HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov. 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- To show how their well-managed woodlands can lead to cleaner streams and rivers, and the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is encouraging private landowners to join the "Forestry for the Bay" program.

"With nearly two-thirds of Pennsylvania draining into the Chesapeake, woodland owners from Lancaster to Bedford, and Potter to Susquehanna counties must realize their actions directly affect a national treasure hundreds of miles away," said DCNR State Forester Daniel Devlin. "We welcome the chance to promote sound conservation practices and foster healthier waterways by participating in 'Forestry for the Bay' efforts."

The program is specifically geared to help small- and medium-size landowners promote sound conservation practices and increase vitality of the region's woodlands. Membership in Forestry for the Bay is free and voluntary.

"Whether someone owns 100 acres of hardwoods or a 2-acre lot of evergreens, the health of those woodlands directly affects the health of local streams, rivers and, eventually, the Chesapeake Bay," Devlin said. "Forest stewards are increasingly challenged by fragmentation of large woodland tracts into smaller parcels with diverse ownership. While many educational and incentive programs are geared for owners of large tracts, Forestry for the Bay focuses on reaching owners of forests ranging from backyard woodlots to 25 acres or more."

The Web-based program was developed through collaboration among the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, USDA Forest Service and Chesapeake Bay Program. Besides Pennsylvania's Bureau of Forestry, support also comes from the Maryland Forest Service and Virginia's Department of Forestry.

Program proponents hope to connect 900,000 woodland owners in the Chesapeake watershed region to a wealth of information about local resources, incentive programs, and technical assistance for proper management of their woodlands.

Encompassing parts of Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, New York, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia, the Chesapeake Bay's watershed feeds the largest estuary in the United States. Of that 64,000-square-mile watershed, 58 percent -- or 24 million acres -- is forested, according to the Chesapeake Bay Program, and 80 percent of those woodlands are comprised of privately owned, 10-acre-or-less parcels.

"Acre for acre, forests are considered the best land use for protecting water quality," Devlin said. "Trees not only play a very important role in water quality, but also filter the air, reduce erosion and sedimentation, and provide wildlife habitat, enhanced community desirability, recreational opportunities and sustainable forest resources."

Forestry for the Bay principles already have been embraced some 200 miles north of the Chesapeake Bay, where Nancy Baker, one of the program's first members and president of the Bradford-Sullivan Forest Landowners' Association, actively touts the importance of sustainably managing Bradford County land that has been in family ownership since the 1860s.

"We are biologists who are quite comfortable in thinking very long term; all aspects of the cycle of life are interesting," Baker said. "We look at the destruction and fragmentation of forested ecosystems and of the decrease in biodiversity worldwide but are also aware of the regenerative powers of nature to change and to adapt. We do not expect miracles in human lifetimes, but we are willing to do our part watching, waiting, investigating and aiding the networks within our own small parcel and its relation to its surroundings."

Complementing state and independent forest stewardship programs, Forestry for the Bay offers professional resources to help landowners in actively manage or restore woodlands. Member benefits include guidance in developing a woodland conservation guide outline, eligibility for awards and recognition of stewardship, access to web-based mapping and analysis tools, and participation in the Forestry for the Bay mentoring program.

For more details, visit http://www.forestryforthebay.org, or telephone (800) YOUR BAY, ext. 723 or 777.

CONTACT:

Terry Brady

717-772-9101

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources