Programs that provide financial assistance to landowners are major tools in the effort to make Pennsylvania’s forests more healthy and diverse.

The need for these programs was identified when researchers began taking note that several bird species, such as woodcock and golden-winged warbler, were showing serious declines. These declining species spawned interest in and funding for research and management.

To improve habitat management for the golden-winged warbler in Pennsylvania, researchers at Indiana University of Pennsylvania teamed up with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Appalachian Mountain Joint Venture, American Bird Conservancy, Pennsylvania Game Commission, and Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to develop science-based Golden-winged Warbler Forestland Best Management Practices (BMPs). These Forestland BMPs provide guidance to landowners and land managers interested in creating breeding habitat for golden-winged warblers through sustainable timber harvesting and other forest management practices.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service now has joined with the other agencies and organizations to create an initiative for private forest landowners in Pennsylvania. This Young Forest Initiative provides both professional forest management recommendations and financial assistance to implement the recommendations in south-central Pennsylvania.