James C. Finley Center for Private Forests
The James C. Finley Center for Private Forests focuses on applied research, education, and outreach to students, forest landowners, the forest-products industry, loggers, conservation districts, agencies, land trusts, non-governmental organizations, and the public.
Center Vision
A world where stewardship practices sustain healthy and resilient private forests which contribute to the social, ecological, and economic well-being of society.
Center Mission
Working at the intersection of people and forests, the Center advances research-based insights to inspire and cultivate stewardship of private forests.
The James C. Finley Center for Private Forests at Penn State
While bittersweet, we are pleased to announce that the Center for Private Forests at Penn State has been renamed in honor of its founder. His foundational scholarship on which we built the Center recognized the personal, value-driven relationships that many private landowners have with the forests they own. He worked hard to help forestry and natural resource professionals recognize these relationships to better understand the needs of private forest landowners and help them achieve their stewardship goals. The renaming will inspire the center’s staff, council, volunteers and stakeholders as we work to advance the work of our colleague, mentor and friend.
Latest News
July 3, 2025
Wildflower Wanderings: Planting and Enjoying Native Wildflower Meadows
Laura and Mike Jackson are naturalists, retired biology teachers, landowners, and PA Forest Stewards volunteers. Here they share their experiences with creating and maintaining wildflower meadows.
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July 3, 2025
Celebrating Nuance
Ethan Tapper was a keynote speaker at our 2025 Forest Landowners Conference. You can read more in his book, How to Love a Forest: The Bittersweet Work of Tending a Changing World.
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July 3, 2025
Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI®) Report: Why Best Management Practices Matter
Timber harvesting can pose risks to water resources if not carried out responsibly. To mitigate these impacts, Pennsylvania requires that Best Management Practices (BMPs) be used during earth disturbance activities, such as logging.
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July 3, 2025
PA Tree Farm: Introducing Your New Tree Farm Chair
Greetings, forest landowners and readers of Forest Leaves! Mike Powell is the new Pennsylvania committee chair of the American Tree Farm System (ATFS), managed by the Pennsylvania Forestry Association (PFA).
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James C. Finley Center for Private Forests
Address
416 Forest Resources BuildingUniversity Park, PA 16802
- Email PrivateForests@psu.edu
- Office 814-863-0401
- Fax 814-865-6275