PFA: Symposium Recap and Pennsylvania Forestry News

By Mark Ott, Pennsylvania Forestry Association President

The Pennsylvania Forestry Association (PFA) has had a busy spring. The main events were the 41^st annual Conservation Dinner and the 33^rd annual Tree Planting Ramble. The dinner is our main fundraiser, with funds going toward PFA’s forest educational efforts. Once again, all 350 of the $100 tickets sold out. The silent and live auctions had wonderful donations and great sales. Among the raffles that evening were a diamond ring and a fly fishing package, both donated and well-received with aggressive sales of the chances. Robert Pramik won the $10,000 grand prize with ticket #333. Tickets for March 6, 2027 (save the date!) will be available at and after the annual PFA Symposium, scheduled for Saturday, November 7, 2026. Get yours early, as they sell out earlier each year.

The Tree Planting Ramble saw volunteers plant over 2,000 trees, with a break for the provided lunch, in an area of Sproul State Forest that was damaged by a tornado many years ago. The planting goes on each year. Next year’s Ramble will be held April 17. Come on out and help—many hands make light work!

The 2026 Log a Load for Kids Sporting Clay Benefit will be held at the Shenecoy Sportsman’s Club in Huntingdon County on September 25, 1-6 p.m., with a great dinner at the end. This event, started by the lumber industry, benefits Pennsylvania’s children’s hospitals. It is a fun day in a great location with beautiful views. You do not have to have experience to come out and shoot; instruction is available for those who would like guidance. All ages and abilities are welcome.

Consider hosting a Walk in Pennʼs Woods on Sunday, October 4, as we mark the 10^th year of this statewide event held on the first Sunday in October. We have yet to reach the goal of a walk in each county. These walks are a great opportunity to get people out in the woods and share what you have done and plan to do to manage your forest. Signup information will be forthcoming on the PFA website.

We have a great new benefit for our members. Thanks to a generous, multi-year, anonymous donation, we have established a fund to assist members with the cost of any woodland safety training they get. This can be chainsaw safety, herbicide/pesticide application safety, survival skills, first aid and CPR, tractor safety in the woods, etc. The fund guidelines will be evolving, with the first year covering 50% of class cost up to $75 for the first 10 members to apply. The fund application is on the PFA website and is contained within the Memorial Forestry Education Fund application. More funds from the donor will be added each year for the next three to four years. Other donations to this fund are welcome. We hope to make this a perpetual and sustained fund for the benefit of all members for years to come.

Get out and enjoy your forest or work on a patch of Pennʼs Woods, be it your own, your neighbor’s, or a local, state, or federal property. Help keep Penn’s Woods sustainable, healthy, and beautiful. The forest benefits all Pennsylvanians!

For more information about PFA, visit their website at paforestry.org or call 800-835-8065.