Visitors seek outdoor refuge and recreation in Pennsylvania’s State Parks and State Forests, which offer breathtaking natural landmarks and beautiful places to explore. Keystone funding is needed to manage and maintain the park system. Act 93 designated 30% of DCNR's Keystone funding* for State Park and Forestry facility rehabilitation and construction.
Pennsylvania maintains 117 state park areas - almost a full 1% of the state's land, and the third most state park land in the country behind Alaska and California.Pennsylvania state parks host 34.1 million visitors annually who spend $818.3 million on their trips, and supporting 10,551 jobs, directly and indirectly.
Similarly, state forests offer tremendous benefits to visitors and surrounding communties. Pennsylvania’s state forests generate millions of dollars in revenue to local economies from in and out-of-state visitors.
State forests have more than 3,000 miles of trails used for hiking, cross-country skiing, mountain biking, horseback riding, snowmobile riding and ATV riding. Additional activities permitted in the state parks include camping, hunting, fishing, and boating. Picnic areas available at each state park are typically equipped with tables, fireplaces, potable water, and parking. Trail fees and rental fees help finance the operation and maintenance of these facilities; however, other wide-scale maintenance issues such as fire, pest and invasive species control and infrastructure upkeep require greater funding.
Recent challenges facing the forests and parks in Pennsylvania include tree biodiversity; forest age composition; poor tree regeneration due to white-tailed deer over-browsing; gypsy moth defoliating trees with outbreak populations every five to 10 years; Hemlock Wooly Adelgid damaging the Eastern Hemlock; Japanese Knotweed, mile-a-minute weed, tree-of-heaven and other non-native invasive species threatening the growth of native vegetative species; Emerald Ash Borer destroying ash trees; and Sirex Woodwasp affecting the Scots and red pine trees
* 10% of this amount can be designated towards river conservation projects; an additional 10% can be designated for trail projects.
Quote of the Moment
"Lincoln Borough is very proud of the conservation of Dead Man's Hollow. It's something that should be done everywhere. Saving these properties now-while there are still some left-is something that is going to be needed down the road as a place where people can go and be quiet and enjoy nature."
- Ronald Rosche, past Lincoln Borough President/Councilman