sites. They also provide training and education for employees, contractors, and harvesting professionals, support research efforts, and promote sustainable forestry through landowner outreach and community involvement. In addition to implementing these practices on forestland they manage, SFI-certified organizations also advocate for sustainable forestry practices on other lands.

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