Posted: October 21, 2021

Ten years ago this December, the provost of the Pennsylvania State University signed the Center for Private Forest at Penn State into being.

In the last decade, the Center has hosted four successful forest landowners conferences, expanded understanding about private forest landowners and their lands through applied research projects, trained several graduate students, interned undergraduate students, supported forest stewardship peer learning networks, and continued to advance knowledge and engagement at the intersection of people and forests. In the last year, a subcommittee of the Center for Private Forests Council has worked to create a strategic plan to enhance our strengths, better define our work, and lay the course for the next five years. In July 2021, the Center Council, comprised of landowners and natural resources professionals, approved the plan and is pleased to share the revised vision and mission statements and the strategic aims for the Center’s work in the next half-decade.

Center for Private Forests 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 for Private Forests Mission: Working at the intersection of people and forests, the Center advances research-based insights to inspire and cultivate stewardship of private forests.

Six Key Aims:

Create Scholarship—Develop and share basic and applied research and experience to expand understanding of private forest landowners, their land, and the professionals who advise them.

Inspire Stewardship—Inspire and cultivate a growing community of private forest landowners adopting stewardship values and practices on their land.

Strengthen Connections—Foster a shared vision and understanding of stewardship among private forest landowners, professionals, and academic faculty necessary for effective collaboration on private forest stewardship.

Expand the Stewardship Community— Broaden the range of stewardship professionals and organizations advising private forest landowners on the stewardship of their land.

Inform Policy—Convey knowledge and insights to aid development and implementation of policies and practices that impact private forest landowners and their land.

Build infrastructure—Build the Center organization, partnering, and financial capacity to impact forest health and vitality.

The Center’s 2022-2026 strategic plan provides an important framework for advancing our work in support of forest stewardship. Using the six key aims, the Center Council will adopt an annual plan of work to guide and focus our efforts. If you wish to learn more about the strategic plan, please visit the Center’s website. The Center looks forward to collaborating within Penn State and with other partners to advance understanding of private forest landowners and stewardship of private forests. And as always, we thank you for your interest and support of the work, and we welcome any questions or comments.

Contact Information

Allyson Brownlee Muth, Ed.D.
  • Director, Center for Private Forests

James C. Finley Center for Private Forests

Address

416 Forest Resources Building
University Park, PA 16802

James C. Finley Center for Private Forests

Address

416 Forest Resources Building
University Park, PA 16802